the republic of ireland became independent as the irish free state on 18 april 1949.
the republic of ireland became independent as the irish free state on 18 april 1949.
when did the republic of ireland became independent as the irish free state?
18 april 1949
in accordance with the treaty, on 6 december 1922 the entire island of ireland became a self-governing dominion called the irish free state ("saorstát éireann"). under the constitution of the irish free state, the parliament of northern ireland had the option to leave the irish free state one month later and return to the united kingdom. during the intervening period, the powers of the parliament of the irish free state and executive council of the irish free state did not extend to northern ireland. northern ireland exercised its right under the treaty to leave the new dominion and rejoined the united kingdom on 8 december 1922. it did so by making an address to the king requesting, "that the powers of the parliament and government of the irish free state shall no longer extend to northern ireland." the irish free state was a constitutional monarchy sharing a monarch with the united kingdom and other dominions of the british commonwealth. the country had a governor-general (representing the monarch), a bicameral parliament, a cabinet called the "executive council", and a prime minister called the president of the executive council.
republic of ireland
when the territory that was southern ireland became a separate self-governing dominion outside the united kingdom known as the irish free state, the status of the territorial waters naturally took on a significance it had not had before. the northern ireland unionists were conscious of this matter from an early stage. they were keen to put it beyond doubt that the territorial waters around northern ireland would not belong to the irish free state. in this regard, sir james craig, the prime minister of northern ireland put the following question in the british house of commons on 27 november 1922 (the month before the establishment of the irish free state):
partition of ireland