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The socio-economic background and membership of the Blueshirt movement, 1932–5

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 July 2016

Mike Cronin
Mike Cronin*
Affiliation:
Department of History, Sheffield Hallam University
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Extract

The Blueshirts have been overlooked as a subject for study in recent years by historians. The only major work on the subject, Manning’s The Blueshirts, was written some twenty years ago, and what should have been an excellent launching-pad for further and fuller research into the subject has not been amplified since. Many questions remain undiscussed and unanswered. Historians have toyed with the subject of the Blueshirts’links with fascism, but no accepted consensus has yet appeared. There has been little if any work dealing with the leadership of the Blueshirts, and the numerous influential men and women who became involved in such a contentious organisation, but the biggest gap in Blueshirt knowledge is that relating to the numbers and background of men and women who joined the movement as ordinary members. This article will attempt to fill this gap by citing both Blueshirt and government figures which have relevance to the total number of Blueshirts, and by investigating the patterns of backgrounds and motivations that emerged from fifteen interviews with ex-members. The other unanswered questions must wait.

Type
Research Article
Information
Irish Historical Studies , Volume 29 , Issue 114 , November 1994 , pp. 234 - 249
Copyright
Copyright © Irish Historical Studies Publications Ltd 1994

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References

1 Manning, Maurice, The Blueshirts (2nd ed., Dublin, 1987)Google Scholar.

2 Bew, Paul, Hazelkorn, Ellen and Patterson, Henry, The dynamics of Irish politics (London, 1989), p. 48 Google Scholar.

3 The final League of Youth membership ledger referred to in this article is in the possession of Jack Cronin, Toronto, Canada. I would like to thank him for his co-operation.

4 Cabinet minute 7/40, 29 May 1933 (N.A.I., Department of the Taoiseach, S 6433).

5 Brewer, John, Mosley’s men: the British Union of Fascists in the West Midlands (Aldershot, 1984), p. 5 Google Scholar.

6 Manning, Maurice, ‘The Irish experience: the Blueshirts’ in Larsen, S.U., Magtuet, Bernt, and Mykelbust, J. P (eds), Who were the fascists? The social roots of European fascism (Oslo, 1980), pp 564-5Google Scholar.

7 Bew et al., Dynamics of Irish politics, pp 48–9.

8 For examples of European fascist movements see Larsen, et al. (eds), Who were the fascists?; Mühlberger, Detlef (ed.), The social basis of European fascist movements (London, 1987)Google Scholar; and Woolf, S.J. (ed.), Fascism in Europe (London, 1981)Google Scholar.

9 File on the National Guard, Oct. 1932 (N.A.I., Department of Justice, H 306/23).

10 Monthly membership returns to national headquarters, Mar. 1934 (U.C.D.A., Blythe papers, P/24/671(a)). Does not include figures for County Limerick or County Monaghan.

11 Monthly membership returns to national headquarters, Aug. 1934 (ibid., P/24/671(b)). Does not include figures for County Longford.

12 Membership ledger of Commandant Ned Cronin, Sept. 1935 (MS in possession of Jack Cronin, Toronto, Canada)Google Scholar.

13 The date of leaving the Blueshirts is so late in the case of Reynolds because he went to Spain with O’Duffy. June 1937 is the date he returned to Ireland.

14 Evidence from Commandant Cronin’s son, Jack Cronin, Toronto, Canada.

15 For examples see Caldwell, L., ‘Reproducers of the nation: women and family in fascism’ in Forgacs, D., Rethinking Italian fascism (New York, 1987), pp 178–204 Google Scholar; Grand, Alexander de, ‘Women under Italian fascism’ in Hist. Jn., xix 1976), pp 947-68CrossRefGoogle Scholar; Durham, Martin, ‘Gender and the British Union of Fascists’ in Journal of Contemporary History, xxvii 1992), pp 513-30CrossRefGoogle Scholar; Kaplan, G.T. and Adams, C.E., ‘Early women supporters of national socialism’ in Milfull, John (ed.), The attractions of fascism (New York, 1990), pp 178–216 Google Scholar.

16 Army Comrades Association policy document, rough draft for discussion, Apr. 1933 (U.C.D.A., Blythe papers, P/24/649(a), p. 1)Google Scholar.

17 Constitution of the National Guard, section 3, objective no. 4 (ibid., P/24/658, p. 1).

18 Answer given by O’Connell, County Cork, June 1991.

19 Answer given by Reynolds, County Cavan, May 1991.

20 For example see Thurlow, Richard, Fascism in Britain: a history, 1918–1985 (Oxford, 1987), p. 125 Google Scholar.

21 O’Duffy’s speech to National Guard, 20 July 1933 (U.C.D.A., Blythe papers, P/24/657(a), p. 3).

22 Answer given by O’Connell, County Cork, Sept. 1991.

23 Of those classified as students, two were university students, one reading classics who became a lawyer, the other reading engineering who joined the British army. The third was a schoolboy who became a farmer.

24 Irish Worker’s Voice, 5 Aug. 1933.

25 Bew et al., Dynamics of Irish politics, p. 52.

26 Answer given by Coughlan, County Cork, Feb. 1992.

27 Bew et al., Dynamics of Irish politics, p. 18.

28 Answer given by Lindsay, , County Galway (originally County Mayo), May 1991 Google Scholar.

29 Manning, The Blueshirts, p. 248.

30 Answer given by Reynolds, County Cavan, May 1991.

31 Answer given by Lindsay, , County Galway (originally County Mayo), May 1991 Google Scholar.

32 Answer given by Kelly, County Leitrim, Sept. 1991.

33 For example see Lyons, F.S.L., Ireland since the Famine (London, 1973), p. 531 Google Scholar.

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35 Keogh, Dermot, Ireland and Europe, 1919–8 (Dublin, 1988), p. 43 Google Scholar.

36 Answer given by Duffy, , London (originally Dublin), Sept. 1991 Google ScholarPubMed.

37 Answer given by O’Connell, County Cork, Sept. 1991.

38 Answer given by Kelly, County Leitrim, Sept. 1991.

39 E.g. the Army Comrades Association constitution, 1932 (U.C.D.A., Blythe papers, P/24/650(c)); the National Guard constitution, 1933 (ibid., P/24/658); the Young Ireland Association constitution, 1933 (ibid., P/24/662).

40 Answer given by Reynolds, County Cavan, May 1991.

41 Answer given by Kelly, County Leitrim, Sept. 1991.

42 Answer given by O’Connell, County Cork, Sept. 1991.

43 Lyons, Ireland since the Famine, p. 536.

44 For example see Thornley, David, ‘The Blueshirts’ in MacManus, Francis (ed.), The years of the great test (Cork, 1967), p. 44 Google Scholar.

45 Answer given by Purcell, , Staffordshire (originally County Cork), June 1991 Google Scholar.