Eire's Neutrality

Attempts to persuade Eire to enter the war.
1. Attempt 1: June 1940 Britain tried to persuade Eire to join them in a defensive agreement after Germany defeated France and British troops withdrew from Dunkirk. Britain proposed to a United Ireland if they allowed Britain access to ports in Eire.
  1. De Valera rejected the offer because it looked like Germany was going to win the war and if Eire entered the war then they would lose their independence.
  2. The prime Minister of Northern Ireland was outraged when he heard this proposal.
2. Attempt 2: 2nd September 1941 Japanese attacked the Americans at Pearl Harbour and Germany declared war with USA. Churchill offered again for Eire to join the war "A Nation once Again".
  1. Churchill was offering Eire a United Ireland but he again declined.
3. Attempt 3: 1942 Britain needed the treaty ports in Eire as the Battle of the Atlantic was at its peak and German U-boats were sinking allied ships.
  1. De Valera declined this offer once again.
Benevolent Neutrality
1. Eire's neutrality was actually biased towards the Allies this made it benevolent neutrality.
2. Eire allowed the RAF and later the US Air Force to fly over a small part of County Donegal (the Donegal Corridor).
  1. This avoided a 100 mile extra journey to avoid Donegal and provided air cover for the convoys for longer.
3. De Valera sent 13 fire engines and fire-fighters from Dublin, Dundalk and Drogheda to help fight the blazes after the Belfast Blitz.
4. Allied Airmen were allowed to escape unlike the German shipwrecked who were interned.
5. In February 1945 De Valera gave permission to the British to build Secret Radar bases in Eire.
6. 43000 Irish citizens joined the British armed forces including 5000 who left the Irish army to join the British army.
What the USA thought about Eire's Neutrality
1. President Roosevelt stated that Eire's neutrality was 'a serious impediment to the war effort'.
2. David Gray the US Ambassador in Dublin critizised de Valera for not protesting to the German Ambassador after the Belfast Blitz.
Northern Ireland's attitude to Eire's benevolent Neutrality
1. Sir Basil Brooke and Northern Ireland were outraged with Eire's decision to stay neutral this drove Eire and Northern Ireland further apart.
  1. However Northern Ireland was very appreciative of Eire's actions to send fire fighters to help fight the blazes of the Belfast Blitz.
The British Attitude to Eire's neutrality
1. Eire annoyed the British by not accepting their proposal to join the war in exchange for a United Ireland as de Valera wanted.
How de Valera operated policy of Strict Neutrality
1. De Valera interned 3 suspect IRA members in Eire as the IRA was a huge threat to Eire's neutrality.
2. Eire refused to give the treaty ports and airfields back to Britain.
3. De Valera refused to close both the Japanese or the German Embassy's in Dublin.

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Eire's Neutrality

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