On December 6th 1921 Griffith, Collins and the other delegates signed the Anglo-Irish Treaty. The tensions in Ireland were deferred, though not eased. Both regions would be self-governing dominions of Great Britain, London retaining control of significant policy areas like defence, currency, foreign affairs and trade. The partition of Ireland, 100 years on A look at the partition of Ireland, which came to be as part of the 1920 Government of Ireland Act, and where it stands today. The partition of Ireland divided Ireland into two parts: Southern Ireland or the Irish Free State, and Northern... 2. It was a rather weak bill but was welcomed as an important step forward by Irish nationalists. In the end, we are on our own, joined at the hip to the very people we most mistrust, and in and out of love with our would-be suitors in Britain and the Republic of Ireland.” Idea of partition to solve home rule problem, what was the north? Under its terms, the six Loyalist-dominated counties in Ulster were to remain under British rule for a further six years. Copyright: The content on this page may not be republished without our express permission. In this essay I will discuss the factors that contributed to the partition of Ireland between the period 1912 to 1920. Partition was rejected by radical Republicans like Sinn Fein and the Irish Republican Army (IRA), which vowed to continue its campaign of violence against British rule. The reasons for Ireland being divided are complex but we can pinpoint several main LONG TERM and some SHORT TERM CAUSES. Marking partition. The introduction of Home Rule, it seemed, might tip Ireland into a state of civil war. This website on Northern Ireland and the Troubles is created and maintained by Alpha History. Rioting in Belfast in 1920-22 killed more than 450 people, while more than 20,000 Catholics were forced from their homes. A newly radicalised splinter group of nationalists went on to take advantage of Britain’s distraction with the war by launching the uprising of Easter 1916. To understand the Troubles, one must understand how Northern Ireland became a separate political entity. Conclusion Europe and the Wider World >. Partition was a both a compromise and an expediency. The potential division of the country into six Northern Irish counties and twenty-six Southern Irish counties was included in the Fourth Irish Home Rule Bill of 1920 in order to try to reconcile the conflicting wishes of Irish nationalists and unionists, which had caused the earlier three bills to fail and led to the Home Rule Crisis. The Partition of Ireland took place in 1920. It was intended to implement Home Rule without inciting well armed Loyalist paramilitary groups in Ulster. Title: “The Partition of Ireland” The standoff lasted for ten weeks until Collins, under pressure from London, bombarded the courts with artillery. Partition was intended to achieve the peaceful implementation of Home Rule in Ireland. The Government of Ireland Act was enacted in 1920, and the island was partitioned into Southern and Northern Ireland the following year, but Home Rule never came into effect in the South. The Curragh incident on 20th of March in 1914 had already led the administration to strongly believe that the British Army could not really be trusted to carry out its orders in Ireland. Many British Army officers stationed in Ireland resigned, and with nationalists having established their own military arm in response to the UVF and both sides importing arms, a civil war seemed imminent. Partition and the Irish Boundary Commission: a Northern Nationalist Perspective by Paul Murray I The circumstances which led to the partition of Ireland in 1920 are not in serious dispute. This legislation divided Ireland into two constituent parts: Southern Ireland (26 counties) and Northern Ireland (six counties). The partition of Ireland refers to the division of Ireland into two parts: one a self-governing state and one a member state of Great Britain. The Government of Ireland Act was introduced in 1920. War of Independence - partition an idea again 7. For more information on usage, please refer to our Terms of Use. The proposal was to have a self-governing Ireland with its own parliament but still part of the UK. But I believe that it had become inevitable by the time of the Home Rule Crisis of 1912–14. Date accessed: April 09, 2021 Protestant Unionists in these counties refused to be governed by a Nationalist parliament in Dublin; they feared a new Catholic ascendancy where Protestants would be marginalised, discriminated against and possibly persecuted. The partition of Ireland: In 1913, the British government promised Home Rule for Ireland. In August Michael Collins himself died at the hands of anti-Treaty assassins when his car was ambushed and sprayed with gunfire in County Cork. Ireland >. Opposition to Home Rule was also strong in Ulster, particularly its six north-eastern counties. Collins, however, refused to order any military action against the protestors. It was devised by the British government and finalised in December 1920. The partition of Ireland (Irish: críochdheighilt na hÉireann) was the division of the island of Ireland into two distinct jurisdictions, Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland.It took place on 3 May 1921 under the Government of Ireland Act 1920. This act led to the partition of Ireland. The IRA launched a campaign of guerrilla warfare against Free State troops. The partition of Ireland incited division and controversy, even as it was being debated and finalised by Westminster. The IRA men surrendered after two days. For Asquith to get into power he had to gain the support of the Home Rule party. Infuriated, de Valera resigned as president. The Anglo-Irish Treaty, the Irish War of Independence and the Irish Civil War only hardened partition and contributed to the separate development of Northern Ireland and the South. The Home Rule Bill that was passed in Westminster in 1912 mandated a parliament in Dublin with jurisdiction over the whole island. In 1912, Britain was ruled by the Liberal Party led by Herbert Asquith. 