June 2, 1949

The Ireland Act, which recognized the special relationship of Irish citizens to the U.K., is passed by parliament on this day in 1949. When passed and officially enacted on April 18 of that same year, the Ireland Act ended Ireland’s status as a British dominion, therefore ending Ireland’s membership to the British Commonwealth. This also had an affect on Irish citizens, who would no longer be recognized as British subjects, but they would not be treated as simply “foreigners.” This act also declared that Northern Ireland would remain a part of the U.K., within the Commonwealth.