Churchill, a founder of modern Ireland

by Anthony J. Jordan

Winston Churchill spent part of his childhood in Ireland when his father was secretary to his father as British Representative in the Phoenix Park. Winston Churchill held pivital positions in the British Government which negotiated the Anglo-Irish Treaty in 1921. He was part of Lloyd George's team. After the Treaty he sold the agreement in the House of Commons. during the Irish Civil War he kept up pressure on the Provisional Government to defeat deValera and the IRA. He was furious with deValera when He kept Ireland neutral during the World War 2, not acknowledging that Irish neutrality was very much in favour of the Allies. As a British Imperialist Churchill could not understood why Ireland was not content to be a proud part of the British Empire. He met DeValera at Downing St in 1953 when both men had returned to office after earlier electoral defeat.