National Corporate Party

National Corporate Party
Leader Eoin O'Duffy
Founded 1935
Dissolved 1937
Preceded by Blueshirts (1932-1933)
Fine Gael
Ideology Corporatism,
Fascism
Anti-communism
Political position Far-right
Colours Green
Party flag
Politics of the Republic of Ireland
Political parties
Elections

The National Corporate Party (Irish: Páirtí Náisiúnta Corparáidíoch) was a Fascist political party in Ireland founded by General Eoin O'Duffy in June 1935. It split from Fine Gael when O'Duffy was removed as leader of that party, which was originally founded by the merger of O'Duffy's Blueshirts, formally known as the National Guard or Army Comrades Association, with Cumann na nGaedheal and the National Centre Party.[1]

The National Corporate Party wished to establish a corporate state in Ireland and was strongly anti-communist.[1] Its military wing was the Greenshirts.[1] It failed to gain much support however, with the majority of Fine Gael members remaining loyal to that party and O'Duffy only securing a handful of loyal supporters for his group.[2]

O'Duffy left Ireland in 1936 to become involved in the Spanish Civil War, a fact which led to further decline in the National Corporate Party.[2] The party was defunct by 1937.[1]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Barberis, Peter, John McHugh and Mike Tyldesley, 2005. Encyclopedia of British and Irish Political Organisations. London: Continuum International Publishing Group. ISBN 0-8264-5814-9, ISBN 978-0-8264-5814-8
  2. 2.0 2.1 John M. Regan, The Irish Counter-Revolution 1921-1936, Gill & Macmillan, 1999, p. 370