Why is Ireland divided? | The significance and legacy of the Government of Ireland Act 1920

In this video made with and for the UK Parliamentary Archives we explore the partition of Ireland, implemented by the Government of Ireland Act 1920.

Clarification Note:
7.20: In fact, the immediate targets of the Unionist led move to drop Proportional Representation were smaller parties like the Northern Ireland Labour Party but the result remained the same. The dropping of PR helped strengthen the UUP’s hold on Northern Ireland Parliament, a state of affairs that excluded Nationalists from any decision-making throughout that Parliament's existence. While after the introduction of Direct Rule in 1972 it was generally accepted that Nationalists had to be included in any new system of devolved government, power-sharing did not become established until the Good Friday settlement.

Image credits:
0.02: Government of Ireland Act 1920 © Parliamentary Archives, HL/PO/PU/1/1920/10&11G5c67.
0.23: William Gladstone © Parliamentary Archives, PHO/7/1/45.
0.33: Charles Stewart Parnell © Parliamentary Archives, PHO/4/2/13 and John Redmond © Parliamentary Archives, PHO/4/2/13.
0.43: Herbert H. Asquith © Parliamentary Archives, PHO/4/2/2.
0.46: Government of Ireland Act 1914 © Parliamentary Archives, HL/PO/PU/1/1914/4&5G5c90.
0.58: Dublin Bread Company. Courtesy of the National Library of Ireland, KE118.
1.04: Abbey Street corner, Hibernian Bank shelled. Courtesy of the National Library of Ireland, KE115.
1.44: Sinn Féin election poster in 1918, quoting D. D. Sheehan MP, leading up to the December 1918 general election in Ireland. Public Domain.
1.56: Dáil Eireann, 21 January 1919. Public Domain.
2.05: Constance Markievicz. Courtesy of the National Library of Ireland, KE82.
2.28: Seán Hogan's (NO. 2) Flying Column, 3rd Tipperary Brigade, IRA. Public Domain.
2.45: The First Dáil Éireann taken at the Mansion House on the 21 January 1919. Public Domain.
2.52: A proclamation offering a reward of 1000 pounds for information leading to the capture of those involved in the Soloheadbeg shooting. Public Domain.
3.12: 'Relief', taken after an IRA attack on the London and North Western Hotel, Dublin. Courtesy of the National Library of Ireland, HOGW 117.
3.16: A Black and Tan on duty. Courtesy of the National Library of Ireland, HOGW 121.
3.22: A lorry load of Auxiliaries during the funeral of Major Holmes, RIC. Courtesy of the National Library of Ireland, HOG 155.
3.29: Military carrying out official reprisal following an ambush in Meelin, Co. Cork. Courtesy of the National Library of Ireland, HOG 156.
3.35: British soldiers marching out of a barracks. Courtesy of the National Library of Ireland, HOG 63.
3.41: Facade of Sunner's Pharmaceutical and Dispensing Chemist at 31 Patrick Street, Cork, destroyed by the Black and Tans. Courtesy of the National Library of Ireland, HOG 153.
3.54: Government of Ireland Act 1920 © Parliamentary Archives, HL/PO/PU/1/1920/10&11G5c67.
4.38: Sir Edward Carson signing the Ulster Solemn Covenant in Belfast City Hall on Ulster Day, 28th September 1912. Public Domain.
4.42: Unionist clubs marching down Donegall Square North in Belfast on 9 April 1912. Public Domain.
5.17: Union Theological College, site of the first Northern Ireland Parliament. Courtesy of the Principal of Union Theological College.
5.24: A crowd gathers outside the Mansion House, Dublin, 8 July, 1921. Courtesy of the National Library of Ireland, HOG 116.
5.32: Anglo-Irish Treaty, Irish Negotiators. Courtesy of the National Library of Ireland, HOG 3.
5.37: Vigil in Whitehall, 14 July 1921. Courtesy of the National Library of Ireland, HOG 1.
6.02: 1921 Evening Standard front page Signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty - Image ID: H9N1F9. Alamy.
6.11: Proclamation of an Irish Republic, 1916. Public Domain.
6.21: The Four Courts in Dublin during the Battle of Dublin. The building had been taken over by Anti-Treaty forces on 14 April 1922. Bombarded by National Army forces on 28 and 29 June. Courtesy of the National Library of Ireland, HOG 57.
6.24: National Army troops lined up for a roll call during the Irish Civil War. Courtesy of the National Library of Ireland, HOG 121.
6.42: Éamon de Valera. Courtesy of the US Library of Congress.
7.05: Opening of the new Northern Ireland Parliament Buildings, Stormont, 16 November 1932. Courtesy of the National Library of Ireland, IND_H_2620.
7.15: Parliament Buildings, Stormont © Parliamentary Archives, PIC/P/716.
7.20: The Senate Chamber in the Parliament Buildings, Stormont, Belfast, 1956 © Parliamentary Archives, PIC/P/719.
7.26: The Commons Chamber, Parliament Buildings, Stormont, Belfast, 1956 © Parliamentary Archives, PIC/P/718.
7.39: Aerial view of Stormont, Belfast, showing the Parliament Building, Speaker's House and Stormont Castle. Jun 1973 © Parliamentary Archives, PIC/P/742.

[jerinchacko]

Very nice voiceover and presentation. My compliments

[ianc]

Excellent explanation of the complex events in Ireland

[ewanmuirhead]

What a great video, it really helped me understand more about the conflict! Thank you very much to whom made this video.

[joekelly]

This is the best video I’ve seen explaining the context behind the partition of Ireland.
I’d share it with people who want to understand why there is a border on the island of Ireland.

[davidbegan]

(Irish & EU citizen) - This is a good account of the GoI Act 1920 and the creation of the border. However, you need to look beyond the "British view of history" to understand the legacy of violence and why such borders were so damaging for the future. The majority of people living in Ireland had and never accepted the the rule of the British Empire in Ireland. Despite a minority of people in Ireland not wanting Home Rule, the minority had the backing of London & Empire. This empire thinking of divide and conguer is a British Empire strategy that affected Aden, India, Malaysia, Palestine and many of the former countries controlled by the British Empire. The legacy of violence of this policy lives with us up to the present time and has created continued wars in the Middle East and around the world. I would refer to excellent studies in Malaysia and the USA on this "Legacy of Violence". With regards to the current Ireland and the peace process, people on the island now have the opportunity to learn to live together and build a better future. PS similar notations could be said for all the European empires; France, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Austria. Spain, Portugal etc That is why the EU is so important for the younger generation to build a Europe of countries that are at peace with each other but remain independent.

[mrfunkyboogaloo]

(take the word 'all' and add the letter 'd' to begin)... "Dáil"

(take the word 'air' and add an 'en' to end)... "Eireann"

[aritzlizarragaolascoaga]

I think it would be great for both sides to redraw the border. A great chunk of Northern Ireland had Catholic majority & it was contiguous to the Republic of Ireland. If that injustice was fixed & now updated to the current Catholic areas (at least the contiguous ones). In this way most of the Catholics would be part of the Republic of Ireland, & nearly all Protestants would still be British. Northern Ireland would be far smaller, but there would be a huge Protestant majority of about 80 or 90%. It would be a win win situation.

[naomimarkey-kelly]

The irish people in north arent even from ireland 🇮🇪🇮🇪 from uk 🇬🇧