Symmetry wrote:... I know that the Taoiseach offered words of condolence towards Hitler when he died.
The country signed and sent an actual book of condolence... (By the words "the country" I of course mean many people, both government members and otherwise, of that nationality, residing in that country. Before the pedants start...)
There was a fairly bloody-minded insistence on Ireland's being a neutral country, that neutrality continues to this day, I say bloody-minded because it was largely influenced by the strong anti-british feeling prevalent in those days (yes, yes AND nights too). Indeed, many IRA members (bearing in mind this was when the IRA was a legitimate organisation concerned primarily with the reclaiming of their own country) were active collaborators with the nazi's, insofar as they wanted german weaponry and ammo to attack the occupying brits with.
An amusing anecdote from the time is of how a german paratrooper (thought to be the scout for a larger force who had arrangements with a cadre of IRA men) was blown badly off course when landing. Injured and disorientated he wandered the lonely countryside for some time before he finally found an Irishman and made contact in the hope that the fella could point him in the right direction (ie towards the IRA boys who were expecting him) whereupon the Irishman shot him and ran away. Turns out the unlucky nazi made contact with, literally, the local village idiot! isn't history fun?
