Fianna Fáil facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party
Fianna Fáil – An Páirtí Poblachtánach
|
|
|---|---|
.svg){kind=logo} |
|
| Leader | Micheál Martin |
| Deputy leader | Jack Chambers |
| General Secretary | Seán Dorgan |
| Chairperson | Brendan Smith |
| Seanad leader | Lisa Chambers |
| Founder | Éamon de Valera |
| Founded | 16 May 1926 |
| Split from | Sinn Féin |
| Headquarters | 65–66 Mount Street Lower, Dublin, Ireland |
| Youth wing | Ógra Fianna Fáil |
| LGBT wing | Fianna Fáil LGBTQI+ Network |
| Membership (2024) |  15,000 |
| Ideology |
|
| Political position | Centre to centre-right |
| European affiliation | Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe |
| International affiliation | Liberal International |
| European Parliament group | Renew Europe |
| Colours | Green |
| Anthem |
"We'll Be There"
|
| Dáil Éireann |
48 / 174
|
| Seanad Éireann |
16 / 60
|
| European Parliament |
4 / 14
|
| Local government |
246 / 949
|
|
^ a: previously a member of the Alliance for Europe of the Nations (2002–09) ^ b: Member of the EPD group from 1973 to 1984, the EDA group from 1984 to 1995, the UfE group from 1995 to 1999, the UEN group from 1999 to 2009, and the ALDE group from 2009 to 2014. |
|
Fianna Fáil (pronounced FEE-(ə)-nə FOYL or FAWL) means "Soldiers of Destiny" or "Warriors of Fál". Its full name is Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party. It is a political party in Ireland. It is usually seen as a party in the middle or slightly to the right of the political ideas.
The party was started in 1926 by Éamon de Valera and his supporters. They left Sinn Féin because they wanted to take their seats in the Irish Parliament, which Sinn Féin refused to do. Since 1927, Fianna Fáil has been one of Ireland's two main parties, along with Fine Gael. Both are seen as centre-right parties.
Fianna Fáil was the most powerful party in Irish politics for most of the 1900s. Since it began, either Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael has led every government. From 1932 to 2011, it was the largest party in Dáil Éireann (the main part of the Irish Parliament). After 1989, it often formed governments with other parties.
In the 2011 election, Fianna Fáil lost a lot of support and came in third place. This was a big change in Irish politics. By 2016, it had gained some support back and became the main opposition party. In 2020, after a long time of talks, Fianna Fáil agreed to form a government with Fine Gael and the Green Party. This was a very unusual step, as Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael were long-time rivals. The leaders of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael now take turns being the Taoiseach (Prime Minister) and Tánaiste (Deputy Prime Minister).
Fianna Fáil is part of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe and Liberal International. From 2019 to 2022, Fianna Fáil also worked with the Social Democratic and Labour Party in Northern Ireland.
Contents
History of Fianna Fáil
.jpg)
Fianna Fáil was started by Éamon de Valera, who used to lead Sinn Féin. In 1925, de Valera wanted elected members to be allowed to take their seats in the Dáil. This would happen if a difficult promise called the Oath of Allegiance was removed. His idea did not pass at the Sinn Féin meeting. Because of this, de Valera and many other important members left Sinn Féin.
His new party was named Fianna Fáil on April 2, 1926. While they also disagreed with the Treaty, they decided to work within the Irish Free State. They wanted to make Ireland more like a republic from the inside. Fianna Fáil wanted Ireland to be economically independent. This idea was popular with farmers, working-class people, and the poor.
Fianna Fáil won the election in 1932 and formed its first government on March 9, 1932. The party was in power for 61 out of 79 years between 1932 and 2011. Their longest time in government was almost 16 years, from March 1932 to February 1948. All of the party's leaders have served as Taoiseach.
The party was very strong from 1932 to 1973. During this time, leaders like Éamon de Valera, Seán Lemass, and Jack Lynch were Taoiseach almost continuously. De Valera is known for guiding Ireland safely through World War II. However, some say his time left Ireland's economy and culture stuck. Later leaders like Lemass helped improve Ireland's economy. They also prepared the country to join the European Economic Community, which later became the European Union.
Fianna Fáil faced more challenges in the 1970s and 1980s. In 1970, an event called the Arms Crisis caused problems within the party. Some ministers were accused of trying to give weapons to a group in Northern Ireland. Charles Haughey and Neil Blaney were removed from their jobs. Under Charles Haughey, Fianna Fáil lost elections in 1981 and 1982 to Garret FitzGerald's Fine Gael. This was a difficult time for Ireland's economy.
