On This Day / January 4, 1971
Go BackReproduced with permission from The Irish News.
19710104
Reference Date
19710104
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Summary: On This Day – 4th January 1971, newly released Cabinet papers revived debate over Churchill’s wartime offer of Irish unity, firmly rejected by de Valera in defence of neutrality. Edited by Éamon Phoenix.
Churchill’s ‘Unity’ Offer Recalled | On This Day – 4th January 1971
THE publication of British Cabinet Papers giving further confirmation of the uncompromising stand on Irish neutrality in 1940 by Mr de Valera, the then Taoiseach, has again become a talking point in political circles.
These papers make it clear that although he had been warned that the country could be over-run in hours and that he himself might be shot, de Valera repeated a firm ‘No’. Even the promise of a United Ireland made no impression on the Irish leader.
Commenting on the firm stand which Mr de Valera had taken, Mr Eddie McAteer, Nationalist Party President, said last night it was a bit unfair to judge from the after-wisdom of thirty years, but he thought that Mr de Valera was correct in principle.
Would Britain have kept her promise [to facilitate a United Ireland]? The former Nationalist MP said that this disclosure must certainly be a ‘smack on the face’ for the trusted Unionists who were being suckled by British flattery at the time.
The message was getting clearer every day: Britain would end Partition the moment it suited her, said Mr McAteer.
Lord Brookeborough, former NI Premier, said yesterday: ‘On looking back, the Constitution had been in danger although I did not know about the United Ireland offer at the time’. He had trusted Churchill who never gave any indication that he would let NI down.
The British documents disclose that some ‘hawks’ in the Allied War Council wanted to take over the Irish Atlantic ports by force if necessary while the ‘doves’ offered a possible end to Partition if Mr de Valera would let in British troops and warships.
It was clear in his rejection of British overtures that he did not regard the offers as any firm guarantee of a United Ireland. And even if Britain had agreed to this, Mr de Valera was insisting that the united country should remain neutral. This was the point on which the negotiations ended on July 4, 1940.
(Éamon Phoenix editor’s note: Debate still rages over de Valera’s rejection of Churchill’s wartime offer of Irish unity in exchange for Eire joining the Allies. This followed the fall of France in June 1940 which the British PM viewed as heralding ‘a new dark age’.
De Valera distrusted Churchill who had described the Irish leader in 1922 as ‘representing a catastrophe rather than a cause’. He believed Craigavon would sabotage the deal while he also surmised that Germany was likely to win the war.
While Craigavon denounced Churchill’s ‘treachery’, two of his cabinet, Sir Basil Brooke and John MacDermott, were prepared to accept reunification as the lesser of two evils.)
On This Day – 4th January 1971
Further Reading on Irish History:
List of other On This Day columns
Other resources: National Library of Ireland Irish News CAIN Archive
19710104
Reference Date
19710104
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Summary: On This Day – 4th January 1971, newly released Cabinet papers revived debate over Churchill’s wartime offer of Irish unity, firmly rejected by de Valera in defence of neutrality. Edited by Éamon Phoenix.
Churchill’s ‘Unity’ Offer Recalled | On This Day – 4th January 1971
THE publication of British Cabinet Papers giving further confirmation of the uncompromising stand on Irish neutrality in 1940 by Mr de Valera, the then Taoiseach, has again become a talking point in political circles.
These papers make it clear that although he had been warned that the country could be over-run in hours and that he himself might be shot, de Valera repeated a firm ‘No’. Even the promise of a United Ireland made no impression on the Irish leader.
Commenting on the firm stand which Mr de Valera had taken, Mr Eddie McAteer, Nationalist Party President, said last night it was a bit unfair to judge from the after-wisdom of thirty years, but he thought that Mr de Valera was correct in principle.
Would Britain have kept her promise [to facilitate a United Ireland]? The former Nationalist MP said that this disclosure must certainly be a ‘smack on the face’ for the trusted Unionists who were being suckled by British flattery at the time.
The message was getting clearer every day: Britain would end Partition the moment it suited her, said Mr McAteer.
Lord Brookeborough, former NI Premier, said yesterday: ‘On looking back, the Constitution had been in danger although I did not know about the United Ireland offer at the time’. He had trusted Churchill who never gave any indication that he would let NI down.
