The Irish Free State 100 years on

in Ireland2 years ago (edited)

The 16th of January 1922 was the symbolic handover of Dublin Castle from the British Empire to the Provisional Irish Government. Immortalised in Neil Jordan's film Michael Collins.

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Photo by Maria Ziegler on Unsplash

This week there has been a lot of press coverage and the big revelation was that the reality was not as dramatic as portrayed in Michael Collins

What actually happened on 16th January 1922 is described in more historical context here

"The Castle has fallen": the transfer of power


Independence from Britain was a major turning point in Irish and even Global History.

While Ireland was never vitally important globally it marked a significant milestone on the breakup of the British Empire and probably inspired many other countries seeking independence.

The division and struggles between Catholics and Protestants, a legacy of British Rule, has many parallels in the history of the 20th century. Irelands struggle was used as case studies, learning and even inspiration around the world. The Middle Eastern countries and India departed the British Empire much later.

There were events in Dublin Castle to mark the occasion over the last few days, even if the actual handover was a lot less dramatic than portrayed in Neil Jordans film, symbolically the 16th of January 1922 marked a major milestone. Ireland did not become a republic but it was put on a path that would see it realise this goal in 1948.

If you attended the event in Dublin Castle please post some photos to Hive to mark the occasion.

If you are interested in more of the history another great source is
https://histories-humanities.tcd.ie/research/handover/

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Horrifyingly the division and struggles between Catholics and Protestants continues across the water in sunny Glasgow

Horrifying, and in the North of Ireland too. I just hope that the peace that has been there for the last 26 years spreads across to Glasgow and doesn't evaporate.

Looking back at what happened in Dublin 100 years ago there are many interesting learnings, which helped the transition of leadership. Around the globe other handovers havent gone so smoothly.

It has been getting better but the last few years looks as if it is reversing slightly. One can but hope though!

Religion is supposed to be a peaceful thing, but often that divides people and countries. That's a pity really, but as long as we overcome these difference and live in harmony or at least peaceful from one another, I guess that's what matters

It's interesting I am watching a series on Netflix at the moment called The Family, really worth a watch, and my take after this is that religion is actually a powerful thing to unite people, even people of different faiths.

The thing in places like Ireland, religion has never been an issue, it's more deep rooted. Religion is just a convenient label.