The Impact of World War II on Ireland, North and South

1. The Impact of World War II on Ireland, North and South Chapter 21

2. What Will I Learn? • Describe the impact of World War II on the lives of people in the South of Ireland • Describe the impact of World War II on the lives of people in the North of Ireland • Explore the Nature of History

3. Life in Southern Ireland during World War II Why did Ireland remain neutral during World War II?

4. Neutrality in Action • Emergency Powers Act • Built up defence forces • Censorship • Favoured the Allies Shortages and rationing • SeánLemass, Minister for Supplies • Bought and chartered ships • Rationing of food, clothes, footwear and petrol • Ration books • Compulsory tillage • ‘Black market’ SeánLemass See Skills Book p. 187

5. Fuel Shortages • Electricity, gas rationed • ‘Glimmer men’ • Turf replaced coal • Trains slow • Unemployment increased • Farming short of fertilisers • Emigration to Britain • Work in war industries British Army • 110,000 joined British forces during the war • 66,000 from South • 64,000 from North See Skills Book p. 189

6. Ships and Planes • German bombing of North Strand, Dublin 1941 • 34 people killed • Merchant navy imported goods • 16 ships sunk • 149 men killed, 32 wounded

7. Curragh Camp • British, German and American planes crashed landed here • Pilots imprisoned (interned) in Curragh camp • Relaxed atmosphere in camps • IRA members held in a separate camp in Curragh • Plan to invade Northern Ireland • Raided government magazine in Phoenix Park • Some IRA executed, some died on hunger strike

8. What are the main points being made by Churchill and de Valera? • Are these speeches propaganda? Explain your answer. See Skills Book p. 185

9. The Impact of World War II The Army and the Emergency Source 1 Ballincollig was very important during the Second World War because many soldiers were based at Murphy Barracks. The barracks had been burned in 1921 (during the Irish Civil War), but it was rebuilt at the start of the Emergency. By 1941 there were up to 1,000 men stationed in the barracks. In June 1940, enrolment began for the Local Security Forces (LSF), This was an auxiliary force to help out the regular army. … Mr Murphy remembers driving posts into the ground in the flat fields where the Community School and Scoil Barra (primary school) are now. They were to prevent German planes from landing there. The Irish army on manoeuvres near Ballincollig during World War II

10. The Impact of World War II Lives of the People Fuel Because of shipping difficulties, [Ireland] could not get in fuel supplies. Petrol was rationed very early on, and people got coupons for each month. Mr Tanner told us they had to use the horse and trailer when the month’s allowance was gone [for delivering milk to Cork city]. … Rations People we interviewed told us that the war did not change their lives a great deal. Some foods were scarce; so were clothes, soap, polish and fuel. When the war started, some foods and fuel were rationed. People wrote away to the Department of Supplies for a ration card. They only got 2 ounces of tea per week. … Social life People told us that they could still go out and enjoy themselves during the war. They were not afraid of bombs or anything like that. They did not travel very far to dances or games – very few people had cars and there was very little petrol for those who had. Most people cycled to the dances, and to the hurling and football matches.

11. The Impact of World War II News People often listened to news on the radio, because there was no television then. Often people, especially fathers, would go to Mary O’Connell’s pub to listen to matches, games and news. … People were told how Germany saw the war when they listened to Lord Haw-Haw. He came on the radio nearly every night and began with ‘Germany calling, Germany calling’. Fifth Class, Scoil Barra, The War Years: An Account of the Emergency in Ballincollig and District (1939-45), in Times Past, Journal of the Ballincollig Community School Local History Society (1990-91)

12. The Impact of World War II Food consumption in calories, per head of population

13. Oral History

14. Create your own mind map on Life in Southern Ireland during WWII using the above features See Skills Book p. 185

15. Life in Northern Ireland during World War II Crucial role of the North • Part of UK • Active part in the war • Rationing • Patrol North Atlantic • US troops based in North Convoys from USA and Commonwealth countries

16. The North’s Industries

17. The North’s Agriculture Northern Ireland’s contribution to World War II Historian Thomas Hennessy said, ‘Northern Ireland’s main contribution came in the areas of food production and munitions. Farmers provided Britain with £3 million worth of cattle and sheep per year, 20% of home-produced eggs and 25,000 gallons of liquid milk in four out of six wartime winters. Belfast’s shipyards produced 140 warships, 123 merchant ships and repaired 3,000 ships. Munitions producers manufactured 75 million shells, 180 million incendiary bullets, 50,000 bayonets, and a variety of other military material. … Northern Ireland’s only Victoria Cross was won by James Magennis, a Belfast Catholic in the Royal Navy, in July 1945.’

18. The Belfast Blitz Timeline of attacks, 1941 Source 1 On the Easter Tuesday we had all spent the day at the zoo, nice afternoon. I can remember going to bed about nine o’clock and being wakened by the sound of sirens and grandfather shouting. Tremendous noise and explosion and a couple of ceilings came down and we went out downstairs through the shop (shoemakers), where the whole front of the shop disappeared virtually. We ran to the air raid shelter in Hillman Street. … Ken Stanley, Antrim Road, Belfast quoted in Stephen Douds, The Belfast Blitz, The People’s Story (2011) 7–8 April 15–16 April 4–5 May 5–6 May

19. The Belfast Blitz

20. Belfast mural today - Commemoration

21. VE-Day • Celebrated in the streets of Belfast and elsewhere in Northern Ireland James Magennis VC See Skills Book pp. 190–91

24. Create your own mind map on Life in Northern Ireland during WWII using the above features