Celebrating the centenary of Northern Ireland today and its place in UK

Today is a historically very significant date in the creation of Northern Ireland and our United Kingdom.

It marks the centenary of the Northern Ireland Parliament led by Prime Minister James Craig formally petitioning King George V for the right of Northern Ireland to remain a full and equal member of the UK and ensure continued British rights for its citizens under article 12 of the Anglo-Irish treaty.

Just the day before on December 6 1922, the Irish Free State had come into existence as a self-governing nation within the British Empire after sadly leaving the United Kingdom.

As part of the treaty that created the Irish Free State some law making ability concerning Northern Ireland was to pass from the United Kingdom to the Irish Free State, unless the Northern Ireland Parliament made a formal request to the king to opt out of the arrangement within one month known as the ‘Ulster Month’ and exercise the right not to have any of the NI territory included in any law making ability of the new Irish Free State.

The prime minister of Northern Ireland Sir James Craig had made clear with the full backing of the Northern Ireland Parliament and the people, that Northern Ireland wished to remain a full and equal part of the United Kingdom and resolved to show no hesitation in petitioning the inkg at the earliest opportunity in no uncertain terms of this.

The petition of the Northern Ireland Parliament was taken personally on the night of December7 1922 by the prime minister of Northern Ireland Sir James Craig to London and to the king who received it on the December 8 1922.

The king’s response was received shortly afterwards confirming the crown’s acceptance that Northern Ireland will remain part of the United Kingdom and that the powers conferred on the parliament and government of the Irish Free State will no longer extend to Northern Ireland.

The name of the United Kingdom did not formally change until 1927 when the current name of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was adopted reflecting Northern Ireland’s status as a full and equal member.

Lengthy and detailed parliamentary legislation was required to ensure citizens’ rights and internal trade under the 1800 Acts of Union which is our union were not affected or disapplied in any way by the change in name of our country. Thus the UK with its four integral, separate but equal nations of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales will also be celebrating its centenary on December 7 2022.

Stevan Patterson, Castlederg, Co Tyrone