Crown Dominion of Ireland

The Crown Dominion of Ireland is a member state of the British Empire, founded on 3 March 1922 after the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty and the end of the Anglo-Irish War.
== Bid for Independence ==
Main article: Anglo-Irish War
The crisis over Home Rule was quelled with the beginning of the Great War, but many Irish were dissatisfied with the continuation of the status quo. The Easter Rising in 1916 was an effort on the part of Irish republicans to end British rule that ended in the deaths of many prominent participants, including socialist James Connolly.
When the British government attempted to implement conscription in Ireland in April 1918, Irish nationalists pledged to resist the measure, and a one-day general strike was called.
In the general election at the end of that year, the radical Sinn Féin party gained overwhelming success. However, its elected MPs refused to take their seats in Westminster, and convened a parliament of their own, on 21 January 1919: the First Dáil. The Dáil reaffirmed the 1916 declaration of independence, and proclaimed that there was an "existing state of war, between Ireland and England".
On the same day, the Irish Republican Army (IRA) committed an attack on two officers of the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC). This is widely regarded as the beginning of the Anglo-Irish War.
The IRA made very effective use of flying columns and guerilla warfare, and enjoyed popular support, while the populace was generally hostile towards the RIC and the Blacks and Tans. The war continued until January 1922, when General Nevil Macready conducted a brutal attack on locations in Dublin and Cork believed to be harbouring Sinn Féin and IRA leaders.
The Anglo-Irish Treaty was signed on 3 March, formally ending the war and establishing the Crown Dominion.
== Formation of the Government ==
With many of Sinn Féin's leaders having perished in the bloody attack, the formation of the new government proved difficult. Michael Collins, the most prominent Sinn Féin leader remaining, was the obvious choice for Prime Minister, and he proposed a coalition with the Labour Party, which had unequivocally supported the republicans during the war after James Larkin had reassumed control in 1920. Sinn Féin became deeply divided over the issue, with the right wing of the party denouncing the coalition and being given only minor posts in the government. However, Collins has managed to hold the party together through his charisma and willingness to compromise.
Every election held in Ireland since has shown strong support for both Sinn Féin and Labour. The Irish trade unions remain a potent force in Irish politics, chiefly the Irish Transport and General Workers Union (ITGWU), also under the leadership of James Larkin. The Irish Labour Party and the Irish Trades Union Congress (ITUC) thus remain closely linked, and retain their commitment to bringing about a socialist Ireland. They are closely monitored by British intelligence.
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