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Which naval bases did Britain return to Ireland under the Anglo-Irish defense agreement of 1938?
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Eamon de Valera
Eamon de Valera.
Under the Anglo-Irish defense agreement of April 1938, Britain relinquished the three naval bases it had previously retained under a defense annex to the 1921 treaty: Cobh, Berehaven, and Lough Swilly.1
The return of these ports was a significant achievement for Eamon de Valera, as it completed the process of establishing Irish sovereignty and enabled the state to maintain its neutrality during World War II.21