Sarah McDonough
The Experiences of The Two Irelands During
The Second World War
Sarah McDonough
13101244
Two Ireland’s Of The 20th Century
John Cunningham
1,566 Words
October 28, 2013
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Sarah McDonough
During World War II, Ireland claimed neutrality meaning, they did not technically or
formally align themselves with the Allied Powers or the Axis Powers. Just north of the border,
Northern Ireland made it viciously clear to the rest of the world that they were fully supportive of
Great Britain and the Allied forces, meaning once again, this small island was divided in two.
Upon reviewing several academic articles and historical documents, it can be argued that the two
Irelands endured two vastly different experiences throughout the duration of World War II. More
specifically, each country experienced different economic, political, and social effects of the war
based on their varying levels of involvement and alignment.
Although Ireland remained neutral throughout the entirety of World War II, the country
still experienced its fair share of economic difficulties as a result of the war. From the very
beginning of the war, British officials made it clear that they were seeking Irish alliance. They
believed that by applying pressure on Ireland, they would eventually cave in and join Great
Britain in battle. In Twentieth Century Ireland, the reader learns that the British Secretary of
State for Dominion Affairs, Lord Cranborne said, “Ireland is entirely dependent on us. We
should take every means of opening the eyes of the Irish people to this fact. He advocated a
policy of ‘silent sanctions’ in order to keep ‘her lean.’”1 This strategy put a dent in the Irish
economy because their resources were dramatically limited as a result of the separation from
Great Britain. Similarly to many other countries around the world, Ireland introduced rationing
as a way of coping with the wartime economy. The country adopted the phrase and mindset
‘making do and mend’ and strongly encouraged its citizens to live on less. The nationwide
rations included food, fuel, and electricity. As a result of these rations and economic cutbacks,
1
Dermot Keogh, Twentieth Century Ireland: Revolution and State Building (2005), p. 122.
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during World War II, motor vehicles became less common, electricity blackouts were frequent,
and Ireland turned to turf as its main source of heat, therefore eliminating dependance on coal.
Although Ireland stayed out of the war, ultimately, the island could not completely avoid the
harsh economic repercussions of World War II.
While Ireland withstood economical difficulties during World War II, the economic
effects on Northern Ireland were arguably more severe. According to Northern Ireland and the
Second World War by Dr. Senia Paseta of St Hough’s College at Oxford University, “A
Blackout order came into force in September 1939 and preparation for rationing food, petrol, and
other items followed soon after.”2 Not only did Northern Ireland have its own economic interests
in mind, they were also concerned about rationing in order to benefit Great Britain and the
Allies. To be more specific, on the day after Britain announced it was at war with Germany, Lord
Craigavon, Prime Minister of Northern Ireland, declared that ‘the whole of the resources'
belonging to the small country would be made available to Great Britain. This reality drastically
effected Northern Ireland’s lack of economic stability at the beginning of World War II. In
addition to the rations, Northern Ireland was frequently targeted by the Axis Powers; early
bombings were especially devastating and left portions of Northern Ireland in ruins.
Unfortunately, the beginning of World War II brought a series of economic struggles to Northern
Ireland, but as the reality of war sank in, Northern Ireland’s government began to respond
quickly to new demands. According to Dr. Paseta, the unemployment rate dropped rapidly as
1940 came to an end, female employment grew, and demand for wartime equipment stimulated
the economy.3
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3
Senia Paseta, Northern Ireland and the Second World War (2013), p. 1.
Senia Paseta, Northern Ireland and the Second World War (2013), p. 1.
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Politically speaking, Ireland’s decision to remain neutral during World War II sent a bold
message to the rest of the world and more specifically, Great Britain; ultimately, the small
country was exercising its freedom by remaining independent. According to Choosing to Go It
Alone: Irish Neutrality in Theoretical and Comparative Perspective, “The Irish leader, De
Valera, particularly sought neutrality as a means to stay out of British conflicts. For De Valera,
neutrality also meant the exercise of Irish sovereignty. The greater the degree to which Ireland
could pursue a true policy of neutrality, the greater degree to which Ireland could claim full
sovereignty from Britain and establishment of an independent state.” 4 By taking advantage of
this opportunity to make a political statement, Eamon De Valera and Ireland made it
unmistakably clear that they were standing alone. In addition to the separation from Great
Britain, Ireland’s sheer size played a large role in remaining neutral. The lack of capability to
protect itself as a nation, let alone project power beyond its shores made neutrality very
appealing. With this concise summary of the concerns relating to size and capability of this small
nation, it is easy to see why Ireland might have been worried about formally entering World War
II. Despite Ireland’s historically tumultuous relationship with Great Britain and their lack of
resources and sheer man power, the release of new archival material further proves that the Irish
were prepared to be friendly toward the Allies. To be more specific, it has been discovered that
there was cooperation between the G2 and Allied intelligence services, exchange of
meteorological reports, and forwarding of information concerning the movement of Axis planes,
ships, and submarines in the Irish Sea. In addition to these services, Ireland granted the Allies
permission to fly over Donegal for easier access to the Atlantic Ocean. With all of this
4
Jesse G. Neal, Choosing To Go It Alone: Irish Neutrality in Theoretical and Comparative Perspective (2006),
p.12.
