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.
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/