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Irish independence refers to the process by which the island of Ireland, primarily, gained self-governance and eventually full independence from the United Kingdom. This process involved a period of struggle and conflict, culminating in the creation of the Irish Free State in 1922, and later, the Republic of Ireland.

Key aspects of Irish independence:
Mícheál Ó Coileáin (Michael Collins)
was an Irish revolutionary, soldier and politician who was a leading figure in the early - 20th century struggle for Irish independence. He was the Chairman of the Provisional Government of the Irish Free State after the war for independence and commander-in-chief of the National Army from July until his death in an ambush in August 1922, during the Civil War.

The War of Independence (1919-1921):
This period involved a guerrilla war between the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and British forces, driven by a desire for an independent republic.

The Anglo-Irish Treaty (1921):
This treaty, signed by Irish representatives and the British government, ended the War of Independence and established the Irish Free State as a self-governing Dominion within the British Commonwealth.

The Irish Free State (1922-1937):
This state was a constitutional monarchy, with a governor-general representing the British monarch, and a bicameral parliament.

Partition of Ireland:
The Anglo-Irish Treaty also included a provision that allowed Northern Ireland to remain part of the United Kingdom, leading to the partitioning of the island.

Civil War:
The civil war was waged between the Provisional Government of Ireland and the Anti-Treaty IRA over the Anglo-Irish Treaty. The Provisional Government (that became the Free State in December 1922) supported the terms of the treaty, while the anti-Treaty opposition saw it as a betrayal of the Irish Republic proclaimed during the Easter Rising of 1916. Many of the combatants had fought together against the British in the Irish Republican Army during the War of Independence and had divided after that conflict ended and the treaty negotiations began.

The Civil War was won by the pro-treaty National Army, who first secured Dublin by early July, then went on the offensive against the anti-Treaty strongholds of the south and west, especially the 'Munster Republic'. All urban centres had been captured by the National Army by late August. The guerrilla phase of the Irish Civil War lasted another 10 months, before the IRA leadership issued a "dump arms" order to all units, effectively ending the conflict. The National Army benefited from substantial quantities of weapons provided by the British government, particularly artillery and armoured cars.

The conflict left Irish society divided and embittered for generations. Today, the three largest political parties in Ireland are direct descendants of the opposing sides in the war: Fine Gael, from the supporters of the pro-Treaty side; Fianna Fáil, the party formed from the bulk of the anti-Treaty republicans by Éamon de Valera; and Sinn Féin, comprising the minority of anti-Treaty republicans who refused to join any partitionist party.

The Republic of Ireland:
In 1949, the Republic of Ireland Act declared that the Irish state was no longer part of the British Commonwealth and changed the name of the country to the Republic of Ireland.Read more