Date with history: Ireland’s stability is shaken

December 6, 1921: A century after the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty, Brexit has altered the balance, writes Brigid Laffan

The World Today Published 3 December 2021 2 minute READ

Brigid Laffan

Emeritus Professor, European University Institute

After six tumultuous years beginning with the 1916 Easter Rising, the British government and representatives of Sinn Féin signed the Anglo-Irish Treaty on December 6, 1921.

The impact of the treaty reaches through the ages into today. The creation of an independent Ireland cemented the partition on the island – and this border continues to be contested. It has left an indelible mark on the Irish party system and on wider international dynamics.

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