Ireland and WWII

Life in Southern Ireland during WWII

Neutrality

  • Ireland => neutral: they weren’t involved in WWII
  • The Emergency: The word used to describe the situation in the South of Ireland in WWII
  • The Emergency Powers Act: make provisions for securing the public safety and the preservation of the state in time of war
  • Defence forces were increased from about 20,000 to almost 250,000 part-time and full-time soldiers

Shortages and rationing

  • Food, clothes, footwear and petrol were rationed
  • Compulsory tillage orders: enacted to increase the growing for crops

Fuel shortages

  • Electricity and gas were rationed
  • Glimmer men: made sure gas was not being used illegally
  • Trains used turf as fuel
  • Unemployment rose => factories had to lay off workers
  • Farm production fell => no fertiliser
  • 100,000 emigrated to UK

Curragh camp

  • Although Ireland was neutral it favoured the Allies
    • Allies: Britain, France, US
  • German soldiers => held in prison camps in the Curragh
    • Very relaxed rules in the camps
  • Allied soldiers => sent to Britain

Operation Green

  • Operation Green : planned invasion of Ireland by Germany

Life in Northern Ireland during WWII

Crucial role of the North

  • NI was part of the UK so they took an active part in war
  • Conscription was not enforced
  • Rationing
  • Planes based in NI were used to patrol the North Atlantic and look for German U-boats and to protect supply ships
  • When US joined the war NI became an important base

NI industrial contribution

  • Sirocco works constructed ventilation equipment for arms factories in Britain
  • Harland and Wolff produced war equipment eg. ships
  • The Short and Harland aircraft factory produced planes
  • Linen industry contributed to the production of parachutes
  • Engineering plants produced shells and a third of the ropes used by armed forces

NI agricultural contribution

  • 100,00 of milk was sent to Scotland everyday
  • Provided 20% of Britain’s eggs
  • Flax production proved linen
  • Livestock exports were worth £3 million every year
  • Arable (crop) farming rose by 60%

Belfast Blitz

  • Belfast poorly defended
  • The city was attacked 4 times in April and May => 1,100 people killed
  • 1/2 were destroyed
  • The South sent fire brigades to help

VE Day

  • Celebrated in NI
  • Trinity students celebrated victory of the allies => prodestents
    • UCD students had a counter-demonstration