5. Protestants had to be vigilant and... One Mans Freedom Fighter, Another Mans Terrorist Essay. In January 1923 the Free State executed more than 30 anti-Treaty IRA. URL: https://alphahistory.com/northernireland/partition-of-ireland/ Date published: August 15, 2018 From 1912 onwards, what factors contributed to the partition of Ireland 1920? The partition of Ireland, which was finalized with the passage of the Government of Ireland Act (GIA) on December 23, 1920, involved a momentous decision by the British government. In July 1921 the British government, eager to end the violence in southern Ireland, offered the Nationalists a truce. As part of the treaty, Northern Ireland was entitled to opt out of the new Irish … No, I don’t think the partition of Ireland was inevitable. With the foundation of Northern Ireland in May 1921, the partition of Ireland became a reality. Partition divided the UK, Ireland, Ulster and came close to splitting four counties too. Another creation of the Home Rule Act, the Council of Ireland – a joint committee to allow cooperation between Dublin and Belfast – also never saw the light of day. In 1916, the Easter Rising against British rule was led by those who wanted not just Home Rule, but full Irish independence. On April 14th 1922 around 200 members of the anti-treaty IRA occupied Four Courts in Dublin, hoping to incite a confrontation with Britain that might reunite Irish Nationalist forces. Irish unionists – concentrated in the Northern Ireland province of Ulster and mainly of Protestant origin – wished to remain part of Great Britain, while nationalists were eager to achieve whatever independence from the UK they could. (2006) Chris Ryan Partition of Ireland Anglo-Irish Treaty Negotiations (1921) In 1921 Sinn Fein sent representatives to London to talk with the British Government. FIND OUT MORE. Originally, the Long Committee recommended that the northern parliament control … It was a diplomatic attempt to bring an end to the violence of the irish Civil War. Instead, the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921, which ended the war in Ireland, allowed the self-governing Irish Free State to be created. Others criticised partition for its expediency or unworkability. In the South, however, Home Rule died on the vine, disregarded and sabotaged by Nationalists. By late 1922 it was obvious that the anti-treaty movement would not win the conflict. British cabinet minister Austen Chamberlain condemned it as “a compromise – and like all compromises, it is illogical and indefensible”. Following this rebellion, more attempts were made to reach a compromise, such as the 1917–18 Irish Convention in Dublin, with little success. OUR ULTIMATE COVID BOOKING GUARANTEE. Some politicians supported partition as a way of resolving Ireland’s sectarian crisis. Dictatorship and Democracy, 1920-45. As mentioned earlier, I’m oversimplifying the events that led to the partition of Ireland, so please do take some time to do further reading into the subject (this is a great resource). Armed Unionist paramilitaries... 3. Authors: Rebekah Poole, Jennifer Llewellyn Exclusion was first considered by the British cabinet in 1912, in the context of Ulster unionist opposition to the Third Home Rule Bill, whic… World War I - home rule postponed 5. The implementation of Home Rule was suspended due to the outbreak of World War I. The Government of Ireland Act led to the Partition of Ireland and the establishment of Northern Ireland in 1921. The overwhelming victory of Sinn Féin in the 1918 elections led to the formation of the first Dáil Éireann in January 1919. 4. But the disruption of the war and opposition from Sinn Fein and other Republicans meant this parliament never prepared or passed legislation. The original intention was for both regions to remain within the United Kingdom, but the Irish War of Independence led to the south seceding from the UK in 1922, while Northern Ireland opted to remain. Any disagreement the Catholic majority may have had with these revolt leaders about full independence was largely cancelled in the aftermath. The emergence of Northern Ireland as a distinct politi cal entity had its immediate origin in … The Pursuit of Sovereignty and the Impact of Partition, 1912-49. Nationalists responded by forming their own paramilitary group, the Irish Volunteers, to protect the new government from a Loyalist uprising. As part of the treaty, Northern Ireland was entitled to opt out of the new Irish Free State, which it did. Though the treaty was narrowly approved, the split led to the Irish Civil War, which was won by the pro-treaty side. A Home Rule Bill was introduced in Parliament. Armed Unionist paramilitaries in Ulster were threatening to resist a government based in Dublin. In December 1920 Britain passed the fourth Home Rule Bill, formally titled the Government of Ireland Act. When the Treaty was presented to the Dail Eireann it sparked heated debates and triggered a split in the Nationalist movement. 3. Home Rule was accepted and implemented by the Unionists in Northern Ireland. When the British parliament began debating the third Home Rule Bill in 1912, Ulster Unionists threatened to take up arms rather than submit to government from Dublin.