Irish Free State

Saorstát Éireann Irish Free State
Dominion of the ‌United Kingdom
← ← 1922–1937 →
Northern Ireland (1922) →
Capital	Dublin
Government	Contitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy
King of Ireland
- 1922-1936	George V
- 1936	Edward VIII
- 1936-1937	George VI
Governor-General
- 1922-1928	Timothy Michael Healy
- 1928-1932	James McNeill
- 1932	Vacant
- 1932-1936	Domhnall Ua Buachalla
President of the Executive Council
- 1922-1932	W. T. Cosgrave
- 1932-1937	Éamon de Valera
Legislature	Oireachtas
- Upper house	Seanad Éireann
- Lower house	Dáil Éireann
History
- December 6, 1921	Anglo-Irish Treaty
- December 6, 1922	Constitution of the Irish Free State
- December 7, 1922	Irish Republic disestablised
- December 8, 1922	Northern Ireland leaves
- December 11, 1931	Statute of Westminster
- December 29, 1937	Constitution of Ireland
- April 18, 1949	Republic of Ireland Act
Commonwealth accession	December 11, 1931
Area	70,273 km²
Population
- 1936	2,960,000
Density	42.1/km²
Currency	Saorstát pound
United Kingdom  Irish Republic	Ireland
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The Irish Free State was established following the Anglo-Irish Treaty on December 6, 1921. By the Constitution of the Irish Free State on December 6, 1921 it replaced the Irish Republic and Southern Ireland, making it a separate state from the United Kingdom.

King George V was still the head of state, and now being represented by a Governor-General in Dublin, while the head of the Irish government held the title of President of the Executive Council.

The new Constitution of Ireland which was adopted on December 29, 1937, established new political institutions and adopted "Éire" or "Ireland" as a new name for the state. Even if the post as Governor-General was abolished, and a new Irish presidency was introduced it did not formally abolish the monarchy, thereby retaining the British monarchs as de jure heads of state.

History

The end of the Anglo-Irish War (₳|₩) brought the Anglo-Irish Treaty (₳|₩) of 1921, which established the Irish Free State of 26 counties within the British Commonwealth and recognized the partition of the island into Ireland and Northern Ireland, although this was supposedly a temporary measure. The six predominantly Protestant counties of northeast Ulster (₳|₩) - Northern Ireland - remained a part of the United Kingdom with limited self-government. A significant Irish minority repudiated the treaty settlement because of the continuance of subordinate ties to the British monarch and the partition of the island. This opposition led to further hostilities--a civil war (1922-23), which was won by the pro-treaty forces.

In 1932, Eamon de Valera, the political leader of the forces initially opposed to the treaty, became Prime Minister, and a new Irish constitution was enacted in 1937. The last British military bases were soon withdrawn, and the Treaty Ports were returned to Irish control. Ireland was neutral in World War II. The government formally declared Ireland a republic in 1948; however, it does not normally use the term "Republic of Ireland", which tacitly acknowledges the partition, but refers to the country simply as "Ireland".

Events

• Anglo-Irish Treaty (December 6, 1921)
• Constitution of the Irish Free State (December 6, 1922)
• Irish Republic disestablised (December 7, 1922)
• Northern Ireland leaves (December 8, 1922)
• Constitution of Ireland (December 29, 1937)
• Republic of Ireland Act (April 18, 1949)

King of Ireland

• George V (1922-36)
• Edward VIII (1936)
• George VI (1936-37)

Governor-General of Ireland

• Timothy Michael Healy (1922–27)
• James McNeill (1928–32)
• Domhnall Ua Buachalla (1932–36)

President of the Executive Council

• W. T. Cosgrave (1921–22)
• Michael Collins (1922–32)
• Éamon de Valera (1932–37)

Nation

• Ireland

Irish Polities

• Irish Republic (1919-1922)
• Ireland (1937-1949)
• Ireland: Republic of Ireland (From 1949)

Neighbouring Nations

• United Kingdom (Commonwealth realm)
• British Crown Dependencies

References

• BBC News Time Line
  
• World Statesmen.org
  
• Wikipedia