The Irish Free State (Irish: Saorstát Éireann) was the name of Ireland from 1922 to 1937. It replaced both the Irish Republic and Southern Ireland.
The government was called the Executive Council, and it was headed by the President of the Executive Council, instead of a Prime Minister.
Until 1927 it was ruled by a Governor General on behalf of the King of the United Kingdom. After a row between the Governments in London and Dublin it was decided that the Governor General represented the King of Ireland, not the King of the United Kingdom, even though they were the same person.
The change meant that the King and the Governor General were advised by the Irish government about what to do in Ireland, and stopped the British government from having any control over Irish affairs.
The constitution of 1937 changed the name of the country to the Irish language Irish: Éire, or English: Ireland, but the King stayed head of state until 1948.
