Tag Archives: ira

Ireland’s Wars: Sean Russell In Germany

Posted on Jun 28, 2022 by NFB

The early sections of the Second World War for the IRA had been dominated by the continued implementation of the S-Plan, the subsequent failure of which had left the organisation at a low ebb. In combination with the long term … Continue reading →

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Ireland’s Wars: Irish Neutrality During The Second World War

Posted on Jun 21, 2022 by NFB

It is an unfortunate reality that I have to open this entry of the series with a warning. Over ten years ago I wrote a post on this general topic entitled Suicidal Obstinacy: Max Hastings And Irish Neutrality During The … Continue reading →

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Ireland’s Wars: Operation Green

Posted on Jun 7, 2022 by NFB

The Nazi conquest of the Low Countries and France brings us to a critical point of the Second World War. Much of Ireland’s strategic position at the outset of the conflict was based around the simple reality that it was … Continue reading →

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Ireland’s Wars: Plan Kathleen And Operation Mainau

Posted on May 31, 2022 by NFB

My commentary on the IRA’s activities in the early stages of the Second World War have tended to be critical. The S-Plan was a resounding failure in its stated aims, and the Christmas Raid ended up undercutting its short-term success … Continue reading →

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Ireland’s Wars: The Christmas Raid

Posted on May 10, 2022 by NFB

The IRA’s initial efforts to launch a new offensive against Great Britain, and to play a part in the wider geopolitical confrontation in Europe, had proved a failure. Undone by one spectacular case of bombing the wrong target and by … Continue reading →

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Ireland’s Wars: The 1939 Coventry Bombing And The End Of The S-Plan

Posted on May 3, 2022 by NFB

The S-Plan had resulted in an enormous amount of successful detonations of bombs throughout Britain, and had certainly caught the attention of the British government. But, for the most part, the explosives had not done a large amount of damage, … Continue reading →

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Ireland’s Wars: The S-Plan

Posted on Apr 26, 2022 by NFB

The coming of the Second World War was, obviously, viewed as an enormous opportunity by the IRA. Their named enemy was now in what could only be described as an existential conflict with an enormously powerful foe, and the opportunity … Continue reading →

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Ireland’s Wars: The Emergency

Posted on Apr 19, 2022 by NFB

The Irish experience of the Second World War is, in many ways, bound up with the word “Emergency”, to the point that it has become something of a recurring joke: I recall someone once writing that it equates the greatest … Continue reading →

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Ireland’s Wars: The Second World War Begins

Posted on Apr 12, 2022 by NFB

It may seem like a strange thing to say, but it is important not to underestimate the vast scope of the Second World War. In terms of the number of people engaged, the number of people killed and injured, the … Continue reading →

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Ireland’s Wars: The Irish In The International Brigades

Posted on Mar 22, 2022 by NFB

In last week’s entry we took the time to examine the Irish experience of the Spanish Civil War first from the perceptive of those who fought for Franco’s Nationalists. The decision to go with O’Duffy’s Brigade first was at least … Continue reading →

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