Irish Free State
This newsreel, which is predominately text based, declares that ‘after centuries of strife, Britain adds a contented New Dominion to the Crown’. The Anglo-Irish Treaty was signed between Irish and British negotiators in London at 10 Downing Street and would determine the future of 20th century Ireland.
British Prime Minister David Lloyd George threatened the Irish with ‘immediate and terrible war’ should they decide to not accept The Treaty. Michael Collins signed it as he believed it would be either a dominion and peace or a Republic and war. The Treaty was signed at 2.20 am on December 6th 1921.
Irish delegates seen at the end of the newsreel, Mr Arthur Griffith (left) and R.C Barton (center), ‘agreed to an arrangement whereby all Ireland – except Ulster- becomes a Free State’.
