Don't worry; I don't want to start yet another fight about the Caighdeán Oifigiúil.

Instead, I'm simply interested in knowing if anyone can recommend a fairly reliable English-language account of its setting up. I'd like this both to become better informed myself and as a resource to direct people to when a fight breaks out (as often does happen).

Thanks for any help anyone can offer.

Wikipedia has a decent article about it, with a number of references to other sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/An_Caighde%C3%A1n_Oifigi%C3%BAil

_________________
I'm not a native (or entirely fluent) speaker, so be sure to wait for confirmations/corrections, especially for tattoos.

There's a chapter about the CO in the book "Stair na Gaeilge".

_________________
Is fearr Gaeilg na Gaeltaċta ná Gaeilg ar biṫ eile
Agus is í Gaeilg Ġaoṫ Doḃair is binne

Go raibh maith agaibh a ChaoimhínSF agus a Lughaidh as bhur moltaí.

I found Mícheál Ó Siadhail's "Standard Irish Orthography: An Assessment" and Micheál Ó Cearúil's Bunreacht na hÉireann: A study of the Irish Text to be helpful.

I'll have a go at Cathal Ó Háinle's Ó Chaint na ndaoine go dtí an Caighdeán Oifigiúil when I get the chance.