Treaty Ports (Ireland)
Following the establishment of the Irish Free State, three deep water Treaty Ports at Berehaven, Queenstown (modern Cobh) and Lough Swilly were retained by the United Kingdom in accordance with the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 6 December 1921. Formerly, when the Free State was a part of United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Royal Navy had designated its Ireland Station as a long-standing separate command.
The main reason for the retention of the ports was the recent U-boat Campaign around Irish coasts in 1914-18, and a concern by the British government that it might re-occur. As a part of the overall Anglo-Irish settlement it was envisaged that all other Royal Navy, British Army and RAF personnel and equipment were to evacuate the Free State.
As part of the resolution of the Anglo-Irish Trade War in the 1930s, the ports were returned to Ireland (the Free State's successor) in 1938 following agreements reached between the British and Irish Governments.
Read more about Treaty Ports (Ireland): Background, Agreement On Return of Treaty Ports, Spike Island Handover (11 July 1938), Berehaven Handover (30 September 1938), Lough Swilly Handover (3 October 1938), Winston Churchill's Reaction, Early Proposal of De Valera Re Ports
Famous quotes containing the words treaty and/or ports:
“No treaty is ever an impediment to a cheat.”
—Sophocles (497–406/5 B.C.)
“I need not tell you of the inadequacy of the American shipping marine on the Pacific Coast.... For this reason it seems to me that there is no subject to which Congress can better devote its attention in the coming session than the passage of a bill which shall encourage our merchant marine in such a way as to establish American lines directly between New York and the eastern ports and South American ports, and both our Pacific Coast ports and the Orient and the Philippines.”
—William Howard Taft (1857–1930)