Guarding Neutral Ireland: The Coast Watching Service and Military Intelligence, 1939-1945

by Michael Kennedy

Ireland's Second World War frontline troops were the men of the Coast Watching Service. From 1939-45 they maintained a continuous watch along the Irish shoreline, reporting all incidents in the seas and skies to Military Intelligence (G2). They had a vital influence on the development of Ireland's pro-Allied neutrality and on the defence of Ireland during 'The Emergency', as through their reports G2 assessed the direction of the Battle of the Atlantic off Ireland and reported belligerent threats to the state upwards to the Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces, to the Cabinet and Taoiseach and Minister for External Affairs Eamon de Valera. Using unique Irish military sources and newly available British and American material, the history of the coastwatchers and G2 combines to tell the history of the Second World War as it happened locally along the coast of Ireland and at national and international levels in Dublin, London, Berlin and Washington. Of particular importance, the study reveals in the greatest detail yet available the secret relationship between Irish military and diplomats and British Admiralty Intelligence, showing how coast watching service reports were passed on to the RAF and Royal Navy Britain in the hunt for German u-boats and aircraft in the Atlantic.

358 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Dr. Michael Kennedy, Irish Historian, Queen's University Belfast, Member Royal Irish Academy (Secretary) and Executive editor of "Documents on Irish Foreign Policy"

Reviews

[Eldon.shirkley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone who has visited or walked the more remote coastal regions of Ireland's western seaboard will be familiar with the ruined and abandoned Look Out Posts (LOPs) dotting its many headlands. This comprehensive well researched book tells the story of these LOPs; why they were set up and what they did.
The story is set in the context of the Battle of the Atlantic and details well, using official archive material, the covert cooperation neutral Eire extended to the Allies during WWII.