The British documents disclose that some ‘hawks’ in the Allied War Council wanted to take over the Irish Atlantic ports by force if necessary while the ‘doves’ offered a possible end to Partition if Mr de Valera would let in British troops and warships.
It was clear in his rejection of British overtures that he did not regard the offers as any firm guarantee of a United Ireland. And even if Britain had agreed to this, Mr de Valera was insisting that the united country should remain neutral. This was the point on which the negotiations ended on July 4, 1940.
(Éamon Phoenix editor’s note: Debate still rages over de Valera’s rejection of Churchill’s wartime offer of Irish unity in exchange for Eire joining the Allies. This followed the fall of France in June 1940 which the British PM viewed as heralding ‘a new dark age’.
De Valera distrusted Churchill who had described the Irish leader in 1922 as ‘representing a catastrophe rather than a cause’. He believed Craigavon would sabotage the deal while he also surmised that Germany was likely to win the war.
While Craigavon denounced Churchill’s ‘treachery’, two of his cabinet, Sir Basil Brooke and John MacDermott, were prepared to accept reunification as the lesser of two evils.)
On This Day – 4th January 1971
Further Reading on Irish History:
List of other On This Day columns
Other resources: National Library of Ireland Irish News CAIN Archive
19710104
Reference Date
January 4, 2021
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice *
Summary: On This Day – 4th January 1971, newly released Cabinet papers revived debate over Churchill’s wartime offer of Irish unity, firmly rejected by de Valera in defence of neutrality. Edited by Éamon Phoenix.
Churchill’s ‘Unity’ Offer Recalled | On This Day – 4th January 1971
THE publication of British Cabinet Papers giving further confirmation of the uncompromising stand on Irish neutrality in 1940 by Mr de Valera, the then Taoiseach, has again become a talking point in political circles.
These papers make it clear that although he had been warned that the country could be over-run in hours and that he himself might be shot, de Valera repeated a firm ‘No’. Even the promise of a United Ireland made no impression on the Irish leader.
Commenting on the firm stand which Mr de Valera had taken, Mr Eddie McAteer, Nationalist Party President, said last night it was a bit unfair to judge from the after-wisdom of thirty years, but he thought that Mr de Valera was correct in principle.
Would Britain have kept her promise [to facilitate a United Ireland]? The former Nationalist MP said that this disclosure must certainly be a ‘smack on the face’ for the trusted Unionists who were being suckled by British flattery at the time.
The message was getting clearer every day: Britain would end Partition the moment it suited her, said Mr McAteer.
Lord Brookeborough, former NI Premier, said yesterday: ‘On looking back, the Constitution had been in danger although I did not know about the United Ireland offer at the time’. He had trusted Churchill who never gave any indication that he would let NI down.
The British documents disclose that some ‘hawks’ in the Allied War Council wanted to take over the Irish Atlantic ports by force if necessary while the ‘doves’ offered a possible end to Partition if Mr de Valera would let in British troops and warships.
It was clear in his rejection of British overtures that he did not regard the offers as any firm guarantee of a United Ireland. And even if Britain had agreed to this, Mr de Valera was insisting that the united country should remain neutral. This was the point on which the negotiations ended on July 4, 1940.
(Éamon Phoenix editor’s note: Debate still rages over de Valera’s rejection of Churchill’s wartime offer of Irish unity in exchange for Eire joining the Allies. This followed the fall of France in June 1940 which the British PM viewed as heralding ‘a new dark age’.
De Valera distrusted Churchill who had described the Irish leader in 1922 as ‘representing a catastrophe rather than a cause’. He believed Craigavon would sabotage the deal while he also surmised that Germany was likely to win the war.
While Craigavon denounced Churchill’s ‘treachery’, two of his cabinet, Sir Basil Brooke and John MacDermott, were prepared to accept reunification as the lesser of two evils.)
On This Day – 4th January 1971
Further Reading on Irish History:
List of other On This Day columns
Other resources: National Library of Ireland Irish News CAIN Archive
On This Day is a daily column in the Irish News looking back either 50 or 100 years. The column was compiled by Dr Éamon Phoenix from the mid 1980s until autumn, 2022. The Foundation is very grateful to the Irish News for giving permission to reproduce Eamon’s columns. Funding gratefully received from Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs and the Magill Trust.
* The Foundation has worked hard to recreate Eamon’s distinctive voice through AI. Since this is an emerging technology, occasional imperfections may be audible.