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February 21st: David Gray the American Ambassador in Ireland on behalf of the American Government and it was agreed to by the British Government, wanted the German and Japanese representatives in Ireland to be sent home and Richard Mulcahy who was now the leader of Fine Gael Party until 1959 wanted to know if they refused would there be an Invasion or not as stated by Roosevelt in February 1942.

February 29th: David Gray the American Ambassador bought an assurance from the American President that there would be no Invasion.

March: Eamonn de Valera replied to the American request to recall the German and Japanese representatives by stating the Irish Government had done it's best to stay neutral and every effort was made to prevent espionage and that the Irish Government would continue to protect the neutrality of the Irish State and the democratic way of life of the Irish people. This measure was to be continued not by fear of any action to be taken against Ireland but by the good will and fundamental friendship existing between America and the people of Ireland. The information given to David Gray was released for publication, which created bad publicity for the Irish Government and also for David Gray but the people of Ireland rallied around Eammon de Valera. Winston Churchill the British prime minister once again began to isolate Ireland from all trade between Ireland and Britain even down to their coal supplies.

May 9th: The Fianna Fail Party was defeated on a Transport Bill in the Dail Eireann so Eammon de Valera resigned his Government and called a new election were the Fianna Fail Party won 76 seats, which then gave them a 14 seat majority.

June 10th: Frank Ryan the Socialist Republic Congress leader and previous editor of An Phoblacht, who was also stone deaf, died of pleurisy and pneumonia in Germany and was buried there at Dresden.

July: John O Reilly aka Pat O Brien escaped from Arbour Hill Prison in a desperate attempt to dig up the money that he had buried when he landed in Ireland prior to his capture but he was soon recaptured. Eamonn de Valera's Fianna Fail Government was now forced to adopt very harsh measures against the remaining members of the IRA.

August 15th: The Irish Government empowered the Finance Minister to require all Irish citizens who owed any money to people in Germany to pay it into the Irish Government to compensate for any War damage they were to cause in Ireland.

November: The Allies demanded that Ireland hand over the German agents detained in Ireland, which upset the people in Ireland as it was the policy of the Irish Government to remain neutral and eventually deport them to their own country of origin.

1945 Sean O Kelly was elected the 2nd President of Eire - Ireland and Sean Lemass became the Tanaiste - Treasurer until 1948 while Frank Aiken was the Minister of Finance until then also. - 140,000 men from Eire - Ireland had volunteered for the Allied War.

William T. Cosgrave, the first Taoiseach - leader of the Irish Free State, died.

March: The German agents who were interred in Erie were informed that they would be sent back to Germany after the War was over.

April 30th: Adolph Hitler, was dead.

May 3rd: Eamonn de Valera as the Prime Minister of Eire - Ireland called on Eduard Hempel the German Ambassador and expressed his condolences on the death of the German Head of State who had committed suicide, which upset many throughout the World. He did this as he had considered Eduard Hemple, the German Ambassador in Ireland, had conducted himself in a proper manner throughout the War Period and he personally was entitled to the respect he deserved.

May 8th: Eduard Hempel informed Eamonn de Valera that the German 3rd Reich was ended and handed over the German Embassy to the Irish Government.

May 10th: The Irish Government handed over the German Embassy to the American Ambassador.

May 13th: Winston Churchill in his Victory Speech attacked Eamonn de Valera's Government for not collaborating with Great Britain during the War and stated he had shown great restraint by not attacking Ireland many times.

May 17th: Eamonn de Valera replied to Winston Churchill's comments by stating that it seemed that Britain's necessity would become a moral code and the rights of other peoples would not count and by resisting his temptation to force Ireland by Invasion in this instance Winston Churchill has revisited previous history. This added a new chapter to the already bloodstained record of relations between England and Ireland, which must advance the cause of international morality and he was further hoping that he was not seeking an excuse to continue the injustices and mutilation of Ireland.

June: Magan, Conway and Sean Mac Cool reorganized the IRA at Bodenstown.

June - August: 200 German Service personnel including the Naval ratings rescued from the battle in the Bay of Biscay in 1943 and flyers who had crashed or were forced down in Ireland who were held in the Curragh Camp were returned to Germany.

July 17th: Irish Republican rumblings and the feeling that Eammon de Valera had given Ireland a close subtle relationship with Britain caused James Dillon in the Dail Eireann - Irish Parliament to put it to him whether Ireland was a Republic or not and he basically replied that Ireland was a Republic under the wording of the dictionary. Eamonn de Valera now advised Sir John Maffey the British Representative that he intended to repeal the External Relations Act, which authorised the British King to agree, on advise from the Irish Government, to appoint diplomats. This association was causing too much confusion in Irish politics but if the British Government could begin to revive the Council of Ireland concept as provided in the Government of Ireland Act 1920 he would desist. He said he would leave it to him to put it to the British Government and awaited his reply but in the meantime he had a Bill prepared for Repeal of the External Relations Act.

October: The IRA was reaffirmed and IRA prisoners were released from internment in Eire.

Due to it's neutrality Ireland was not entitled to Marshall Aid.

+On to 1946 - 1948

Situated on the western bank of the Hunter River, midway between Muswellbrook and Denman the doorway to the Heart of Australia's "Horse Capital" in the Hunter Valley in New South Wales., Australia.

John & Sue Markham

RAINBOW FARMS 603 Roxburgh Road., Muswellbrook., 2333.

02 65 479 100 - Fax: 02 65 479 102 E - Mail: www.rainbowfarms@bigpond.com