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information, it should be noted that while Ireland remained neutral on paper, the favors they
performed for the Allies were extensive and undeniably helpful in winning the war. 5
While Ireland remained neutral, Northern Ireland took a political stance and made it clear
that they were invested in World War II and fully supportive of the Allied Powers, despite the
fact that they did not enforce conscription. With this being said, it can be argued that Great
Britain and the Allies were concerned that due to the size of Northern Ireland, the country would
not be able to pull its own weight or make significant contributions. These seemingly legitimate
concerns manifested into reality in the spring on 1941 when German air raids proved that
Northern Ireland was far from prepared for what was to come. “The air raids cost the provence
dearly: at least 1,100 people died during four raids and many thousands were injured.” 6 The two
day raid on Belfast in April 1941 resulted in the United Kingdom’s highest casualty rate in one
night’s bombings. To add to these grievances, many grew tired of Prime Minister James
Craigavon and his predecessor, J.M. Andrews, that followed him after his death in 1940.
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(Barton, 70) Ultimately, these two men lacked initiative and drive; they were too passive for
wartime politics and were rarely in Westminster’s good graces. Their nearly identical
administrations were woefully ineffective and negligent, therefore making Northern Ireland an
easy target for the Axis Powers in the early years of the war.
To remain a neutral nation, the Irish government believed it was necessary to shield the
public from the information about the war through socially constraining censorship laws. It
should be included that at this time, Ireland’s primary news source was the British media, so as a
result of censorship, the island was unaware of the events of World War II and socially isolated.
5
Jesse G. Neal, Choosing To Go It Alone: Irish Neutrality in Theoretical and Comparative Perspective (2006),
p.12.
6 Senia Paseta, Northern Ireland and the Second World War (2013), p. 1.
7 Brian Barton, Northern Ireland; The Impact of War, 1939-45 (2000), p. 69.
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For example, many Irish were sheltered from the details of the Holocaust because according to
‘Moral Neutrality’ Censorship in Emergency Ireland, government officials censored all reports
of cruel or inhuman treatment by the belligerents.8 The censorship was such an overwhelming
social presence that Irish poet, Seamus Heaney captured the “womb-like sense of security which
neutrality brought to the country” in his texts. 9 His poems illustrated the state of oblivion Ireland
was in during World War II and suggested that the country’s censorship laws were possibly too
controlling.
As previously mentioned, the two Irelands withstood rationing during World War II. The
effects proved to be overwhelmingly social as they contributed to an increase in responsibility
for Irish women. Following the introduction of rationing in Northern Ireland, women were
encouraged to make better use of existing foods. For example, magazines such as Model
Housekeeping, provided Northern Irish housewives with weekly menus and recipes that would
their resources to more efficient use. In addition to a change in food preparation, as a result of
rationing and shortages, women experienced a shift in how they provided for their families.
Muldowney explains, “As shortages in range of products became more widespread, shopping
took up a significant portion of the average woman’s day as she had to search for everything,
including items that were common before the war.”10 Even though these high expectations were
overwhelmingly domestic, they gave women the opportunity to identify with the country.
Although Ireland and Northern Ireland share a border, it can be argued that the two
Irelands endured two vastly different experiences throughout the duration of World War II.
Between Ireland’s bold and sovereign decision to remain neutral and Northern Ireland’s
alignment with Great Britain and the Allied Powers, these two countries were bound to follow
8
Donal A. Drisceoil, Moral Neutrality Censorship in Emergency Ireland (1996), p. 2.
Dermot Keogh, Twentieth Century Ireland: Revolution and State Building (2005), p. 160.
10 Mary Muldowney, The Second World War and Irish Women: An Oral History (2007), pp. 119-45
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different paths. After reviewing several sources, history itself proves that the economic, political,
and social effects of World War II were unique to each nation.
Works Cited
Barton, Brian. "Northern Ireland: The Impact of War, 1939-45." Ireland and the Second World
War: Politics, Sociecty, and Rememberence. Dublin: Four Courts, 2000. N. pag. Web. 10
Oct. 2013.
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Drisceoil, Donal Ó. "Moral Neutrality Censorship in Emergency Ireland." JSTOR. N.p., 1996.
Web. 23 Oct. 2013.
Jesse, Neal G. "Choosing To Go It Alone: Irish Neutrality in Theoretical and Comparative
Perspective." JSTOR. International Political Science Review, Jan. 2006. Web. 23 Oct.
2013.
Keogh, Dermot, and Andrew McCarthy. Twentieth Century Ireland: Revolution and State
Building. Vol. 6. N.p.: Gill & Macmillan, 2005. Print.
Muldowney, Mary. "The Home Front." The Second World War and Irish Women: An Oral
History. Dublin: Irish Academic, 2007. 119-45. Web. 10 Oct. 2013.
O'Donoghue, David, and James Scannell. "State Within a State: The Nazis in Neutral Ireland."
JSTOR. Dublin Historical Record, 2007. Web. 23 Oct. 2013.
Paseta, Senia. "Northern Ireland and the Second World War." Gale Virtual Reference Library.
Gale, n.d. Web. 10 Oct. 2013.
<http://www.gale.cengage.com/pdf/whitepapers/gdc/NorthernIrelandAndWWII.pdf>.
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