Fianna Fail Party (Ireland)

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Fianna Fáil (‘soldiers of Ireland’), a political party formally inaugurated on 16 May 1926. Tensions within the anti‐treaty Sinn Féin party, led by Eamon de Valera, over the issue of abstention from the Dáil and the long‐term future of the party, came to a head at that party's national convention (ardfheis) in March 1926. A proposal from the party leader that, in the event of the removal of the constitutional requirement that Dáil deputies take an oath of allegiance, it would become ‘a question not of principle but of policy’ whether Sinn Féin deputies would take their seats, was rejected by the convention, precipitating the withdrawal of de Valera and his supporters.

Though it failed initially to attract the support of a majority of Sinn Féin's Dáil deputies, the general election of June 1927 saw the new party eclipse Sinn Féin (winning 26.1 per cent of votes and 44 seats, to the latter's 3.6 per cent and 5 seats). Under threat of marginalization by the Electoral Amendment Act, Fianna Fáil took its seats in the Dáil in August 1927. A snap general election in September 1927 reinforced its position (with 35.2 per cent of the vote it won 57 seats). The party's electoral record since then has been impressive. In 1932 (44.5 per cent of votes, 72 seats) it established the position that it was to retain subsequently: easily the largest party in the state, its support normally lying between 40 and 50 per cent. Other unequalled records were broken in 1933, when it became the first party ever to win an overall parliamentary majority (49.6 per cent of votes, 77 seats), and in 1938, when it became the first party to win an overall majority of those voting (51.9 per cent).

The shock of Fianna Fáil's ousting of Cumann na nGaedheal in 1932 to form its first government was followed by a consolidation of its perception of itself as the ‘natural’ party of government: it remained in office for a period of sixteen years. Between 1948 and 1957 it alternated with an anti‐Fianna Fáil coalition (see interparty government), but in 1957 it began a second sixteen‐year period in office. The period from 1973 to 1989 once again saw Fianna Fáil alternating in office with a coalition, but in the latter year the party breached its traditional policy of refusing to consider coalition by entering into an alliance with the Progressive Democrats (and in 1992–4 with the Labour Party).

Fianna Fáil's policy position was articulated in 1926 in its constitution, which defined seven basic aims. The first two of these, ‘to secure the unity and independence of Ireland as a republic’ and ‘to restore the Irish language as the spoken language of the people’, for long remained central to the party's self‐image, however remote the prospects of their attainment. On others, the party reversed its position in practice while retaining the ideal in theory. For example, its third and seventh aims (‘to make the resources and wealth of Ireland subservient to the needs and welfare of all the people of Ireland’ and ‘to carry out the democratic programme of the First Dáil’) imply a level of socio‐economic intervention that would be more characteristic of a party of the left than of the right of centre party that Fianna Fáil was to become. By the 1950s the party's position on its three remaining aims (to try to make Ireland economically self‐sufficient, to establish as many families as practicable on the land, and to promote the ruralization of industries) had been reversed in practice, though the formal aims themselves remained sacrosanct until the 1990s.

Notwithstanding his own stature and his longevity as party leader (1926–59), Eamon de Valera by no means impeded the evolution of party policy in directions not envisaged in 1926. This was obvious not only in the lack of urgency attached to pursuit of the aims of ending partition and restoring the Irish language, but in the evolution of industrial policy in a direction sharply at variance with the other party aims. Much of the momentum behind this may be attributed to Sean Lemass, who as second party leader (1959–66) not only continued policies of economic rapprochement with Great Britain but also sought to improve relations with the government of Northern Ireland, giving de facto recognition to partition. The heritage of the tension between this reorientation of the party and the upsurge of nationalism associated with developing civil unrest in Northern Ireland was managed by the next leader, Jack Lynch (1966–79), who strove to maintain party unity behind a policy of moderation on Northern Ireland, at the cost of antagonizing more nationalist elements (see arms crisis). It was this tension that was partly responsible for the succession of the next leader, Charles Haughey (1979–90), though factional divisions and personal factors also had a major impact, as they did in the cases also of later leaders Albert Reynolds (1990–4) and Bertie Ahern (since 1994).

