(National Flag) (Royal Arms)
Royal motto: Dieu et mon droit (French: God and my right)
Capital	Dublin
Head of State	King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
Head of Government	Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Chairman of the Provisional Government from Jan 1922.
Parliament	Senate of Southern Ireland, House of Commons of Southern Ireland. A Council of Ireland to join Southern and Northern Ireland.
Constitutional Status	Home rule region of the UK.
Constitutional reality	Never functioned as intended. Was used as vehicle for the Provisional Government's creation under Anglo-Irish Treaty. Was replaced by the Irish Free State on 6 December 1922

Southern Ireland was the twenty-six county Irish state envisaged by the Government of Ireland Act 1920. It had a legislature, the Parliament of Southern Ireland. This Act formally and controversially partitioned 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 parliaments and separate executives. Two links joining both states were provided for; a single Lord Lieutenant, the representative of the King, was to be the source of executive authority in both states, while a Council of Ireland was provided for, with promises to the nationalist side that it would become an embryonic all-Ireland Parliament. Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... Image File history File links UK_Royal_Coat_of_Arms. ... Flag Ratio: 1:2 The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland uses as its national flag the Royal Banner commonly known as the Union Flag or Union Jack. ... The Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom for general purpose. ... Here is a list of state mottos for countries and their subdivisions around the world. ... Dieu et mon droit (French for God and my [birth] right) has generally been used as the motto of the British monarch since it was adopted by Henry V (1413-22). ... In politics, a capital (also called capital city or political capital — although the latter phrase has an alternative meaning based on an alternative meaning of capital) is the principal city or town associated with its government. ... Dublin (Irish: Baile Átha Cliath), is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Ireland, located near the midpoint of Irelands east coast, at the mouth of the River Liffey and at the centre of the Dublin Region. ... The British monarch or Sovereign is the monarch and head of state of the United Kingdom and its overseas territories, and is the source of all executive, judicial and (as the Queen-in-Parliament) legislative power. ... Official standard of the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland The Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (also known as the Viceroy or in the Middle Ages as the Lord Deputy) was the head of the Kingdom of Englands (before the Act of Union 1707) or Kingdom of Great Britains (after 1707... The Chairman of the Provisional Government of Southern Ireland was a transitional post established in January 1922, lasting until the creation of the Irish Free State in December 1922. ... The then Royal College of Science The Senate of Southern Ireland assembled there in June 1921. ... House of Commons of Southern Ireland was the lower house of the Irish parliament created by the Government of Ireland Act, passed in 1920, during the Irish War of Independence. ... The Council of Ireland may refer to one of two councils, one proposed and one implemented for a brief period. ... Dieu et mon droit (Royal motto) (French for God and my right)3 Northern Irelands location within the UK Official languages English, Irish, Ulster Scots Capital and largest city Belfast First Minister Office suspended Area  - Total Ranked 4th 13,843 km² Population  - Total (2001)  - Density Ranked 4th 1,685... Devolution or Home rule is the pooling of powers from central government to government at regional or local level. ... Signature page of the Anglo-Irish Treaty The Anglo-Irish Treaty, officially called the Articles of association between Ireland and the British Empire, was a treaty between the Government of the United Kingdom and representatives of the (extra-judicial) Irish Republic which concluded the Anglo-Irish War. ... The Irish Free State (Irish: Saorstát Éireann) was (1922–1937) the name of the state comprising the 26 of Irelands 32 counties which were separated from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland under the Irish Free State Agreement (or Anglo-Irish Treaty) signed by British and... December 6 is the 340th day (341st on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1922 (MCMXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Originally, in continental Europe, a county was the land under the jurisdiction of a count. ... An Act to Provide for the Better Government of Ireland, more usually the Government of Ireland Act, 1920 (this is its official short title; the formal citation is 10 & 11 Geo. ... The Parliament of Southern Ireland was set up under the Government of Ireland Act to legislate for Southern Ireland. ... Dieu et mon droit (Royal motto) (French for God and my right)3 Northern Irelands location within the UK Official languages English, Irish, Ulster Scots Capital and largest city Belfast First Minister Office suspended Area  - Total Ranked 4th 13,843 km² Population  - Total (2001)  - Density Ranked 4th 1,685... Official standard of the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland The Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (also known as the Viceroy or in the Middle Ages as the Lord Deputy) was the head of the Kingdom of Englands (before the Act of Union 1707) or Kingdom of Great Britains (after 1707... The Council of Ireland may refer to one of two councils, one proposed and one implemented for a brief period. ... Irish nationalism refers to political movements that desire greater autonomy or the independence of Ireland from Great Britain. ...

