Ireland

Satellite photo of Ireland

Ireland (Irish: Éire) has two meanings - the whole island of Ireland, and the official name of the sovereign state otherwise referred to as "Southern Ireland", the "Irish Republic" or "the Republic of Ireland".

Ireland, in the sense of the whole island, came largely under English rule from the 12th century onwards, and Henry VIII assumed the title of "King of Ireland" in 1542. Ireland wsa governed by its own parliament until the Act of Union (which Lord Castlereagh took a leading role in promoting) united it with Great Britain to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Since the partition of Ireland in 1922, Northern Ireland remains in the United Kindom, but the Republic is an independent state.

For convenience, this Wiki generally covers all-Irish matters until partition, but only Northern Ireland thereafter.