Josep Irla i Bosch was born in 1874, as the eldest one of three brothers (the other two being called Francesc and Nicolau). His father owned an inn, were he worked when he was young.

He was a deputy in the Catalan Parliament and the Spanish Congress in 1932, as an Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya affiliate. He was also the last President of Catalonia before Franco abolished the Generalitat. He became the President-in-exile of the Generalitat after Lluís Companys was executed. During his time as President-in-exile, he established a Government in exile, and appointed Josep Tarradellas as Conseller en Cap (Prime Minister). He resigned as President in 1954.

He died in 1958 in France.

|- style="text-align: center;" | width="30%" |Preceded by:
Joan Casanovas i Maristany | width="40%" style="text-align: center;" |President of Catalan Parliament
1938–1940 | width="30%" |Succeeded by:
Antoni Rovira i Virgili