Some members left the party in 1985 to form the Progressive Democrats. Charles Haughey had to resign as Taoiseach and party leader in 1992. This happened after some information came out about his actions.
Even though Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats seemed like rivals, they worked together in governments after 1989. This helped Fianna Fáil become more stable. In 1994, Bertie Ahern became the new leader. He became Taoiseach in 1997. Under Ahern, Fianna Fáil helped create the Good Friday Agreement in 1998. This agreement started the peace process in Northern Ireland. Ireland's economy also grew a lot during this time, known as the Celtic Tiger.
However, this success ended suddenly. Ahern resigned as Taoiseach in 2008. The party, now led by Brian Cowen, was blamed for a big economic downturn after 2008. The party's popularity dropped very low.
In the 2011 election, Fianna Fáil had its worst defeat ever. It went from being the largest party to the third largest, losing many seats. This ended 79 years of Fianna Fáil being the biggest party in the Dáil. Micheál Martin became leader in January 2011.
Recent Party History
Micheál Martin continued to lead Fianna Fáil after 2011. In the 2016 election, Fianna Fáil recovered some seats. Fine Gael formed a minority government, with Fianna Fáil agreeing to support it on important votes.
After the 2020 election, Fianna Fáil formed a government with its old rival Fine Gael and the Green Party. This was the first time this had happened. As part of the deal, Micheál Martin served as Taoiseach for the first part of the government's term. In 2023, former leader Bertie Ahern rejoined the party. In 2024, some Fianna Fáil councillors left to join a new party called Independent Ireland.
How the Party is Organized
Fianna Fáil uses a system called a cumann (branch). These small groups are part of larger district and constituency branches. In 2005, the party said it had 50,000 registered names. However, only about 10,000 to 15,000 members were actively involved.
Since the 1990s, the cumann system has become weaker. Many cumainn became "paper cumainn". This means they existed mostly to help a candidate get votes, not because they had many active members.
After the 2007 election, the party's structure became even weaker. This was made worse by fights between candidates before the 2011 election. It was thought that about half of its 3,000 cumainn were no longer active.
Party Ideas and Goals
Fianna Fáil is generally seen as a party in the middle or slightly to the right of the political spectrum. Its ideas have been described as conservative and also as flexible. The party has also been called Christian-democratic, liberal-conservative, and populist. In 2017, experts said Fianna Fáil seems "centrist, conservative, and attached to the state." But they also noted it's not always clear what kind of party it truly is.
.jpg)
Today, Fianna Fáil is seen as a "broad church" party. This means it tries to attract support from many different groups of people. In the 1980s, Brian Lenihan Snr said there were "no isms or ideologies" in his party. In the early 2000s, Bertie Ahern said Fianna Fáil helps "the small ranking guy, the middle-ranking guy and assists the big guy." In 2023, Micheál Martin said Fianna Fáil is a "progressive republican party." He said it rejects the old left/right political ideas.
Between 1989 and 2011, Fianna Fáil led governments with both left-leaning and right-leaning parties. Fianna Fáil has some long-standing goals. These include wanting to unite Ireland, promoting the Irish language, and keeping Ireland's military neutral. The party's name and logo include "The Republican Party." This means they support a united Ireland and the ideas of republican philosophy, like liberty, equality, and brotherhood.
Fianna Fáil supports the European Union. Although it is part of a liberal group in the European Parliament, its liberal nature has been questioned. For example, in 2009, Fianna Fáil did not always support its group's views on civil liberties. However, the party did legalize same-sex civil partnerships in 2010. In 2014, Fianna Fáil removed an elected member, Brian Crowley, for joining a right-wing group. The party said his new group's ideas were "totally incompatible" with Fianna Fáil's main beliefs.
In recent years, Fianna Fáil has seemed divided on social issues. It has also moved towards more socially liberal views. Fianna Fáil supported changes to the Irish constitution in 2024. These changes would have removed a reference to women's domestic duties and broadened the definition of family.
Experts say it's hard to find big differences between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. Fianna Fáil is usually seen as more populist and more likely to involve the government in the economy. In 2020, Time magazine described Fianna Fáil as "slightly more socially conservative and further to the left on the economy" than Fine Gael.