The Government of Ireland Act, also known as the Fourth Home Rule Act was intended to provide a solution to the problem that had bedevilled Irish politics since the 1880s, namely the conflicting demands of Irish unionists and Irish nationalists. Nationalists wanted a form of Home Rule, believing that Ireland was poorly served by the British government in Westminster and its Irish executive in Dublin Castle. Unionists feared that a nationalist government in Dublin would discriminate against Protestants and would impose tariffs that would unduly hit the northeastern counties of Ireland, which were not only predominantly Protestant but also the only industrial area on an island whose economy was largely agricultural. Extremist unionists imported arms from Imperial Germany and established the Ulster Volunteer Force to prevent Home Rule in Ulster. In response to this, nationalists also imported arms and set up the Irish Volunteers. Partition, which was introduced in the Government of Ireland Act, was intended as a temporary solution to the problem, allowing Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland to be separately governed as regions of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Ironically, one of those most opposed to this partition settlement was the leader of Irish unionism, Dublin-born Edward Carson, who felt that it was wrong to divide Ireland in two. He felt this would badly affect the position of southern and western unionists. In the context of Irish politics, Unionists are people in Northern Ireland, who wish to see the continuation of the Act of Union 1800, as amended by the Government of Ireland Act 1920, under which Northern Ireland, created in that latter Act, remains part of the United Kingdom of Great... Irish nationalism refers to political movements that desire greater autonomy or the independence of Ireland from Great Britain. ... Devolution or Home rule is the pooling of powers from central government to government at regional or local level. ... The United Kingdom is a unitary state and a democratic constitutional monarchy. ... [[the building to the right. ... Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... This article or section should include material from German Monarchy The term German Empire (the translation from German of Deutsches Reich) commonly refers to Germany, from its consolidation as a unified nation-state on January 18, 1871, until the abdication of Kaiser (Emperor) Wilhelm II on November 9, 1918. ... The Ulster Volunteer Force (more commonly referred to as the UVF or by some of its supporters The Peoples Army) is a loyalist paramilitary group in Northern Ireland. ... Ulster (Irish: Cúige Uladh, IPA: ) is one of the four provinces of Ireland. ... Irish Volunteers - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... In general, a partition is a splitting into parts. ... Dieu et mon droit (Royal motto) (French for God and my right)3 Northern Irelands location within the UK Official languages English, Irish, Ulster Scots Capital and largest city Belfast First Minister Office suspended Area  - Total Ranked 4th 13,843 km² Population  - Total (2001)  - Density Ranked 4th 1,685... The Union Flag, in its modern form, was first adopted in 1801. ... Edward Carson HMSO image The Right Honourable Edward Henry Carson, Baron Carson, PC (February 9, 1854 – October 22, 1935) was a leader of the Irish Unionists, a Barrister and a Judge. ...

