Thread by @GerBrowne4

In 1938 PM Neville Chamberlain🇬🇧 (knowing war was imminent) returned the Treaty Ports (Lough Swilly, Spike Island & Berehaven) to Éire🇮🇪 unconditionally & ended the Anglo-Irish Trade War for £10M. The Ports were poorly maintained difficult to defend & needed a massive investment.

In return Chamberlain placated the powerful Irish-American🇮🇪🇺🇸 lobby, which allowed Britain🇬🇧 appeal for US help when WW2 started, allowed Irish beef exports to Britain recommence (0 tons 1938 to 16K tons 1941) & saved on the huge investment needed for the Ports & Army/RAF bases.

When WW2 started de Valera🇮🇪 promised every support short of war, giving the British🇬🇧 7 oil tankers (150M long) for free, allowing them base a plane at Foynes to check the coast & confirm no U-boats present, air/sea rescue boats in Cobh/Killybegs & access to coast watch reports.

The British🇬🇧 also had access to weather reports (crucial for D-Day), wireless stations at Malin Head & Valentina Island, submarine cables, Donegal Corridor, Foynes seaplanes for trans-Atlantic flights, Rineanna & Coast Patrol broadcasts of German incursions in Irish🇮🇪 airspace.

There was full cooperation between G2🇮🇪 (Irish Military Intelligence), MI5🇬🇧 & the OSS (CIA)🇺🇸. German spies were arrested quickly & phone tapping & postal censorship was widespread. 1,130 Republicans were interned without trial, 800 jailed, 5 executed & 2 died on hunger strike.

All US🇺🇸 air crews that came down in Éire🇮🇪 were repatriated 225 other Allied airmen were let go & 46 were interned for a time. All German flying crew & sailors were interned for the war while Allied seamen were released. Crashed planes were loaded on trucks & sent to the border.

Plan W was prepared for a possible German invasion of Éire🇮🇪 with 🇬🇧 armaments to help defend Irish ports & airfields especially Foynes (Fort Shannon) & Éire🇮🇪 was also to be the ‘Last Redoubt’ in case Britain was invaded with Rathduff aerodrome for the RAF to continue the fight.

The British Chiefs of Staff🇬🇧 agreed with the return of the Irish Ports unconditionally in 1938 & stopped Churchill in 1943 from requesting their use, as they knew they would only be a liability. Hubert Gough🇬🇧 also noted that 160K soldiers gave an Éire🇮🇪 address for next-of-kin.

Then Churchill🇬🇧 & Roosevelt🇺🇸 deliberately discredited de Valera🇮🇪 by distorting the true benevolence of Irish neutrality in order to undermine the influence of the Irish-American🇮🇪🇺🇸 lobby (who they feared) & their ability to make Irish Partition a post war international issue.

Churchill & Roosevelt also essentially abandoned the Roman Catholic people of Northern Ireland by supporting a bigoted regime that trampled on their rights & when the Troubles erupted it was partly a consequence of the distorted ignorance of what really happened in Éire🇮🇪 in WW2.

Just so that you are aware of the legacy left by Churchill & Roosevelt, this is from a typical US history book. I am sure a British one would be even more complimentary! It’s now time for the Irish-American🇮🇪🇺🇸 lobby to respond & reveal what REALLY happened in Éire🇮🇪 during WW2.