When did the partition of Ireland into two countries occur?

The story of Ireland's partition is rooted in centuries of complex relations between Ireland and Great Britain. By the early 20th century, the push for Irish Home Rule, or self-governance within the United Kingdom, gained significant momentum. However, strong opposition existed, particularly from Unionists, largely Protestants concentrated in the north, who wanted to remain part of the UK. Following World War I and the Easter Rising of 1916, Irish nationalism intensified. The Government of Ireland Act in 1920 attempted to create two separate Home Rule areas, one for the north and one for the south, but this didn't fully satisfy nationalist aspirations. In 1921, the Anglo-Irish Treaty was signed, leading to the establishment of the Irish Free State as a self-governing dominion within the British Commonwealth. However, six counties in the north, with a Protestant majority, chose to remain part of the United Kingdom. This formal division, the partition of Ireland, took effect in 1922, creating Northern Ireland and the Irish Free State, which later became the Republic of Ireland. So, while the seeds of division were sown earlier, 1922 marks the year the split officially occurred.