Since 1921 the Island had been divided into the Dominion Free Sate and the six counties of Northern Ireland retained under the union. As part of the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland immediately entered the war on the British side. From the beginning their Prime Minister, Craig insisted the Unionists Wished to play their part, stating in February 1940 '"We are the Kings men and we shall be with you till the end"' . The Free State Government did not share his view. As early as February 1939 De Valera had declared it was his intention ' "to preserve our Neutrality in the event of war"'. Therefore when war became a reality both Dail and Senate agreed for the Free State to remain Neutral and an Emergency Powers Act was passed giving the Government total power to secure p

Even if publicly Ireland was maintaining Neutrality, privately it was biased Neutrality in favour of the Allies. Contact was made with British intelligence passing on information to them. Meteorological reports given to the British Navy and the Allies were allowed use of the air space over Donegal. While German pilots who crashed were interned for the rest of the war, Allied pilots would be secretly returned across the border. Probably the most public display of the 'biased Neutrality' was in spring 1941 when a number of Irish fire brigades were dispatched to Belfast following German air raids. Of this De Valera said ' "We are one and the same people. Any help we can give them in the present time we will give them wholeheartedly, believing that were the circumstances reversed, thy would also give us their help wholeheartedly"'

6. Townshend, Charles; Ireland The 20th Century. (Arnold, London, 1999.)

Many emigrating Irish found employment in Britain working in the war industries and no restrictions were put on enlisting in the British army. Therefore many Irish served on the Allied side with as many as 43,000 Irish citizens serving in the British army. In Richard Doherty's book 'Irish men and women in the Second World War' he argues that the motives of these Irish soldiers were not financial but rather "born out of nobler sentiments that mark mankind at its best: the willingness to help others, the desire to fight against injustice and oppression, the craving of a better world for future generations".

The significance of this war for the island was enormous and its consequences were many. The Free State, despite having escaped the worst horrors of war that the north had faced, the economic problems it had suffered during the war continued for a good number of years after with high unemployment and emigration a feature of society. As mentioned there was the opposite effect in the North were the economy improved greatly and agriculture and industry flourished. A great economic divide existed north and south. Sir Basil Brooke, Northern Irish Prime Minister by the end of the war had re-organised the Government and drawn up plans for the development of the State following the war.

It was not only Éire's relationship with Britain that was effected by the policy of Neutrality. Fisk states that "the twenty-six counties of Ireland progressively sealed themselves off from the outside world" With the wars end Ireland was to still find itself isolated from world affairs. Their application to join the United Nations was vetoed by The Soviet Union citing the fact that Ireland had failed to help the allies and maintain friendly relations with the enemy. The beginning of the Cold War had led to the North Atlantic Treaty Association being set up but Here Ireland declined joining since they would not enter into an agreement with Britain while partition still existed.

3. Fogarty, Richard; History in the Making: Europe 1870-1970. (Educational Company, Dublin, 1994.)

ublic safety. Neutrality could be considered proof of Independence and across the border too Craig was showing Unionist allegiance to Britain. Robert Fisk identifies this in his book 'In Time of War'.

Some common words found in the essay are:
Northern Ireland, De Valera, Doctors Ambulances, Valera German, Dublin Free, Ulster Belfast, Defence Force, Frank Aiken, German Japanese, Donegal German, northern ireland, de valera, north south, ministry supplies, valera german embassy, world war, routledge london, return 'treaty, 'treaty ports', emergency powers act, german air, de valera german, co-ordination defensive, co-ordination defensive measures, department co-ordination defensive,
Approximate Word count = 2315
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page double spaced)