Sir James Craig

Both Catholics and Protestants oppose the measure and Northern Ireland Prime Minister James Craig retreats in 1925. Londonderry resigns.

Electoral change Local government boundaries are redrawn in 1923 by the Leech Commission - to the benefit of Protestants.

Boundary Commission A three-man commission begins work in 1924 on where to redraw the border between Northern Ireland and the Irish Free State. This was agreed under the 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty to allow Catholic enclaves in the North to move to the South.

The Commission takes hundreds of submissions and travels through the area. In November 1925, its report is leaked by its Unionist representative. It shows practically no change - the transfer from North to South of just 1.8% of the people and 3.7% of the land.

Of the border towns, only Crossmaglen is recommended for transfer, dashing the hopes of Catholic majorities in Derry, Strabane and Newry.

Baldwin: in favour of the status quo

The leak causes a crisis in the Dublin government.

The Irish premier, WT Cosgrave, agrees with British Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin and Northern Ireland Prime Minister James Craig to suppress the report.

The border is kept at the 1920 position and registered with the League of Nations.

End of PR Craig gets rid of proportional representation for parliamentary elections in 1929.

Three months later he is returned to power at a general election with an improved majority as Labour and Nationalist representation fell.

De Valera - to lead Eire for 16 years

Fianna Fail Eamon de Valera's Fianna Fail party, formed out of former Sinn Fein members, wins the 1932 general election in the Free State.

De Valera's government drops the oath of loyalty to the British monarch agreed under the 1921 Treaty and refuses to pay land annuities to Britain. A trade war begins in June with both sides imposing steep tariffs on the other's goods.

Stormont The Prince of Wales formally opens the new home of the Northern Ireland government in October 1932 at Stormont, in east Belfast.

Poor riots Also in October, protests by the poor on both sides of the religious divide suffering from the Depression erupt into riots. Two are shot dead and 15 wounded by the police. The government increases the amount of outdoor relief available.

Sectarian riots Violence takes hold in Belfast in July 1935 for more than a month. Twelve people are killed, most are Protestants but more damage is done to Catholic areas.

Irish constitution Eamon de Valera's government introduces a new constitution for Eire in June 1937. Articles 2 and 3 claim jurisdiction over the whole of Ireland.

Economic 'truce' Anglo-Irish trade agreement of 1938 ends the running battle over trade. Britain also gives up its military and naval rights in the four 'treaty ports' in Eire provided for under the 1921 Treaty, thus relinquishing its last territorial hold in southern Ireland.