28 (40) The Fight for Freedom Forced by a strong opinion the British parliament had to declare Home Rule for Ireland in 1912. The World War I prevented this limited self-government from being put into practice. But the urge for freedom could not be halted. Ireland saw the Easter Rising in 1916, saw the leaders of the rebellion being executed and saw her dream once more drowned in blood. Later negotiations led to the establishment of a "Free State" in the South in 1922. This caused a civil war between those who saw this as a first step and those hard-headed insurgents who wanted independence for all Ireland. More Irish blood was shed. The Six Counties of the North are still a British territory. The rest of Ireland became republic in 1949. 27 29 First published: Friday 20th December, 2002 Send a to the author! You may also use this form