November 7: TODAY in Irish History:
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Tiede Herrema
Snippets of Irish History by Conor Cunneen IrishmanSpeaks 
Conor is a Chicago based Motivational Humorous Business Speaker, Author and History buff.
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1940: De Valera Responds to Churchill on Irish Ports
In a Dail statement, Éamon de Valera rejects Winston Churchill’s statement about Irish ports stating that there can be no question of handing over Irish ports for use by British forces while the country is partitioned. Britain (in what Churchill considered a short-sighted move) had returned the ports to Irish control in 1938. This move helped ensure Ireland’s neutrality during World War II.
“I would have refrained from making any comment upon it were it not that it has been followed by an extensive Press campaign dn Britain itself, and re-echoed an the United States of America, the purport of the campaign being that we should surrender or lease our ports to Britain for the conduct of the war………..
We have chosen the policy of neutrality in this war because we believed that it was the right policy for our people. It is the policy which has been accepted, not merely by this House, but by our people as a whole, and nobody who realises what modern war means, and what it means particularly for those who have not sufficient air defences, will have the slightest doubt that that policy was the right one, apart altogether from any questions of sympathy on one side or the other………
. There can be no question of the handing over of these ports so long as this State remains neutral. There can be no question of leasing these ports. They are ours. They are within our sovereignty, and there can be no question, as long as we remain neutral, of handing them over on any condition whatsoever. Any attempt to bring pressure to bear on us by any side—by any of the belligerents—by Britain—could only lead to bloodshed.”
READ: De Valera Speech on Irish Ports
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READ: Newspaper Report on De Valera speech
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1975: Release of IRA Kidnap Victim Tiede Herrema
Dutch industrialist Dr. Tiede Herrema kidnapped by IRA members Eddie Gallagher and Marion Coyle on October 3rd is released unharmed in Portlaoise after a two week siege. Herrema, CEO of Ferenka had been kidnapped by Gallagher and Coyle in an effort to force the release of IRA prisoners including Rose Dugdale, a well to do English born woman who was carrying Gallagher’s baby.
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SEE: Dr. Tiede Herrema Papers at University of Limerick
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READ: Eddie Gallagher on Herrema Kidnapping
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WATCH: A Short History of Ireland
Want to learn more about Ireland? See these images and more in the acclaimed For the Love of Being Irish
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This history is written by Irish author, business keynote speaker and award winning humorist IrishmanSpeaks – Conor Cunneen. If you spot any inaccuracies or wish to make a comment, please don’t hesitate to contact us via the comment button.
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