The State’s worst-ever crisis was handled successfully by 10 men

AT the end of June 1938 the world was moving inexorably towards war.

But in Ireland, life was going on much as normal. Throughout that month a general election had taken place and it was won by Fianna Fáil under Eamon de Valera. On the last day of the month, the Dáil met to elect him as Taoiseach.

A little over a year after that government was formed, the world was indeed at war. In the middle of the night on September 1, 1939, Hitler invaded Poland with a mighty show of force in the air and on the ground. The British government, which up to then had thought it could prevent war by negotiation, issued an ultimatum that German forces must be withdrawn by 11am. The Irish government, through President Douglas Hyde, announced that Ireland would remain neutral through any war (so did Benito Mussolini).