Liam's Irish Traditional Music - Irelands culture and tradition

The following information has been taken from the clauses of the Anglo-Irish Treaty, 1921. It created two Irelands, one, in the north-east, contained six counties, where the Protestants were in an overall majority; the other 26 counties were to form a new Dominion called the Irish Free State. There were to be two parliaments, one in Belfast, and the other in Dublin. The boundary line, or partition, was to be discussed by representatives from Britain, Northern Ireland and the Irish Free State at a later date.

A Divided island: a Protestant Ulster of six counties and a Catholic Dominion of twenty six counties

Ulster Unionists were given home rule, but with a difference under the treaty they were allowed to petition the King of Britain to withdraw from any political connection with the rest of Ireland. After having battled against home rule for so long, they were persuaded to agree to it to prevent them selves from being ruled from Dublin. They could make a permanently separate Protestant state of Ulster. The republicans were threatened with a renewal of the war, and a full-scale British invasion within three days if they did not sign the treaty. There were many objections to the pressures, which were applied by the British government.

"Historic" Ulster contained nine counties. The new Ulster contained Derry, Antrim, Tyrone, Fermanagh, Armagh and Down. The other three counties of Donegal, Monaghan and Cavan were put into the territory given to the Irish Free State.

The Anglo-Irish Treaty stated that southern Ireland should become a Dominion. This was a special political development, which gave the new government independence and control over all internal law-making, while foreign policy, peace settlements and trade agreements were still controlled by the British government. Representatives of the Dominion went to Imperial Conferences in England.

Other countries, which were Dominions at this time, were Canada, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. They Had previously been colonies of white settlement, but now governed themselves. Each Dominion swore an. oath of loyalty to the British Crown, and the Crown's 'representative. A Governor General was sent to the Dominion. Ireland did not fit this pattern of Dominion. Nevertheless, becoming a Dominion was the only constitutional course to independence on offer to the Irish people in 1921.

Strong supporters of the republican cause and members of the IRA found it unacceptable that the political issue of Ireland's future should be settled in London. They were not prepared to swear an oath of loyalty to the British Crown, as this was directly opposite to republican ideas. There were heated debates in the Dáil, and the arguments were bitter and divisive. On 6th December 1921, the Anglo‑Irish Treaty was signed by the Irish delegation in England, The Dáil had to ratify the treaty before a new government could take over the running of the country.

The Dáil voted to accept the Anglo-Irish Treaty on 7th January 1922. The Dáil was now suspended, and a provisional government ran the country until elections could take place later that year. Violence broke out on both sides of the border when the IRA refused to accept that this voting had been final. Anti-treaty IRA members fought against the new Free State's army and police force. The new leaders found themselves having to fight those who had been their allies before December 1921.

The first election of the Irish Free State was held in May 1922, The voters had to decide whether their votes would be cast for the Pro-Treaty Party, called Cumann na nGaedheal, or against it, for the rebel Sinn Féiners and the IRA, The results gave a victory to the Pro-Treaty Party. This election confirmed the existence of the Irish Free State, and the vote’s cast gave the people a real government, rather than a "paper" one.

A year of civil war followed. The Free State was determined to end republican violence and arrested IRA members throughout 1922 and 1923. The civil war left deep divisions within the new Dominion, and a great deal of bitterness. The republicans under de Valera surrendered their arms in April 1923, but did not surrender their cause. Other members of the IRA regrouped to fight again, or left Ireland for America

On 6th December 1922, the Irish Free State replaced the provisional government, within the deadline of a year, which had been set by the treaty. On 7th December Ulster opted out from any political ties with the Irish Free State, and created a separate state for Protestants.