In reality, however, while Northern Ireland did become a functioning entity, with a parliament and executive that existed until it was prorogued in 1972, Southern Ireland never became a functioning reality. An Irish Republic had been proclaimed by the extra-legal parliament known as Dáil Éireann, (Assembly of Ireland), formed by Sinn Féin MPs elected from Ireland in the United Kingdom general election in 1918. The first general election to the House of Commons of Southern Ireland in 1921 was used by Sinn Féin to produce a new Dáil, the Second Dáil. Sinn Féin won 124 of the 128 seats, all without a contest. (Four were won by Dublin unionists.) When the new Parliament of Southern Ireland was called into session in June 1921, only the 4 unionist members of the House of Commons of Southern Ireland, and a handful of appointed senators, turned up in the Royal College of Science in Dublin, where the meeting was scheduled to take place. As a result, Southern Ireland never formally came into being. 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year that started on a Tuesday. ... The Dáil Chamber Dáil Éireann is the lower house of the Oireachtas (parliament) of the Republic of Ireland. ... It has been suggested that Provisional Sinn Féin be merged into this article or section. ... The Irish general election of 1918 was that part of the 1918 United Kingdom general election that took place in Ireland. ... 1918 (MCMXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. ... House of Commons of Southern Ireland was the lower house of the Irish parliament created by the Government of Ireland Act, passed in 1920, during the Irish War of Independence. ... 1921 (MCMXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... It has been suggested that Provisional Sinn Féin be merged into this article or section. ... The Second Dáil was Dáil Éireann as it convened from 16th August, 1921 until 8th June, 1922. ... Dublin (Irish: Baile Átha Cliath), is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Ireland, located near the midpoint of Irelands east coast, at the mouth of the River Liffey and at the centre of the Dublin Region. ...

It did however play one technical role in January 1922. According to British constitutional theory, Dáil Éireann had no legal or constitutional existence. The valid Irish parliament remained the House of Commons of Southern Ireland, created by the King-in-Parliament. But according to republicans, the Dáil was the legitimate parliament of the Irish Republic. As a result the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by representatives of the British and Irish Republican governments in 1921, was submitted to both assemblies, even though they actually consisted of the same membership (bar the four unionist members of the House of Commons of Southern Ireland who refused to sit in Dáil Éireann). In December 1921, the Dáil narrowly ratified the Anglo-Irish Treaty, giving it validity in the eyes of the majority of Sinn Féin MPs (or TDs as they became known, from the Irish Teachta Dála) and of the electorate of Ireland. (The President of the Republic, Éamon de Valera, resigned in protest). In January 1922, the House of Commons of Southern Ireland formally met to ratify the Anglo-Irish Treaty, giving it validity in British legal theory. Anti-treaty TDs stayed away from the meeting of the House of Commons of Southern Ireland, meaning that its passage was a formality. 1922 (MCMXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... The Dáil Chamber Dáil Éireann is the lower house of the Oireachtas (parliament) of the Republic of Ireland. ... House of Commons of Southern Ireland was the lower house of the Irish parliament created by the Government of Ireland Act, passed in 1920, during the Irish War of Independence. ... The Queen-in-Parliament (or King-in-Parliament when there is a male monarch) is a British constitutional law term for the British Crown in its legislative role, acting with the advice and consent of the House of Commons and House of Lords. ... Irish Republicanism is the nationalist belief that all of Ireland should be a united independent republic. ... Signature page of the Anglo-Irish Treaty The Anglo-Irish Treaty, officially called the Articles of association between Ireland and the British Empire, was a treaty between the Government of the United Kingdom and representatives of the (extra-judicial) Irish Republic which concluded the Anglo-Irish War. ... 1921 (MCMXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Signature page of the Anglo-Irish Treaty The Anglo-Irish Treaty, officially called the Articles of association between Ireland and the British Empire, was a treaty between the Government of the United Kingdom and representatives of the (extra-judicial) Irish Republic which concluded the Anglo-Irish War. ... A TD or Teachta Dála (Irish for Dáil Deputy, pronounced chock-ta dawla) is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower chamber of the Irish Oireachtas (pronounced orr-och-tas) or National Parliament. ... This article is about the president of the 1919-1922 Irish Republic Republic of Ireland see: President of Ireland. ... Eamon de Valera[1] (born Edward George de Valera, Irish name Éamonn de Bhailéara (October 14, 1882 – August 29, 1975), was an Irish politician, best known as a leader of Irelands struggle for independence from Britain in the early 20th Century, and the Republican anti-Treaty opposition in... House of Commons of Southern Ireland was the lower house of the Irish parliament created by the Government of Ireland Act, passed in 1920, during the Irish War of Independence. ... Signature page of the Anglo-Irish Treaty The Anglo-Irish Treaty, officially called the Articles of association between Ireland and the British Empire, was a treaty between the Government of the United Kingdom and representatives of the (extra-judicial) Irish Republic which concluded the Anglo-Irish War. ...

