ocity of their actions made the situation worse and violence continued on a frightening scale.
             The British government passed the Government of Ireland Act in 1920, which divided Ireland into two areas. The intention was that both would be given limited powers of self-government but would remain within the United Kingdom. Northern Ireland accepted the offer, and on June 7, 1921 King George V opened the first Northern Ireland Parliament in Belfast. In December the same year, a treaty was signed between republicans in the South and the British Government, accepting the partition of Ireland. The new Irish Free State, made up of 26 counties, was given dominion status within the British Empire. The state changed its name to Eire in 1937 when its written constitution was adopted and it left the British Commonwealth in 1949.
             In 1956 the IRA emerged again with a campaign of violence along the border. But it was poorly supported and the governments in both parts of the island introduced confinement without trial to round up terrorist suspects. The IRA eventually called off its campaign in 1962. But outbreaks of serious violence continued, particularly in Belfast
             and Londonderry, forcing the British Government to send in troops to keep the peace. The measure failed and as bombings and shootings increased in number, the North Ireland parliament introduced captivity to round up republican suspects. The even that triggered the situation was Bloody Sunday in Derry in 1972 when 13 civilians were shot dead by the army during a protest march against internmen
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