Ireland gained independence from Britain in 1922, following a guerrilla war waged by the IRA against the police and the British forces. Northern Ireland remained part of the United Kingdom, and the new southern state became independent after more than seven centuries of British rule.
The Irish had declared their independence since 1921 when they agreed to remain symbolically subject to the King as the Irish Free State. The fight for complete independence continued, however, as the Civil War broke in the country. Ireland adopted a new constitution in 1937 and the country was renamed Eire. Ireland severed all ties with the Commonwealth in 1949.
