Read on Twitter
Much controversy about the title of a new book on Fine Gael. Some thoughts... as it is something I looked at in my PhD thesis
The three main parties in 2020 have, at least some, connection to the Sinn Féin Ard Fheis of 1917. Therefore, there are three narratives of that time1/
The three main parties in 2020 have, at least some, connection to the Sinn Féin Ard Fheis of 1917. Therefore, there are three narratives of that time1/
As ever, there are shades of grey! The old Sinn Féin really ended in 1922. When De Valera reconstituted it as an anti-Treaty party in June 1923 he ignored its existing elected officer board & constitution. There the continuity ended. in 1926 he broke completely with FF. 2/
Cumann na nGaedheal was founded during the Civil War. While many pro-Treatyites wished to keep the Sinn Féin name, they chose the label of an older party merged into the original SF in 1905. The CnaG minute book in 1922-23 is a continuation of the old Sinn Féin minute book. 3/
On the Sinn Féin side, after De Valera founded Fianna Fáil in 1926, there were many more changes in Sinn Féin, not least in 1969-71! So, all three parties can claim continuity to the old Sinn Féin but it's more accurate imo to say the three trace their roots to an old party. 4/
On the CnaG side, two bad elections in 1932 & '33 led to a desire for merger with the Centre Party. As we know the controversial Blueshirts were brought into the mix for reasons I discuss elsewhere.There will never be consensus about what Blueshirtism was.They dissolved in '36 5/
As in CnaG days, Cosgrave led the party in the Dáil but the organisation had a different President. O'Duffy lasted a mere 12 months as FG President before repeated attempts to curb his extreme tendencies led to a split 12 months after the party was established. 6/
By 1935, Fine Gael was basically the old CnaG again & albeit severely damaged by the Blueshirt episode.
Anyway, back to my point... 7/
Anyway, back to my point... 7/
It's strange, to me, that people on here wish to separate FG from CnaG, it's parent party & Collins a Treaty signatory. If you remember the old generation they were clear on these points- Prior to the 90s Michael Collins was not popular in FF/SF circles! 8/
Indeed, it is interesting that FG instead is defined by a deeply embarrassing two-year period in its history that happened in the early 1930s whereas we are urged to 'forget' a thirty year period in another party's history!
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To conclude, we like to think of ourselves as more sophisticated than our ancestors yet, in my opinion, interpretations of our history on social media in 2020 are HIGHLY politicised (on all sides) and hostility to the title of the Meehan & Collins study is a great example of this
Just one final note on the above: twitter limitations detract from some of the nuances in the above thread. This @theirishstory piece I did is much better https://www.theirishstory.com/2020/05/26/fine-gael-and-fianna-fail-civil-war-parties/?fbclid=IwAR2lMTaHUvnZi2N7hVP6amZyLNCP1IEnad4qsXpi85hQFWrkKYy0lcUNLqc#.Xy_-G1Mo-dN
