Partition of Ireland
Beginning on 21 January 1919 with the Soloheadbeg ambush, through the Irish War of Independence, Irish republicans attempted to bring about the secession of Ireland from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Meanwhile, Irish unionistsmost of whom lived in the northeast of the islandwere just as determined to maintain the Union. The British Government, committed to implementing Home Rule, set up a cabinet committee under the chairmanship of southern unionist Walter Long. The Long Committee recommended the establishment of two devolved administrations, dividing the island into two territories: Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland. This was implemented as the Government of Ireland Act 1920. The act entered into force as a "" on 3 May 1921 and provided that Northern Ireland would consist of the six northeastern counties, while the remainder of the island would form Southern Ireland. It was intended that each jurisdiction would be granted home rule but remain within the United Kingdom. The government of Southern Ireland never functioned: the war for independence continued until the two sides agreed a truce in July 1921, ending with the Anglo-Irish Treaty on 6 December 1921.
Irish issue in British politics
Home Rule was passed in 1914, but suspended in operation during the First World War. The issue was finally resolved in 1921 by partitioning Ireland into the quasi-autonomous (Catholic-dominated) Irish Free State in the southwestern four-fifths of the island, and (Prebyterian dominated) Northern Ireland in the remaining fifth, which remained part of the United Kingdom. The next round of troubles emerged in the 1960s, when the Catholics living in Northern Ireland could no longer tolerate the discriminatory policies long imposed on them by the (devolved) government of Northern Ireland. The Troubles 30 years of near civil war that at times had significant impact on British politics finally ended with the Good Friday Agreement of 1998, a power-sharing agreement between the parties in Northern Ireland and a international Treaty between Ireland and the United Kingdom, as co-guarantors.