Fianna Fail and Irish Labour; 1926 to the Present

Fianna Fail has been the major political party in the Republic of Ireland since the 1930s. Alongside the Catholic Bishops, it became one of the main pillars of conservatism in the country and, claiming to represent the 'plain people of Ireland', it fostered an image of a national community which was unsullied by class division. In this radically new history of Fianna Fail from its earliest days, Kieran Allen challenges the conventional view of the party, arguing that its primary aim was to establish a native Irish business elite and that it has shown little interest in ending partition. Throughout its history Fianna Fail has prided itself on a special relationship with union leaders. Allen reveals that this partnership actually became an obstacle to an independent working-class movement. Despite its early successes, argues Allen, Fianna Fail can no longer mask the class divisions within Irish society: there is now the potential for a new Irish working class to outgrow the conservatism of Fianna Fail.