National Centre Party (Ireland)

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The National Centre Party was a political party in the Irish Free State, which merged with the Cumann na nGaedheal and Army Comrades Association to form Fine Gael. The Centre Party was founded in late 1932 and was initially know as the National Farmers and Ratepayers League. Its most prominent members were Frank MacDermott, the leader of the party, and James Dillon, who was the son of the last leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party, John Dillon. In the 1933 General Election the party won eleven seats - this election occurred only one month after the founding of the party.

The grand merger occured in September, 1933. A small number of party members found the merger unacceptable and some of them stood in future elections as Independents. Although MacDermott became a Vice-President of Fine Gael at its foundation, he differed from most of his party colleagues on issues such as the degree of emphasis to be given to Ireland's membership of the Commonwealth and he ultimately resigned from the party, to sit as an Independent.

MacDermott did not seek re-election to the Dáil at the 1937 General Election joining Fianna Fáil the same year. In 1938, Éamon de Valera nominated him to the Senate, and he remained a senator until his resignation in 1942.

MacDermott and Dillon were both strongly critical of Irish neutrality during World War II and advocated intervention on the Allied side.

As a result of his position on neutrality, Dillon resigned from Fine Gael in 1942 and he remained an Independent TD until he rejoined the party in 1953. This did not prevent him serving as a Minister in the Fine Gael-led First Inter-Party Government (1948–1951) or, later, as leader of Fine Gael (1959–1965).