Bibliography

Hannon, Philip, and Gallagher, Jackie (eds.), Taking the Long View: Seventy Years of Fianna Fáil (1996)

John Coakley

Fianna Fáil (Ireland) The main Irish political party in the twentieth century, whose Irish Gaelic name is translated as ‘Soldiers of Destiny’. It was founded by de Valéra on 16 May 1926, and is often referred to as the ‘Republican Party’. Its initial goals were the ending of the partition of Ireland, the preservation and revitalization of the Irish language, the redistribution of large farms to small farmers, and Irish economic self-sufficiency. Although initially made up of militant nationalists and Sinn Féin members and still opposed to the acceptance of partition, Fianna Fáil agreed to enter Dáil Éireann (the Irish parliament) on 11 August 1927. The party newspaper, the Irish Press, was founded in 1931.

The first Fianna Fáil government was formed on 9 March 1932, headed by de Valéra. The de Valéra governments lasted until 1948, during which time the oath of allegiance to Britain was abolished, the new constitution of the republic was written and adopted (1937), and Ireland asserted and maintained neutrality during World War II. Returning to power in 1951–4, the Fianna Fáil government passed the Social Welfare Act and other social legislation. The 1957–66 governments (under de Valéra 1957–9 and Lemass 1959–66) were noted for their economic reform and success. Under Lynch, the party formed the governments of 1966–73 and 1973–7, which saw further state economic activity and Irish membership of the European Economic Community. Charles Haughey led the party in government 1979–81, 1982, 1982–7. Albert Reynolds served briefly as party leader (1992–4), and was succeeded by Bertie Ahern.

In the absence of left-right ideological divisions in traditional European, Latin American, or Australian terms, Fianna Fáil has styled itself more strictly republican and nationalist than its main rival, Fine Gael. In the 1990s, it suffered from corruption allegations against Haughey, but under Ahern's steady leadership it returned to government in 1997. It extended its majority in 2002, when it narrowly missed an absolute majority of seats in parliament.

http://www.fiannafail.ie

Fianna Fáil , Irish political party, organized in 1926 by opponents of the Anglo-Irish treaty of 1921 establishing the Irish Free State and setting up Northern Ireland as part of the United Kingdom. Led by Eamon De Valera , the party gained control of the government in 1932 and pursued a policy of complete political separation from Great Britain. Except for the years 1948-51 and 1954-57, it held power continuously until 1973, when it lost to an alliance of the Fine Gael and Labour parties. Fianna Fáil held power again under Jack Lynch (1977-79) and Charles Haughey (1979-81), but lost once more to the Fine Gael. After a brief return to power under Haughey in 1982, it remained in opposition until 1987, when it once again formed a government under Haughey (after 1989 in coalition with the Progressive Democrats). When scandal forced his resignation in 1992, Albert Reynolds succeeded him, heading a Fianna Fáil-Labour coalition. Reynolds resigned in 1994, and a Fine Gael-Labour coalition came to power. The party returned to power in 1997 under Bertie Ahern , in coalition with the Progressive Democrats and, from 2007, with the Greens. When Ahern resigned in 2008, Brian Cowen was chosen to succeed him as party leader and prime minister.

Fíanna Fáil (Gaelic, ‘soldiers of destiny’) Irish political party. Its main aim is to create a united republican Ireland, politically and economically independent of Britain. Eamon DE VALERA founded the Party in 1926 from opponents of the Anglo-Irish Treaty (1921) which established the IRISH FREE STATE. The Party won control of the government (1932). It dominated Irish politics for the following years, being out of office only for short periods. In 1973 it lost to an alliance of the Fine Gael and the Labour Party, but returned to power for a period in 1977 and again from 1987 to 1994 and from 1997.

Fianna Fáil (Gaelic, Soldiers of Destiny) Irish political party. It was formed in 1926 by those opposed to Irish partition. The party came to power in 1932 under Eamon De Valera, and has formed the government alone or in coalition for most years since then. It seeks the reunification of Ireland by peaceful means, believes that the government should take an active role in economic development, and has traditionally been the most conservative of the main parties. See also Fine Gael

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