Why didn't Ireland join the fight against Hitler and Nazi Germany in WWII?

Question: Why didn't Ireland join the fight against Hitler and Nazi Germany in WWII!?

Were they too scared or cowardly!? Did the Irish simply support Hitler more than Churchill!? What's the story behind this bit of Irish cowardice!?Www@QuestionHome@Com

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

Of course the Irish are not cowardly!. But unlike the British, they didn't have an overseas empire to defend -- all they had (and have) is one little island (and not even the whole of that)!. They were virtually ignored as an adversary by Hitler, Mussolini and Hirohito, so why SHOULD they have contributed to the defense of the empire that was suppressing them and disallowing their complete freedom!?

A more interesting question might be, Why didn't the Irish join the Axis Powers!?

It might also be noted that the Irish had no standing army, navy, or air force, and no real ability to raise them, thanks to the British!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

An interesting fact is that twice, Churchill offered the six counties of Northern Ireland to the Republic of Ireland in return for their entering the war!. Each time, the Irish said no!.

It's not that Churchill wanted Irishmen to fight (then as now the population of Ireland was small); he wanted Irish geography!. Specifically, the right to base planes and warships in Ireland would have made a significant difference to the battle of the Atlantic!.

In Nicholas Montserrat's novel The Cruel Sea, he breaks off from his narrative at one point, to rail against the Irish position!.
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