Southern Ireland

short-lived autonomous region of the United Kingdom

Southern Ireland was the twenty-six county Irish state created by the Government of Ireland Act 1920. This Act divided the island of Ireland in two, Northern Ireland (covering approximately fifteen percent of the island, in the northeast) and Southern Ireland (covering the remaining territory to the south and west). Both were given bicameral (two houses) parliaments and separate governments.

Southern Ireland
1921–1922
Disputed with the Irish Republic
Flag of Southern Ireland
Flag
Location of  Southern Ireland  (dark green) in the United Kingdom  (green)
Location of  Southern Ireland  (dark green)

in the United Kingdom  (green)

CapitalDublin
53°21′N 6°16′W / 53.350°N 6.267°W / 53.350; -6.267
Common languagesEnglish, Irish
Religion
GovernmentDevolved parliamentary legislature within constitutional monarchy
Monarch 
• 1921–1922
George V
Chairman 
• 1922
Michael Collins
• 1922
W. T. Cosgrave
LegislatureParliament of Southern Irelanda (until 27 May 1922)
Provisional Parliament
(9 August 1922 onwards; unicameral)
Senate (until 27 May 1922)
House of Commons
(until 27 May 1922)
History 
3 May 1921
6 December 1921
16 January 1922
6 December 1922
CurrencyPound sterling
Preceded by
Succeeded by
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
Irish Free State
Today part ofRepublic of Ireland
a. A Council of Ireland was also envisaged with "a view to the eventual establishment of a Parliament for the whole of Ireland" (Source: GOI Act)

The king was represented by the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, who also acted in Northern Ireland.

Southern Ireland never existed except on paper. It was set up by law, but the first attempted meeting of its Parliament failed because it was short of a quorum (the number of members needed to hold a meeting). The second sitting was only to confirm the decision of Dáil Éireann to confirm the Anglo-Irish Treaty, then dissolved it itself.

So the British government set up Southern Ireland but there was never any government to take power.

Northern and Southern Ireland.

Birth of The Irish Free State

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After the treaty was confirmed Michael Collins, head of Dáil Éireann's government became Chairman of the Provisional Government

According to the British he met the Lord Lieutenant and was made the King's prime minister. According to the Irish viewpoint, Collins went to accept the surrender of Dublin Castle. Arthur Griffith became President of Dáil Éireann, and then both Dáil Éireann and the House of Commons of Southern Ireland were then replaced in a new election, for the 'Third Dáil', sometimes called the 'Provisional Parliament' or the 'Constituent Assembly'. When Griffith died and a week later Collins was assassinated both in August 1922, W.T. Cosgrave was appointed to both offices, so the Irish nationalist and the British both systems of government joined into one temporary system, until the 1922 Constitution of the Irish Free State came into force in December 1922.

Footnotes

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  1. Southern Ireland is sometimes erroneously used as a name for the Republic of Ireland or the earlier Irish Free State. However, officially the term has been wrong since 1922.
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