What did Eamon de Valera negotiate with Neville Chamberlain in 1938?

In April 1938, Irish Taoiseach Eamon de Valera negotiated a series of agreements with British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain to resolve outstanding disputes and solidify Irish sovereignty.1

The negotiations resulted in three key agreements:

• Defense Agreement: The British government agreed to transfer three naval bases that they had occupied under the 1921 treaty. This was a critical step in establishing Irish sovereignty and later enabled Ireland to maintain its neutrality during World War II.1
• Finance Agreement: This settled the long-standing dispute regarding land annuities—repayments of loans previously advanced to Irish tenant farmers.1
• Trade Agreement: This accord helped to soften the ongoing tariff war between the two nations.1

These negotiations successfully concluded de Valera’s efforts to rewrite the constitutional and economic relationship between Ireland and Britain, effectively removing the restrictive elements of the earlier treaty.1