Irish Free State – Member of the Reichsmarkt Cooperative Bloc

"Unity, Sovereignty, Destiny"

General Overview

The Irish Free State (Saorstát Éireann), in this alternate post-war Europe, emerged as a neutralist-turned-aligned nation, which gradually became an ally of the German Reich due to its geopolitical isolation, anti-British sentiment, and the collapse of British power following German victories on the continent and in the Atlantic.

Officially independent, Ireland is a sovereign nationalist state with a government that combines conservative Catholic corporatism, mild authoritarianism, and pro-continental economic alignment. It is one of the westernmost members of the Reichsmarkt Cooperative Bloc, Germany's economic and soft-political alliance in occupied and sympathetic Europe.

Political Structure

• Official Name: Irish Free State (Saorstát Éireann)
• Capital: Dublin
• Leader: Taoiseach Pádraig Ó Rathaile (National Catholic Alliance)
• Government Type: Authoritarian Parliamentary Republic with strong clerical influence
• Official Language: Irish (state-promoted), English (widely spoken)

The Irish government operates under a Catholic-nationalist ideology, preserving traditional Irish culture and aligning politically with anti-communist and anti-liberal principles compatible with Berlin’s vision of a "New European Order".

Alliance with the Reich

Though never formally part of the Axis, Ireland signed the “Continental Accord” in 1945, becoming an associated member of the Reichsmarkt Cooperative Bloc, securing privileged access to German markets, military advisors, and technology transfers.

• Economic alignment: Exports of agricultural goods, shipbuilding labor, and raw materials in exchange for industrial tools and protection.
• Military cooperation: German U-boats and Kriegsmarine vessels occasionally stationed in Cork and Limerick under secrecy.
• Cultural cooperation: Irish scholars, clergy, and engineers participate in Reich-sponsored programs promoting anti-British and Catholic-universalist ideals.

The Northern Question – German Presence in Ulster

Following the British collapse in the Isles (1943–1944) and the fragmentation of UK authority, Germany occupied strategic coastal zones in Northern Ireland — including Belfast, Derry, and Newtownards — under the pretext of "securing Atlantic infrastructure and countering Bolshevik subversion".

• German Occupation Authority: Militärverwaltung Nord-Ulster under Oberst Hermann Weiss
• Irish Stance: Dublin officially considers the occupation "temporary and stabilizing" while aspiring to full national reunification.
• Irish Militias in the North: Fianna Gael na hAontachta (Warriors of Unity), paramilitary units operating covertly with German approval.

These developments have intensified sectarian unrest, with German forces clashing with British loyalist remnants, Protestant militias, and scattered Anglo resistance cells.

Domestic Policy and Society

The Catholic Church retains significant influence over culture and education, championing a doctrine of “National Redemption” and enforcing traditional family roles.

Marxist and liberal political movements have been outlawed and labeled as foreign ideological threats. State corporatism governs labor and industry through German-modeled “Labor Chambers.”

Propaganda and Identity

State propaganda presents Ireland as:

• The "Western Guardian of Christian Europe"
• A beacon of Celtic spiritual resilience against British decadence and Soviet atheism
• A symbolic “bridge between the Reich and the Atlantic world,” despite Ireland’s historically isolationist position