Almost 80 years after the end of WWII, Ireland still attracts condemnation for being neutrality during the conflict, despite its actual practice of covert Allied support.
German airmen and citizens were interned in the Curragh during the war while Allied service personnel who landed in Ireland, were “allowed to depart freely and full assistance is given in recovering damaged aircraft”.
The latter quotes comes from Viscount Cranborne, the British Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs, in a letter to the British War Cabinet regarding Irish-British collaboration during 1939-1945.
He also noted, among other things, that Ireland supplied Britain with submarine activity intelligence and exchanged information with British security authorities regarding all Germans in the State.
The subject of Irish neutrality will be discussed at the next meeting of the Galway Archaeological and Historical Society meeting in the Harbour Hotel, Dock Road, on Monday September 9 at 8pm.
Dr Barry Whelan of NUI Maynooth will give a talk entitled Judging Irish neutrality during the Second World War in an international context: a comparison with Franco’s Spain.
Admission is free. All are welcome. See also www.gahs.info
