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3 unusual facts about Government of Ireland Act 1920


Government of Ireland Act 1920

Robert Kee, The Green Flag: A History of Irish Nationalism (2000 edition, first published 1972), ISBN 0-14-029165-2.

However, the Suspensory Act 1914 (which received the Royal Assent on the same day) meant that implementation would be suspended for the duration of what was expected to be only a short European war.

Politics of Northern Ireland

Once established under the Government of Ireland Act 1920, Northern Ireland, since it was an approximation of that area on the island of Ireland where those favouring remaining part of the UK were in the majority, was structured geographically to guarantee a unionist majority in its government.


Irish Home Rule movement

1920: Fourth Irish Home Rule Act (replaced Third Act, passed and implemented as the Government of Ireland Act 1920) which established Northern Ireland as a Home Rule entity within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and attempted to establish Southern Ireland as another but instead resulted in the partition of Ireland and Irish independence through the Irish Free State Constitution Act 1922.

Britain went ahead with its commitment to implement Home Rule by passing a new Fourth Home Rule Bill, the Government of Ireland Act 1920, largely shaped by the Walter Long Committee which followed findings contained in the report of the Irish Convention.

Southern Ireland

Notably, it was not convened by Viscount FitzAlan, the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, who, under the Government of Ireland Act 1920, was the office-holder with the entitlement to convene a meeting of the House of Commons of Southern Ireland.

Walter Long, 1st Viscount Long

In this capacity, he was largely responsible for the Government of Ireland Act 1920, which followed the findings of the 1917–18 Irish Convention, and created separate home rule governments for Southern Ireland and Northern Ireland, the latter he endowed with wider powers than its southern counterpart.


see also