Na Fianna Éireann (The Fianna of Ireland), known as the Fianna ("Soldiers of Ireland"), is an Irish nationalist youth organisation founded by Constance Markievicz in 1909, with later help from Bulmer Hobson. Fianna members were involved in setting up the Irish Volunteers, and had their own circle of the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB). They took part in the 1914 Howth gun-running and (as Volunteer members) in the 1916 Easter Rising. They were active in the War of Independence and many took the anti-Treaty side in the Civil War.

The Fianna were declared an illegal organisation by the government of the Irish Free State in 1931. This was reversed when Fianna Fáil came to power in 1932, but re-introduced in 1938. During the splits in the Republican movement of the later part of the 20th century, the Fianna and Cumann na mBan supported Provisional Sinn Féin in 1969 and Republican Sinn Féin in 1986. The Fianna have been a proscribed organisation in Northern Ireland since 1920.

Origins An earlier "Fianna" was organised "to serve as a Junior Hurling League to promote the study of the Irish Language" on 26 June 1902 at the Catholic Boys' Hall, Falls Road, in West Belfast, the brainchild of Bulmer Hobson.Witness Statement of Bulmer Hobson to the Bureau of Military History, 1948 Hobson, a Quaker influenced by suffragism and nationalism, joined the Irish Republican Brotherhood in 1904 and was an early member of Sinn Féin during its monarchist-nationalist period, alongside Arthur Griffith and Constance Markievicz. Hobson later relocated to Dublin and the Fianna organisation collapsed in Belfast. Markievicz, inspired by the rapid growth of Baden-Powell's Boy Scouts, formed sometime before July 1909 the Red Branch Knights, a Dublin branch of Irish National Boy Scouts.Talk History radio programme, Newstalk Radio, 18 August 2009 After discussions involving Hobson, Markievicz, suffragist and labour activist Helena Molony and Seán McGarry, the Irish National Boy Scouts changed their name to Na Fianna Éireann at a meeting in 34 Lower Camden Street, Dublin, on 16 August 1909 (the building today marked with a commemorative plaque), at which Hobson was elected as president (thus ensuring a strong IRB influence), Markievicz as vice-president and Pádraig Ó Riain as secretary. Seán Heuston was the leader of the Fianna on Dublin's northside, while Cornelius "Con" Colbert was the leader on the south side. The Fianna formed as a Nationalist alternative to Powell's Scouts with the aim to achieve the full independence of Ireland by training and teaching scouting and military exercises, Irish history, and the Irish language.

Early years

In 1913, a Fianna instructional handbook was published and produced by Pádraig Ó Riain with articles being contributed by Patrick Pearse and Roger Casement, as well as advertisements from suppliers of uniforms and equipment. The timing coincided with the Irish Volunteers being established and the book was widely used by them Countess Markievicz bought a large rambling house at Ranelagh, Surrey House. It became the unofficial headquarters of the Fianna for some time. The older boys would gather and train here, and a mini firing range was set up in the basement. The boys also had a radio set in operation, which led to a raid by the Dublin Metropolitan Police. A separate HQ was later set up in 12 D'Olier Street.

The Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB) focused on recruiting any members who had reached the age of seventeen, and in 1912, Hobson started an IRB circle within the Fianna named the John Mitchel Literary and Debating Society, whose members included Colbert, Ó Riain, Heuston, Garry Holohan, Desmond Ryan, Liam Mellows and Barney Mellows.

Irish Volunteers

The Fianna played an active part during the 1913 Dublin Lock-out. A Fianna member, Patsy O'Connor, died after being battened on the head by a Dublin Metropolitan Police man while giving first aid to an injured man.

As the Fianna was organised four years earlier than the Irish Volunteers, and as many of its members were now young adults, fully trained in many aspects of military discipline, many young members transferred to the Volunteers on the army's foundation in November 1913. The committee which set up the Irish Volunteers had three Fianna members on it. Con Colbert, Michael Lonergan, Éamon Martin and Padraig Ó'Riain were prominent in training Irish Volunteers. Seamus Pounch was instrumental in the training of the Cumann na mBan women's auxiliary in 1914.

1914 gun running

The Fianna played a part in gun-running in Kilcoole and Howth. Fianna members brought their trek-cart to Howth Pier to meet the Asgard. The trek-cart was full of home-made batons, and these were distributed to the Volunteers on the pier. The cart was then used to carry the surplus rifles back to the city. At Clontarf, the DMP and British military were awaiting the return of the volunteers and a confrontation ensued. Fianna officers detoured with their gun-laden cart up the Howth Road, arriving eventually at Kilmore Road, Artane, where the arms were stored for later recovery.

John Redmond forced his nominees to be added the Volunteers' central committee in 1914, leading to a split at the outbreak of World War I. Bulmer Hobson's help to Redmond, and his subsequent opposition to the Easter Rising (he was kept under armed guard by Seán Mac Diarmada on Easter Monday 1916 as the Rising broke out, and held until the rising was under way, upon which he fled home to Belfast) led to Hobson's being sidelined by the republican movement and removed from any leadership role for the rest of his life.

