Irish News August 28th 1946

IRELAND TAKES 500 GERMAN CHILDREN.

One hundred German children, on their way from the British zone to stay in Ireland for periods of up to two and three years, were entertained at the London Zoo yesterday. Nearly 200 have now been taken to Ireland by the Irish Red Cross, who ultimately hope to provide temporary accommodation for about 500.
� Our aim is to get as many children as we can out of Germany, with the appalling housing and food conditions there.� Mr R.I. Gallagher, of the Irish Red Cross, said in London last night on his return from Germany.
� The children will be kept in Ireland until about 1949 or until such time as relatively normal conditions return to Germany.
�After four to six weeks in a rest home in County Wicklow, where a big house has been converted for the purpose, they will be cared for by families willing to take them.
� In Germany the scheme is known as �Operation Shamrock�. The children are either orphans or members of large families and are all from big towns.Their ages range from 4 to 12�.
The present party leaves Euston early to-day to catch the mail boat to Dublin.