For the first time in 25 years, The Irish Times was published on a Sunday. The paper kept abreast of the last-ditch attempts to avoid the outbreak of war as time ticked away on British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain's deadline for the withdrawal of German troops from Poland.

On that Sunday, the Dail met to consider the confirmation that war had been declared. An Taoiseach Eamon de Valera annunciated the policy of neutrality - acknowledged by The Irish Times as "the only policy that the Irish Government could pursue".

It was reported that over 4,000 people had travelled to Dublin from Holyhead. Such was the panic at Euston Station in London when the Irish mail-train was leaving that several people were injured in the crush. In Liverpool, there were similar scenes as the lights around the port were extinguished and two passengers fell overboard in the confusion.

Preparations in Dublin for the onset of war were getting off to a difficult start. Attempts to stage a complete black-out were a shining failure. Buses and trams were illuminated as usual and although shops, pubs and restaurants shuttered their premises, the effect was less than total with light seeping out of various gaps.

Most vexatious was the sight of Leinster House, described "as being a blaze of light" with "virtually no attempt made to shutter or blind the windows of the government seat".

Under the heading What War Means To You - Some Repercussions, The Irish Times led with urgent news: "With the coming of war . . . the Irish Sweepstakes are faced with the probability that the races on which the periodical sweepstakes are run will not take place until the cessation of hostilities".

Among the advertisements over the weekend was one promoting `laboursaving houses' in `Dublin's healthiest and loveliest suburb, lone mile from the sea'. These new houses in Mount Merrion Park were on sale from £950. `A car will be sent to show you over the estate', promised the ad.

A 1939 Hillman Minx saloon de luxe with 3,200 miles on the clock could be had for £195. The owner was apparently `going abroad' and pointed out that his car was equipped with `five Dunlop non-skidding tyres'.