Both parliaments then produced the same interim administrations. Michael Collins became Chairman of the Provisional Government; his installation symbolised the differing political procedures being followed. According to British constitutional theory, he met the Lord Lieutenant, Viscount Fitzalan of Derwent, to be formally installed as the Crown's prime minister; from the Irish viewpoint, Collins met Fitzalan to accept the surrender of Dublin Castle. Arthur Griffith became President of Dáil Éireann (reverting to the earlier title, in preference to de Valera's loftier President of the Republic). Both Dáil Éireann and the House of Commons of Southern Ireland were then replaced in a shared new election, which produced a body variously described as the 'Third Dáil', the 'Provisional Parliament' or the 'Constituent Assembly'. With the assassination of Collins and the death a week earlier of Griffith, both in August 1922, their offices came to be held by one man, W.T. Cosgrave, who in effect merged both systems of government into one interim system, pending the coming into force of the 1922 Constitution of the Irish Free State in December 1922. (The scale of the constitutional complexity was shown when Dáil Éireann, which was still technically the parliament of the Irish Republic, accepted a message sent by the Lord Lieutenant, the King's representative. By the end of 1922, almost everybody was confused as to the precise status of the parliament meeting in Leinster House, and as to whether it was the parliament of the Irish Republic or the parliament of Southern Ireland, both simultaneously, or either at different times.) Michael John Collins (Irish name Micheál Ó Coileáin; October 16, 1890 – August 22, 1922), an Irish revolutionary leader, served as Minister for Finance in the Irish Republic, as Director of Intelligence for the IRA, as a member of the Irish delegation during the Anglo-Irish Treaty negotiations, as Chairman... Official standard of the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland The Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (also known as the Viceroy or in the Middle Ages as the Lord Deputy) was the head of the Kingdom of Englands (before the Act of Union 1707) or Kingdom of Great Britains (after 1707... Edmund Bernard Fitzalan-Howard, 1st Viscount Fitzalan of Derwent (June 1, 1855 - May 18, 1947), previously known as Lord Edmund Talbot, was the last Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, and the first Roman Catholic to hold the post. ... [[the building to the right. ... Arthur Griffith (Árt Ó Gríofa in Irish) (March 31, 1871 – August 12, 1922) was the founder and first leader of Sinn Féin. ... The head of government under the Dáil Constitution adopted by the First Dáil of the Irish Republic in January 1919. ... This article is about the president of the 1919-1922 Irish Republic Republic of Ireland see: President of Ireland. ... It has been suggested that Targeted killing be merged into this article or section. ... 1922 (MCMXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... William Thomas Cosgrave, (June 6, 1880 - November 16, 1965) served as the first President of the Executive Council of the Irish Free State from 1922 to 1932. ... The Irish Free State (Irish: Saorstát Éireann) was (1922–1937) the name of the state comprising the 26 of Irelands 32 counties which were separated from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland under the Irish Free State Agreement (or Anglo-Irish Treaty) signed by British and... Official standard of the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland The Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (also known as the Viceroy or in the Middle Ages as the Lord Deputy) was the head of the Kingdom of Englands (before the Act of Union 1707) or Kingdom of Great Britains (after 1707...

