Government of Ireland Act 1920 facts for kids
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| Long title | An Act to provide for the better Government of Ireland. |
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| Citation | 10 & 11 Geo. 5. c. 67 |
| Introduced by | David Lloyd George (Commons) |
| Territorial extent | United Kingdom |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 23 December 1920 |
| Commencement | 3 May 1921 |
| Repealed |
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| Other legislation | |
| Repeals/revokes | Government of Ireland Act 1914 |
| Repealed by |
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Status: Repealed
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| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
The Government of Ireland Act 1920 was a law passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Its main goal was to divide Ireland into two parts: "Northern Ireland" and "Southern Ireland". Both parts were meant to have their own local governments, but still remain part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. The Act also planned for them to possibly reunite later through a "Council of Ireland".
This law was approved by the British Parliament in November 1920 and became official on 3 May 1921. Northern Ireland was successfully set up with its own government and stayed part of the UK. However, most people in Southern Ireland did not accept this new setup. They supported the self-declared Irish Republic and were fighting for full independence in the Irish War of Independence.
This conflict led to the Anglo-Irish Treaty in December 1921. Under this treaty, Ireland would leave the UK and become the Irish Free State (which later became today's Republic of Ireland). Northern Ireland had the choice to stay with the UK, which it did right away. The government in Northern Ireland, created by this Act, continued until 1972. The remaining parts of the Act were finally removed from law in 1998, as part of the Good Friday Agreement.
Contents
Why was the Act created?
For many years, there had been efforts to give Ireland some control over its own affairs. This idea was called "Home rule".
- The first attempt in 1886 failed because of disagreements in the British Parliament.
- A second attempt in 1893 passed the main Parliament but was blocked by the House of Lords.
- The third attempt in 1912 was delayed for two years, but it was expected to pass eventually.
However, there was a big problem: a threat of civil war in Ireland. People called Nationalists wanted Home Rule for all of Ireland. But Unionists, mostly in the northern part of Ulster, wanted to stay fully part of the United Kingdom.
In 1914, King George V tried to help leaders agree, but they couldn't. The British government then suggested letting Ulster be temporarily left out of the Home Rule plan. But this didn't satisfy anyone. Then, World War I started, and the Home Rule Act was put on hold.
How did Ireland change?
During World War I, Irish politics changed a lot. Events like the Easter Rising in 1916 and the Conscription Crisis of 1918 made many Irish people want full independence, not just Home Rule.
The political party Sinn Féin became very popular. In the 1918 election, they won most of the seats in Ireland. Their elected members formed their own parliament, called Dáil Éireann, and declared Ireland an independent republic. The British government later said Dáil Éireann was illegal.
So, by the time the Government of Ireland Act became law in December 1920, it was already behind the times. Irish Nationalists were no longer asking for Home Rule; they wanted complete independence. The Irish Republican Army, the army of the Irish Republic, was fighting against British rule.
How the Act was approved
After World War I ended, the British government, led by Prime Minister David Lloyd George, still wanted to bring in Home Rule. A special committee, led by Walter Long, suggested a new idea: create two self-governing parts of Ireland. These would be Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland. Each would have its own parliament.
When the new law was discussed in Parliament, many Irish members felt it wouldn't work. Even some Unionist members from Ulster voted against it. They would have preferred all of Ulster to stay fully in the UK.
The law was finally approved on 11 November 1920. Some Irish members of Parliament warned that it would cause more problems and violence, not peace.
Two 'Home Rule' Irelands
The Act officially split Ireland into two areas: Southern Ireland and Northern Ireland. Both were meant to govern themselves, but some important things would still be controlled by the British Parliament. These included things like the King, defense, foreign affairs, international trade, and money. Prime Minister Lloyd George explained that these important powers needed to stay with the main British Parliament.
Northern Ireland was defined as six counties: Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Londonderry, and Tyrone, plus the cities of Belfast and Londonderry. This area was chosen because it was where Unionists were most likely to have a strong majority. Southern Ireland was the rest of the country.
How the government was supposed to work
At the top of the new system was the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. This person would represent the King in both Irish regions. The Lord Lieutenant would choose a government, but this government didn't have to be approved by the Irish parliaments.
This system was similar to how British territories like Canada and Australia were governed at the time. In those places, the real power was with the governor-general, and governments usually worked closely with their parliaments. It was expected that Northern and Southern Ireland would also develop this way.
What happened next?
Northern Ireland's Parliament
The Parliament of Northern Ireland started in June 1921. At its opening, King George V gave a famous speech asking for peace between Britain and Ireland, and between Northern and Southern Ireland. This speech helped open the door for talks between the British government and the Irish Republic's leaders.
The Northern Ireland government continued to work until 1972. The parts of the Act that still applied to Northern Ireland were finally removed from law in 1998, after the Good Friday Agreement.
Southern Ireland's Parliament
In the May 1921 elections for the House of Commons of Southern Ireland, all 128 members were elected without anyone running against them. Most of these members were from Sinn Féin. They chose to act as members of the Second Dáil (the parliament of the Irish Republic) instead.
Only a few members showed up for the official opening of the Parliament of Southern Ireland in Dublin. Because of this, the new parliament was put on hold. Southern Ireland continued to be ruled directly from London.
Later, in January 1922, a temporary government for the Irish Free State was formed. This was based on the Anglo-Irish Treaty. New elections were held in June 1922. The elected members then worked to write a constitution for the Irish Free State. This new state officially began on 6 December 1922.
The outcome
The Anglo-Irish Treaty allowed Northern Ireland's Parliament to choose to stay out of the new Irish Free State. As expected, Northern Ireland chose to remain part of the United Kingdom on 7 December 1922.
A special group called the Irish Boundary Commission was set up to draw the border between the Irish Free State and Northern Ireland. However, the border stayed the same. The "Council of Ireland," which was meant to help unite the two parts of Ireland, never really worked as planned.
Because the Irish Free State was created, the British Parliament made some changes to Northern Ireland's government. The role of the Lord Lieutenant was replaced by a new position called the Governor of Northern Ireland.
When was the Act removed?
The last parts of the 1920 Act that were still in force in the United Kingdom were removed in 1998, following the Good Friday Agreement. In the Republic of Ireland, the Act was officially removed from law in 2007, almost 85 years after the Irish Free State's constitution took its place.
Images for kids
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This map shows how Ireland was divided into Northern and Southern Ireland by the Act.
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David Lloyd George, the British Prime Minister, helped create this new law for Ireland.
