Towards the end of the Second World War, Winston Churchill, in his Victory in Europe Day speech broadcast to the world, was critical of Taoiseach Eamon de Valera and Ireland's policy of neutrality throughout the war.
Three days later, de Valera, in a much anticipated reply, outlined Ireland's right as an independent state to remain neutral. His response was praised widely in Ireland for its strength, dignity and restraint.
In this extract from de Valera's broadcast, he gives credit to Churchill for not violating Irish neutrality. To illustrate his decisions on neutrality, de Valera poses a hypothetical question: if Germany had won the war and occupied England for a number of years, finally giving freedom to England with the exception of six southern counties, would Churchill be prepared to "lead this partitioned England to join with Germany in a crusade..."
Title: |
Eamon de Valera's Response to Winston Churchill |
Clip Duration: |
00:07:09 |
Material Type: |
Audio |
Clip Title: |
Eamon de Valera's Response to Winston Churchill |
Information: |
The photograph accompanying this clip shows Eamon de Valera in 1932. © RTÉ Stills Library 0504/093 The photographer was Joseph Cashman. |
Local Keywords: |
Politics, Eamon de Valera, Winston Churchill, World War 2, Emergency |
Coverage: |
Ireland, England, Europe |
Topic: |
Wars and Conflict |
Publisher: |
RTÉ |
First Broadcast Channel: |
Radio Éireann |
Broadcast Date: |
16/05/1945 |
Production Year: |
1945 |
Country of Production: |
Ireland |
Original Identifier: |
BB2423 |
IPR Restrictions: |
Rights Reserved - Free Access |
Rights, Terms and Conditions: |
Copyright RTÉ. This material may not be replicated in any form or manner without the prior express permission of RTÉ. Any form of reproduction in print, television, video, multimedia, web site or other electronic media or any form of dissemination for commercial or non-commercial use must be licensed by the RTÉ Archives. If you wish to licence video or audio clips, still images or text, or would like further guidance please contact us. RTÉ Archives are committed to respecting the copyright of others and have attempted to source and credit the copyright owners of all material used here. RTÉ would like to hear from any copyright owners who are not properly identified here so that the necessary corrections can be made. If you feel your copyright has not been respected please contact us. |
Item Type: |
part/extract |
Sound: |
Mono |
Language: |
English (eng) |
