In which year did the division of Ireland into two separate entities occur?

Okay, let's talk about the partition of Ireland. The story goes back centuries, really, with tensions between those who wanted Ireland to remain part of the United Kingdom and those who sought independence. By the early 20th century, this desire for independence had grown significantly. Following World War I and the Easter Rising in 1916, the push for Irish Home Rule intensified. The Government of Ireland Act was passed in 1920 with the intention of creating two separate Home Rule areas within Ireland. However, this was superseded by the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed in 1921. This treaty led to the creation of the Irish Free State, which comprised most of Ireland, and Northern Ireland, which remained part of the UK. The formal division, with these two distinct entities legally established, occurred in 1922. So, while the treaty was signed in '21, the actual year the division took effect, creating the two Irelands we know today, was 1922. It's easy to get the treaty signing and the actual division mixed up!