This December marks the 103rd anniversary of the signing of the Anglo Irish Treaty in 1921. It brought to an end the War of Independence and paved the way for the establishment of the Irish Free State. Of course, the terms of the Treaty allowed the British government to hold on to three ports, strategic naval points in Ireland.

As the Meath Chronicle reported in 1984 there were a number of Meath connections to the signing of the Treaty and the eventual handover of the so-called ‘Treaty’ ports before the outbreak of the Second World War:

The return of the "Treaty Ports" in 1938 ensured Irish neutrality during the Second World War. Under the Anglo-Irish Treaty signed in 1921, England maintained a garrison in a number of Irish ports but during the discussions to end the economic war Eamonn de Valera demanded and won the return of the ports.

Dunree Fort on Lough Swilly was handed back to the Irish Army by the British garrison on 3rd October, 1933. Mr. John McLaughlin (81) was born near the fort but he has lived for the past 45 years in Kells where he carries on a tailoring business at Carrick Street. Though he was not present at the return of the fort his brother and brother-in-law were.

Sergeant-Major Arthur King, a Galway man who was married to Mr. McLaughlin's sister, Agnes, lowered the Union Jack and the Tricolour was raised by B.Q.M.S. Michael McLaughlin.

The officer in charge of the Irish Army party which took over the fort was Lieutenant William Donagh, a native of Kells.

Mr. McLaughlin served in the Old I.R.A. during the war of independence and his Brigade Commander was Peadar O'Donnell, the well-known republican. Two of the officers in the brigade were Eddie Cavanagh and Mickey Gill. Mr. Gill's son married a Miss Daly from Kells and they now live in Dublin, and to continue the connections Mr. Cavanagh has relations by marriage living in the Kells area.

The web of links between Meath and Dunree goes even further. The local curate who was present at the handing over of the fort was Rev. Dolan and his parents were from the Whitewood, Nobber area. And the local lighthouse keeper, a Mr. Ryan had a son, Garda George Ryan, who was later stationed in Kells for many years.

Mr. McLaughlin is carrying on the family tradition as a tailor as his father had supplemented his income from a small farm by making clothes for neighbours. He went to England for a number of years but returned when the Second World War broke out. As he was married to a Kells woman he set up business in the town. His wife is since deceased but he has two sons living in Navan and Drogheda.

For more information search the pages of the Irish Newspaper Archive (www.irishnewsarchive.com )