A century has passed since the last determination was made regarding the exact location of the border that would split the island of Ireland.
On 3 December 1925, a proposal by the Boundary Commission to modify the border and remove certain areas from Northern Ireland, such as Crossmaglen in southern Armagh, was abandoned following a British-Irish agreement.
Instead, the border remained unchanged, bringing relief to unionists and causing frustration among nationalists who had hoped that the counties of Fermanagh and Tyrone, along with Londonderry and Newry, would be moved south.
“It provided a great deal of certainty that hadn’t existed before, especially if you lived on the border and were in Fermanagh or Tyrone… you weren’t sure until late 1925 whether you would be part of Northern Ireland or the Free State,” said historian Dr Cormac Moore.
The region known as the Free State was later renamed the Republic of Ireland.
Border Timeline
The rejection of the Boundary Commission report in 1925 marked the end of a turbulent era in Irish history that encompassed the division of the island:
- December 1920: The Government of Ireland Act established the creation of Northern and Southern Ireland.
- June 1921: The parliament of Northern Ireland came into existence
- December 1921: The Anglo-Irish Treaty established the Irish Free State
- December 1925: The Irish border was established
Nationalists had expected the border established in 1920 to be short-lived and believed that a Boundary Commission, set up under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, would greatly shrink the area of Northern Ireland.
In the end, it suggested only slight modifications andthey were never implemented.
Boundary Commission plan
The Irish border spans 310 miles and the Boundary Commission proposal comprised:
- Moving sections of eastern Donegal into Northern Ireland
- Moving sections of south Armagh to the Free State
- Moving a portion of northern Monaghan to Northern Ireland
- Moving minor sections of Tyrone and Fermanagh to the Irish Free State
Dr. Moore, author of a publication on the Boundary Commission, stated, “The largest region slated for transfer was southern Armagh, which would have encompassed Crossmaglen.”
Approximately 15,000 individuals could have been relocated to the Free State.
The scheme fell apart once it was published in the Morning Post newspaper in November 1925.
The Irish government in Dublin was upset with the suggestions, and following emergency discussions, the initiative was abandoned as part of an agreement between political figures from London and Belfast.
Nevertheless, the Irish government did not acquire any territory from the agreement, but rather received financial benefits.
Money not land
The following day, on 3 December 1925, The Times newspaper featured three headlines regarding the agreement: ‘Irish Peace’, ‘A Threefold Agreement’, and ‘Current Border to Remain’.
It was decided that Dublin would no longer be required to contribute to Britain’s national debt, a commitment made in the 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty.
Dr. Moore stated, “It might have been around £150 million, which was a significant amount of money at that time.”
Northern nationalists felt they had been betrayed by the Free State… left behind for financial gain, in essence.
Who was part of the Boundary Commission?
The Boundary Commission was led by South African judge Richard Feetham, while Education Minister Eoin MacNeill represented the Irish Free State government.
The government of Northern Ireland declined to appoint a representative, although the individual chosen held strong unionist views, Joseph Fisher, a former newspaper editor.
To nationalists, the Boundary Commission represented an unseized chance.
Over the years, there has been significant criticism regarding MacNeill’s performance as the Irish commissioner, as well as how WT Cosgrave, the leader of the Free State at the time, managed the consequences.
The passing of Michael Collins and Arthur Griffith in 1922 left Ireland without leaders who had the expertise in dealing with Britain.
To unionists, maintaining the border without any compromise was regarded as a victory.
Numerous documents and newspapers from that era are preserved by the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI).
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