Party Ideas in the 20th Century
In the early 1900s, Fianna Fáil was more focused on working-class people. In 1926, Seán Lemass called the party "a progressive republican party." After winning the 1932 Irish general election, a Fianna Fáil member said their win was a victory for "the owners of the donkey and cart over the pony and trap class." In the 1930s, Fianna Fáil was seen as economically social democratic. It wanted to create an independent economy using protectionist policies, based on its Irish nationalist ideas.
When Seán Lemass was leader in the 1960s, Fianna Fáil started using some corporatist policies. This meant working closely with businesses and unions. It also moved away from the idea of economic independence. Instead, it strongly believed in free trade and getting foreign companies to invest in Ireland.
In 1967, Jack Lynch said the party was "left of centre." He suggested it was to the left of Fine Gael and Labour. However, in the 1969 Irish general election, the party used tactics to scare people about Labour's socialist ideas. As Fine Gael became more socially liberal in the 1970s, Fianna Fáil became more socially conservative and populist. During this time, the the Troubles in Northern Ireland tested the party's nationalism. But Fianna Fáil kept its moderate Irish nationalist stance.
In the 1990s, Fianna Fáil was described as a conservative and Irish nationalist party.
Party Leaders and Taoiseach Roles
The following table shows the leaders of Fianna Fáil and when they served as Taoiseach:
| Leader | Portrait | Period | Years as Taoiseach |
|---|---|---|---|
| Éamon de Valera |
|
1926–1959 | 1932–1948; 1951–1954; 1957–1959 |
| Seán Lemass |
|
1959–1966 | 1959–1966 |
| Jack Lynch |
|
1966–1979 | 1966–1973; 1977–1979 |
| Charles Haughey |
|
1979–1992 | 1979–1981; Feb 1982 – Nov 1982; 1987–1992 |
| Albert Reynolds |
|
1992–1994 | 1992–1994 |
| Bertie Ahern |
|
1994–2008 | 1997–2008 |
| Brian Cowen |
|
2008–2011 | 2008–2011 |
| Micheál Martin |
|
2011–present | 2020–2022 |
.jpg)
.png)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
Youth Wing: Ógra Fianna Fáil
Ógra Fianna Fáil is the official youth group for the party.
Fianna Fáil and Northern Ireland
On September 17, 2007, Fianna Fáil announced that it would start organizing in Northern Ireland for the first time. The party began looking for new members in Northern Ireland universities in September 2007. They set up two "Political Societies" which became official parts of the youth wing.
On February 23, 2008, it was announced that a former Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) politician, Colonel Harvey Bicker, had joined Fianna Fáil. On December 7, 2007, Bertie Ahern said that Fianna Fáil had been officially registered in Northern Ireland.
In December 2009, Fianna Fáil gained its first member in the Northern Ireland Assembly. Gerry McHugh, an independent member, announced he had joined the party. In June 2010, Fianna Fáil opened its first official office in Northern Ireland.
Fianna Fáil has not run in any elections in Northern Ireland since it was registered there in 2007. However, in 2014, the party decided to run candidates in Northern Ireland elections for the first time in 2019.
Since January 24, 2019, the party has worked with the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP). The SDLP used to be the main Irish nationalist party in Northern Ireland. Both parties share goals like improving public services in Ireland and working towards more unity on the island.
In September 2022, the SDLP leader, Colum Eastwood, announced that their partnership with Fianna Fáil was ending. He said the SDLP needed to be independent.
Fianna Fáil in Europe
Fianna Fáil joined the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) party on April 16, 2009. The party's members of the European Parliament (MEPs) sat with the ALDE Group. Fianna Fáil is also a full member of the Liberal International. Before this, the party was part of a group that was more against the European Union.
In October 2009, it was reported that Fianna Fáil had caused some issues with its new Liberal partners. This was because of how they voted on certain topics like press freedom and gay rights. A report in 2010 found that Fianna Fáil did not always follow the ALDE Group's political ideas on money and civil liberties.
In the 2014 European elections, Fianna Fáil received a good number of votes but only got one MEP elected. This was two fewer than before. On June 23, 2014, the elected MEP, Brian Crowley, said he would sit with a different group, the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR). The next day, Fianna Fáil removed him from the party.
In the European Committee of the Regions, Fianna Fáil is part of the Renew Europe CoR group.
Images for kids
-
The Fianna Fáil logo from the 1970s and 1980s.
-
Charles Haughey led the party from 1979 to 1992.
-
A Fianna Fáil poster from the 1948 election.
-
The party logo until 2024.