In summary, in strict British legal terms, the state of Southern Ireland was the entity created by the Government of Ireland Act 1920 which was meant like its sister creation, Northern Ireland, to have responsibility for the governance of Ireland from 1921 on. However in reality, it was only a state on paper. It was overshadowed by the Irish Republic, which existed from 1919 to 1922 and which had popular support, and the new Irish Free State which in both Irish and British constitutional theory replaced both the Irish Republic and Southern Ireland in December 1922. An Act to Provide for the Better Government of Ireland, more usually the Government of Ireland Act, 1920 (this is its official short title; the formal citation is 10 & 11 Geo. ... Dieu et mon droit (Royal motto) (French for God and my right)3 Northern Irelands location within the UK Official languages English, Irish, Ulster Scots Capital and largest city Belfast First Minister Office suspended Area  - Total Ranked 4th 13,843 km² Population  - Total (2001)  - Density Ranked 4th 1,685... The Irish Free State (Irish: Saorstát Éireann) was (1922–1937) the name of the state comprising the 26 of Irelands 32 counties which were separated from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland under the Irish Free State Agreement (or Anglo-Irish Treaty) signed by British and...

Footnotes

1. Southern Ireland is sometimes used as an unofficial name for the Republic of Ireland or the earlier Irish Free State, especially in the English media. However, officially the term has been obsolete since 1922.

Irish states in order of creation (1171—present)
Lordship of Ireland | Kingdom of Ireland | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland | Irish Republic | Southern Ireland | Irish Free State | Republic of Ireland The Irish Free State (Irish: Saorstát Éireann) was (1922–1937) the name of the state comprising the 26 of Irelands 32 counties which were separated from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland under the Irish Free State Agreement (or Anglo-Irish Treaty) signed by British and... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (746x945, 684 KB)Topography of Ireland Source: http://earthobservatory. ... Ireland in the century prior to the Anglo-Norman invasion of 1169 is probably best described as a national kingdom lacking a settled monarchy, the kingship being disputed by three regional dynasties. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_England. ... Capital Dublin Head of state King of Ireland Kings representative: Variously called Judiciar, Lord Deputy or Lord Lieutenant of Ireland Head of government: Chief Secretary for Ireland Parliament: Irish House of Commons and Irish House of Lords The Kingdom of Ireland was the name given to the English-ruled... Download high resolution version (1300x860, 4 KB) St. ... The Union Flag, in its modern form, was first adopted in 1801. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... File links The following pages link to this file: Austria Arsenal F.C. Belgium Czech Republic Cyprus Economy of the Czech Republic Charlton Athletic F.C. Chelsea F.C. European Union Estonia European Parliament Talk:European Union European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party European Peoples Party (Christian Democrats) and... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Lord_Lieutenant_of_Ireland. ... The Irish Free State (Irish: Saorstát Éireann) was (1922–1937) the name of the state comprising the 26 of Irelands 32 counties which were separated from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland under the Irish Free State Agreement (or Anglo-Irish Treaty) signed by British and... File links The following pages link to this file: Austria Arsenal F.C. Belgium Czech Republic Cyprus Economy of the Czech Republic Charlton Athletic F.C. Chelsea F.C. European Union Estonia European Parliament Talk:European Union European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party European Peoples Party (Christian Democrats) and... File links The following pages link to this file: Austria Arsenal F.C. Belgium Czech Republic Cyprus Economy of the Czech Republic Charlton Athletic F.C. Chelsea F.C. European Union Estonia European Parliament Talk:European Union European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party European Peoples Party (Christian Democrats) and...
See also Éire | Northern Ireland | Republic of Munster Map of Éire Éire (pronounced ) is the Irish name for Ireland. ... File links The following pages link to this file: Austria Arsenal F.C. Belgium Czech Republic Cyprus Economy of the Czech Republic Charlton Athletic F.C. Chelsea F.C. European Union Estonia European Parliament Talk:European Union European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party European Peoples Party (Christian Democrats) and... Dieu et mon droit (Royal motto) (French for God and my right)3 Northern Irelands location within the UK Official languages English, Irish, Ulster Scots Capital and largest city Belfast First Minister Office suspended Area  - Total Ranked 4th 13,843 km² Population  - Total (2001)  - Density Ranked 4th 1,685... Image File history File links Flag_of_Northern_Ireland. ... The IRA West Cork Flying Column (Anti-Treaty) during the War of Independence. ... Image File history File links File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...