The political relationship between England and Ireland dates from the 12th century with the establishment of the Lordship of Ireland. After almost four centuries of the Lordship, the declaration of the independence of the Church of England from papal supremacy and the rejection of the authority of the Holy See required the creation of a new basis to legitimise the continued rule of the English monarch in Ireland. In 1542, the Crown of Ireland Act was passed by both the English and Irish Parliaments. The Act established a sovereign Kingdom of Ireland with Henry VIII as King of Ireland. Both parliaments later passed the Acts of Union 1800 by which a new state was created - the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. In 1922, twenty-six counties of Ireland gained autonomy from the U.K. as the Irish Free State; in 1949, the State was declared to be a Republic and the last vestiges of royal power were abolished. The Republic of Ireland left the Commonwealth of Nations. The remaining six counties of the island of Ireland constituted the territory of Northern Ireland. In 1927, the realm, consisting of combined territories of Northern Ireland and Great Britain, was renamed the "United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland". Today, unionism is almost exclusively an issue for Northern Ireland. It is concerned with the governance of and relationship between Northern Ireland and Great Britain.

How many years was it between the Irish Free State being founded and the republic declared?
A: 27

Following their OT win over the Raiders, the Broncos stayed at home for an intraconference duel with the Jacksonville Jaguars.  After a scoreless first quarter, Denver trailed early as Jaguars QB David Garrard completed a 3-yard TD pass to WR Reggie Williams.  The Broncos would tie the game with QB Jay Cutler completing a 1-yard TD pass to TE Nate Jackson.  However, Jacksonville would take the lead with FB Greg Jones getting a 4-yard TD run, while kicker John Carney nailed a 19-yard field goal. In the third quarter, Denver continued to trail as the Jaguars increased its lead with Carney's 27-yard field goal, which was the only score of the period.  In the fourth quarter, the Broncos attempted a comeback with RB Travis Henry getting a 6-yard TD run.  However, Jacksonville sealed their win with Carney kicking an 18-yard field goal.

How many yards combined are the top two longest field goals?
A: 46

Trying to snap an eight-game skid, the Ravens flew to Qwest Field for a Week 16 interconference duel with the Seattle Seahawks.  After a scoreless first quarter, Baltimore's seasonal struggles continued as in the second quarter, Seahawks QB Matt Hasselbeck completed a 21-yard TD pass to WR Nate Burleson, along with LB Leroy Hill returning a fumble 20 yards for a touchdown and Hasselbeck completing a 14-yard TD pass to RB Shaun Alexander. In the third quarter, Seattle increased its lead with kicker Josh Brown nailing a 42-yard and a 39-yard field goal.  In the fourth quarter, the Ravens would get their only score of the game as rookie QB Troy Smith completing a 79-yard TD pass to WR Derrick Mason (with a failed two-point conversion).

How many quarters were the Ravens scoreless?
A:
3