  the anglo-irish treaty (), officially the articles of agreement for a treaty between great britain and ireland, was an agreement between the government of the united kingdom of great britain and ireland and irish representatives that concluded the irish war of independence.official correspondence relating to the peace negotiations, university college cork website in which the britsih prime minister states that he would meet the irish "delegates" as "spokesmen of the people whom (de valera) represent" it provided for the establishment of the irish free state within a year as a self-governing dominion within the british commonwealth of nations (the first use by the uk government of this term, rather than "british empire", in an official document). it also provided northern ireland, which had been created by the government of ireland act 1920, an option to opt out of the irish free state, which it exercised. the agreement was signed in london on 6 december 1921, by representatives of the british government (which included prime minister david lloyd george, who was head of the british delegates) and irish representatives including michael collins and arthur griffith. the irish representatives regarded themselves as having plenipotentiary status (negotiators empowered to sign a treaty without reference back to their superiors) acting on behalf of the irish republic though this was never accepted by the british government. as required by its terms,
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