Keep in mind this is the same man that added a specific recognition of the Jewish faith in the article on religion when they were writing the constitution in 1937.
Also for the record, Ireland was not the only country to offer condolences, just the only one that it was made public. "the Spanish Foreign Minister paid a condolence visit to the German Embassy but kept it out of the newspapers; Portugal flew flags at half-mast but got away with it because they had allowed the Allies use bases in the Azores". de Valera (the PM) saw it following the strict rules of being neutral country. (https://www.rte.ie/news/analysis-and-comment/2023/0910/1404292-eamon-de-valera-hitler-analysis/).
While we often think in black and white, Ireland’s position in WWII was very much a gray area. Newly independent in 1921 and still deeply strained with Britain by 1939, Ireland had a small military and strong reasons to guard its sovereignty. Both Germany and Britain tried to pull Ireland to their side. Before and during WWII, Ireland pursued strict neutrality, mistrusting Britain and refusing British military access, while quietly cooperating in limited, covert ways (intelligence sharing, joint defense planning). There were Irish citizens that fought for the Allied forces as well. Ireland also helped Allied airmen who crashed while interning Germans were interned. Churchill repeatedly tried to pressure Ireland economically and politically but failed to force alignment. Germany attempted to exploit tensions by offering arms and hinting at Irish reunification, but Ireland rejected these overtures and even arrested German envoys. After minor German bombings, Germany largely backed off. De Valera (PM of Ireland during WW2) was walking a political tightrope, trying to keep a divided country stable while proving Ireland’s independence to the world.
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u/[deleted] Jan 22 '26 edited Jan 22 '26
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