The Republic of Ireland in the Second World War

Some interesting discussion here. I particularly like the idea of social changes wrought by GIs (it happened even in the UK, and we were far more sophisticated) but Leej's point is also correct--there's less reason for American troops to be stationed in Ireland.

Certainly fewer troops will be stationed in Ireland, but Ireland also has a much smaller population. If, say, two million Yanks could influence 45 million English (as Thande and others have indicated), surely two hundred thousand Yanks can influence three million Irish?
 
If the GIs in Ireland start the path to liberalisation sooner then OTL, how's this going to affect the Civil Rights movement in the North?

IIRC, most of the Catholic members turned up thanks to Atlees post-war reforms to the British education system which allowed a lot more Catholics of either a Left-wing or Nationalist persuasion to attend university. A lot of politically active young people being allowed to mix, mingle and learn, it's a recipe for protests, and my grandfather was one of them :)

Anyway, when will Ireland begin to reach contempary levels of liberalisation on par with say Britain? And how will this affect the NICRA?
 

Cook

Banned
The Republic of Ireland came into being in 1937. 1949 was when the Republic of Ireland left the Commonwealth. If your note about the German ambassador is correct, this will simply have been a holdover understandable given the chaos in Europe around the time Ireland adopted its republican constitution in 1937.


The Irish Free State became Eire in 1937. The Republic of Ireland was declared on April 18, 1949. During the period 1936 to 1949, Eire’s relations with foreign powers were still governed by the External Relations Act of 1936, with its foreign envoys appointed in the name of George VI.
 
I posted an OP on a non-Neutral Ireland in the Second World War quite recently. I also recommended The "Talking History" discussion on the matter which is downloadable freely at www.newstalk.ie in fact I highly recommend it and the other topics available for downloading from this excellent programme, let me know how ye get on with it if ye decide to use it!
 


The Irish Free State became Eire in 1937. The Republic of Ireland was declared on April 18, 1949. During the period 1936 to 1949, Eire’s relations with foreign powers were still governed by the External Relations Act of 1936, with its foreign envoys appointed in the name of George VI.

Ah yes that period where De Valera slowly transformed it into a full republic rather than an Australian-style one ;).

Hmmm, could Ireland then not pass the Rep of Ireland Act as it is OTL and stay in the Commonwealth? or is it still too republican?
With closer ties to the UK it could well follow India's example and remain.
 
Even if the Unionists wouldn't accept all of the Six Counties becoming Irish, Fermanagh and Tyrone at least are majority Catholic...
Also, the IRA never recognised Eire and insisted on republicanism. (Indeed, I think Continuity and Real still do reject the Republic's legitimacy, insisting they're the legitimate government)
And Ireland did only become a republic in 1949 - which led to a Labour meltdown in the North and the absence of any opposition there.
 

Tovarich

Banned
I particularly like the idea of social changes wrought by GIs (it happened even in the UK, and we were far more sophisticated)

*tries to imagine own grandparents being "more sophisticated".....head explodes like guy from 'Scanners'*
 
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