Poacher turned gamekeeper: Gerald Boland, the IRA and Nazi spies, 1939-1946

Kelly, Stephen (2022) Poacher turned gamekeeper: Gerald Boland, the IRA and Nazi spies, 1939-1946. Irish Studies in International Affairs, 33 (3). pp. 1-22. ISSN 0332-1460

Text (Poacher turned gamekeeper: Gerald Boland, the IRA and Nazi spies, 1939-1946) Proposed Article - Gerald Boland - the IRA - Nazi Spies - Irish Studies in International Affairs. Aug 2022 - final version.docx - Accepted Version Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial. Download (72kB)

Abstract

This article examines two interrelated and central policies vis-à-vis Gerald Boland’s period as minister for justice from 1939 to 1946.
Firstly, it provides a critical reappraisal of Boland’s handling of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and its relationship with Nazi Germany, specifically the known collaboration between both movements, including the role played by Nazi spies (notably Hermann Goertz) in Ireland during the Second World War (1939-1945). As somebody who described himself as ‘anti-Nazi’, Boland is portrayed as a minister who deeply despised Nazism and the movement’s collaborative efforts with the ‘new’ IRA, to use Boland’s description.
Secondly, this article analyses Boland’s attitude towards IRA hunger-strikers and his support for the execution of IRA members during the war-years. It reveals the extent of division within the Irish cabinet concerning Boland’s actions against the IRA and more broadly the pressures he faced as minister for justice. The impending death of IRA hunger-striker Patrick McGrath, in the winter of 1939, was a particularly difficult time for Boland. As is examined, many within Fianna Fáil, remembering their own recent past (including some government ministers), were profoundly uneasy about Boland’s initial refusal to show clemency concerning McGrath’s case.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information and Comments:	This is the author's version of an article that has been accepted for publication in Irish Studies in International Affairs, published by the Royal Irish Academy.
Faculty / Department:	Faculty of Creative Arts & Humanities > School of Humanities
Depositing User:	Stephen Kelly
Date Deposited:	06 Sep 2022 14:59
Last Modified:	16 Dec 2024 11:53
URI:	https://hira.hope.ac.uk/id/eprint/3596

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