Partition of Ireland

The partition of Ireland (Irish: críochdheighilt na hÉireann) was the process by which the United Kingdom divided Ireland into two self-governing polities: Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland.

Partition
On 3 May 1921, the United Kingdom's Government of Ireland Act 1920, created the partition of Ireland. The Act intended for both home rule territories to remain within the United Kingdom, containing provisions for their eventual reunification.

With Northern Ireland remaining part of the UK, Southern Ireland was seeking its independence as a self-declared Irish Republic. The Anglo-Irish Treaty allowed Southern Ireland to leave the UK and to become the Irish Free State.