Easter Rising (1916)

Among the first shots fired during the Rising were by Fianna members who attacked and captured the Magazine Fort in the Phoenix Park. A son of the Magazine Fort's commander was shot dead by an IRA volunteer, Garry Holohan, as he [the son] ran to raise the alarm at Islandbridge.

The Fianna fought in all the garrisons involved in the 1916 Easter Rising. Though they were by then members of the Irish Volunteers, Seán Heuston and Con Colbert were still regarded as Fianna members. Heuston was commander of the Mendicity Institution garrison, while Colbert was under the command of Éamonn Ceannt at Watkins Brewery. Heuston and Colbert were executed for their part in the Rising.

Markievicz and Molony fought as members of the Irish Citizen Army (the Irish Volunteers were an exclusively male force); Markievicz, operating under Michael Mallin at the College of Surgeons, was sentenced to death but eventually reprieved, but kept in prison longer than any other person involved in the Rising, often in solitary confinement.

In Galway, Liam Mellows was in command of activities, but escaped capture and got to the United States, where he raised help for the War of Independence. (Mellows later returned to Ireland and was executed by order of the Irish Free State Government while imprisoned during the Irish Civil War.)

After the garrison abandoned the GPO and retreated to Moore Street, James Connolly gave command of the GPO to Seán McLoughlin, a Fianna officer. His orders were to oversee the safe retreat of the rest of the occupants.

Several of the Fianna were killed during the Rising. Seán Healy was shot dead at Phibsboro while delivering dispatches. Seán Howard and Seán Ryan died in similar fashion. Volunteers under the command of Fianna officer Paddy Holahan captured and burned down the Linenhall Barracks. Eamon Martin, a future Chief of Staff, was seriously wounded at the Broadstone Railway Station. At least fifteen Fianna officers from the Dublin Brigade were later interned at Frongoch internment camp, North Wales after the Rising was put down. Seán Heuston and Con Colbert were executed for their role in the Rising.

Post 1916 reorganisation

The Fianna was first to reorganise after the Easter Rising of 1916. A provisional governing committee was set up in Dublin in May 1916, whose members included Eamon Martin, Seamus Pounch, Theo Fitzgerald, Liam Staines, and Joe Reynolds. All had evaded the round-up after the Rising. This committee functioned until January 1917, when it handed over command to the newly released senior officers. In February 1917, a section of the Fianna marched in full uniform to mass at Blanchardstown, County Dublin for Michael Mallin, who had been executed following the Easter Rising. Garry Holohan reported that "As the police did not interfere, we got courage and got bolder and bolder. On one route march, the police at James Street stopped us and an Inspector of the DMP grabbed me. However, as the Fianna Scouts became so threatening, I was released." Alt URL

A year after the Rising, a large demonstration was held outside the burnt-out shell of Liberty Hall. A large contingent of Dublin Metropolitan Police (DMP), including one ranked inspector, John Mills, arrived and the Riot Act was read to the crowd. The police waded into the crowd with batons to arrest those addressing the crowd, including Cathal Brugha and George Noble (Count) Plunkett. While escorting the prisoners, Inspector Mills was struck a mortal blow to the head with a camán. Later Fianna witness statements indicated that the blow was struck by Eamon Murray, a young Fianna officer, who was O/C of a Sluagh (branch) on Parnell Square. He made off along Abbey Street, pursued by a DMP man. He was cornered at Marlborough Street, but he or another Fianna member drew a pistol and the policeman backed off. He was sheltered by Constance Markievicz then smuggled to the United States, where he remained until the Truce of 1921, and later fought with the anti-Treaty IRA during the Civil War.

An intensive recruiting campaign was set in motion throughout the city and county after the earlier reorganisation of January 1917, and it proved to be a tremendous success. Recruits came in large numbers and new companies were formed. In June, the Dublin Battalion had become so large and unwieldy, that it was decided to set up a Brigade structure of two battalions. The county was simply split in two, with the Liffey as the divide. South of the Liffey became the 1st Battalion and north of the Liffey became the 2nd Battalion. The Dublin Brigade Staff in June 1917 comprised Garry Holohan (Commandant), P.J. Stephenson (Adjutant) and Joe Reynolds (QM).

The Fianna continued to defy the British ban on marching and parading, and drilled openly with hurleys in open defiance. This led to clashes with the DMP and the Royal Irish Constabulary. In July 1917 the whole Dublin Battalion went on a route march through the south city and county. Efforts were made by the DMP to stop the march and break it up at Terenure and Rathmines DMP stations, but the marchers broke through the cordons at both points. The march continued to the GPO, where the parade was dismissed. Seán Saunders recalled being arrested at Milltown with Roddy Connolly (son of James Connolly), Hugo MacNeill, Theo Fitzgerald, Seán McLoughlin and Garry Holohan.

Army Agreement

It came to the attention of GHQ Staff c1918 that in many areas around the country the Fianna was controlled by the local units of the Irish Volunteers. A meeting of Fianna GHQ representatives and Volunteer representatives was held in Dublin to discuss the problem. What emerged from this meeting was the Army Agreement. From that point on, the Volunteers would not seek to control Fianna in their areas. Those who reached the age of seventeen had transferred to the Volunteers; this would now cease and any transfer would be voluntary. The volunteer O/C was to liaise with the Fianna O/C on all local matters, and due consideration was to be extended to Fianna.

War of Independence