Killaloe named in Nazi invasion plan

Killaloe was identified as one of the key strategic sites for occupation by Hitler as part of a secret plan to invade Ireland during World War II.

Nazi spies drew up a dossier, which recently came on the market for sale, and marked a number of Clare sites as having strategic importance in the planned German invasion.

Ardnacrusha Power Station, built by Siemens Schuckert in the late 1920s for €5.2 million, was singled out as a key piece of infrastructure.

Killaloe is clearly singled out on the map because of its access to Lough Derg on the River Shannon. The Cliffs of Moher and the Ballyvaughan area were also marked out as important areas.

Even though Ireland took a neutral position during World War II and allowed German U-boats in its waters, it appeared that Hitler still considered the country a potential invasion target.

The dossier contains photographs, maps and notes detailing strategic cities and locations in Ireland that would have made good targets for capture.

It shows how under Operation Green/Sealion, Hitler planned to overthrow the State and turn it into one of six regional hubs for Britain and Ireland.

However, these plans were ultimately abandoned once it became clear that the German Luftwaffe had failed to defeat the British RAF.

Entitled Militargeographische Angaben uber Irland, the dossier was expected to fetch over $1,000 at the auction to be held at Ludlow Race Course in Shropshire last week. It was eventually sold in a public auction for almost four times the predicted price at €2,961.

German interest in Ireland was due to the Nazis’ belief this country could be a vital strategic launch pad for U-boat attacks on Britain.

The RAF’s war-changing autumn 1940 Battle of Britain victory ultimately consigned the Irish takeover move to the realms of alternative history.

However, the large number of files contained in the auctioned document show how close neutral Ireland came to being dragged into World War II.