"From 1912 to 1914, attempts were made to introduce a Third Irish Home Rule Bill, it was passed under the Parliament Act after House of Lords defeats, with Royal Assent as the Government of Ireland Act 1914 but never came into force, due to the intervention of World War I, when it was agreed that the remaining hurdle would be debated and sorted out when the war ended; it was decided that the major stubling block, that of partition would be debated and settled then.
This was scuppered when Lloyd George, on behalf of the Government, connived separately with the Unionists and the Republicans, promising one (by phone) that partition would be established for a period of six years only, at the end of which, Ireland would become fully united.
At the same time he informed the Unionists by letter that partition would be permanent.
From the beginning, the Ulster Unionists had opposed any form of Independence for Ireland even to the point of arming itself and threatening Civil War if any attempts were made to give Ireland independence from Britain.
They were supported in their threats by officers of the British Army in the Curragh, who said they would not take part in any intervention, were they ordered to intervene."
Jims post underlines my point that politicians [even then] were not to be trusted