Partition of Ireland
The partition of Ireland () divided the island of Ireland into two distinct jurisdictions, Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland. It took place on 3 May 1921 under the Government of Ireland Act 1920. Today the former is still known as Northern Ireland and forms part of the United Kingdom, while the latter is now a sovereign state also named Ireland and sometimes called the Republic of Ireland.
Multiple units of Ireland
NIR purchased a Windhoff Multi-Purpose Vehicle for use as the Rail Head Treatment Train, equipped to lay sandite and high pressure water. The MPV was procured to replace a converted Class 80 unit.
The Great Northern Railway (Ireland) straddled the border between the Republic and Northern Ireland, and so was not incorporated in either the CIE or UTA. However, mounting losses saw the network purchased jointly by the Irish and British governments on Tuesday 1 September 1953. It was run as a joint board, independent of the CIE and UTA, until Tuesday 30 September 1958 when it was dissolved and the remaining stock split equally between the 2 railways.