General Eoin O'Duffy (20 October 1892 - 30 November 1944), was in succession a Teachta Dála (TD), the Chief of Staff of the Irish Republican Army, the second Commissioner of the Garda Síochána, leader of the fascist Blueshirts and then the first leader of Fine Gael (1933 - 1934), before leading the Irish Brigade to fight for Francisco Franco during the Spanish Civil War. He once proclaimed himself the "third most important man in Europe" after fellow Fascists Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini. October 20 is the 293rd day of the year (294th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 72 days remaining. ... 1892 (MDCCCXCII) was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... November 30 is the 334th day (335th on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 31 days remaining. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1944 calendar). ... A Teachta Dála (Irish for Dáil Deputy, pronounced chock-ta dawla) is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower chamber of the Irish Oireachtas or National Parliament. ... The following is the list of those who have served as Chief of Staff of the Irish Republican Army in the various incarnations of organisations bearing that name. ... This article is about the historical army of the self-proclaimed Irish Republic (1919–1922) which fought in the Irish War of Independence 1919-21, and the Irish Civil War 1922-23. ... Emblem of the Garda Síochána. ... Fascism (in Italian, fascismo), capitalized, was the authoritarian political movement which ruled Italy from 1922 to 1943 under the leadership of Benito Mussolini. ... The Army Comrades Association (ACA), better known by its nickname The Blueshirts, was an Irish organisation set up by former police commissioner and army General Eoin ODuffy in the 1930s. ... Fine Gael (IPA: , though often anglicized to (approximate English translation: Family of the Irish) and officially, Fine Gael - United Ireland Party, is the second largest political party in Ireland, presently forming the largest opposition party in the Oireachtas (Irish Parliament), and claims a membership of over 34,000. ... An Irish Brigade fought on the side of Francisco Franco during the Spanish Civil War. ... Francisco El Caudillo Franco. ... Combatants Spanish Republic CNT-FAI UGT POUM Soviet Union International Brigades Spanish State Falangists Carlists Fascist Italy Nazi Germany Commanders Manuel Azaña Francisco Largo Caballero Juan Negrín Francisco Franco Casualties Civilians killed/wounded = hundreds of thousands The Spanish Civil War, which lasted from July 17, 1936 to April... Hitler redirects here. ... Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (July 29, 1883 – April 28, 1945) was the Prime-Minister and dictator of Italy from 1922 until his overthrow in 1943. ...

Garda Commissioner Eoin O'Duffy (centre)
Photographed with senior officers in 1925.

Image File history File links Commissioners1925. ... Image File history File links Commissioners1925. ...

Early life

Eoin O'Duffy was born Owen O'Duffy in Lough Egish, near Castleblayney, County Monaghan. O'Duffy did an apprenticeship as an engineer in Wexford before working as an engineer and architect in Monaghan. In 1919 he became an auctioneer. O'Duffy was a leading member of the Gaelic Athletic Association in Ulster in the 1910s. A stand in a ground in Clones, County Monaghan, is named after him. Castleblayney (Baile na Lorgan in Irish) is a town in County Monaghan, Ireland. ... Statistics Province: Ulster County Town: Monaghan Code: MN Area: 1,294 km² Population (2006) 55,816 Website: www. ... Wexford (Irish: Loch Garman) is the county town of County Wexford in the Republic of Ireland. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 54. ... A stylised Celtic cross serves as the traditional logo of the GAA. The Gaelic Athletic Association (The GAA) (Irish: Cumann Lúthchleas Gael) is an organisation which is mostly focussed on promoting gaelic games: that is, Irish sports, such as hurling and camogie, Gaelic football and handball, and rounders. ... Statistics Area: 24,481 km² Population (2006 estimate) 1,993,918 Ulster (Irish: Cúige Uladh, IPA: ) forms one of the four traditional provinces of Ireland. ... // Events and trends The 1910s represent the culmination of European militarism which had its beginnings during the second half of the 19th Century. ... Clones (Irish:Cluain Eois) – pronounced (IPA) – is a small town in western County Monaghan, in the border area of Ireland. ... Statistics Province: Ulster County Town: Monaghan Code: MN Area: 1,294 km² Population (2006) 55,816 Website: www. ...

War of Independence

In 1917 O'Duffy joined the Irish Republican Army and took an active part in the War of Independence. In February 1920, he (along with Ernie O'Malley) was involved in the first capture of a Royal Irish Constabulary barracks by the IRA in Ballytrain, in his native Monaghan. He was imprisoned several times but became director of the army in 1921. In May 1921, he was returned as a Sinn Féin TD for the Monaghan constituency to the Second Dáil. In January of the following year he became IRA Chief of Staff, replacing Richard Mulcahy. O'Duffy was the youngest general in Europe until Francisco Franco was promoted to that rank. This article is about the historical army of the self-proclaimed Irish Republic (1919–1922) which fought in the Irish War of Independence 1919-21, and the Irish Civil War 1922-23. ... An Irish War of Independence memorial in Dublin The Anglo-Irish War (also known as the Irish War of Independence) was a guerrilla campaign mounted against the British government in Ireland by the Irish Republican Army under the proclaimed legitimacy of the First Dáil, the extra-legal Irish parliament... Ernie OMalley (1897-1957) was born in Castlebar, County Mayo, Ireland. ... The Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) was one of Irelands two police forces in the early twentieth century, alongside the Dublin Metropolitan Police. ... Sinn Féin (pronounced in English, in Irish) is a name used by a series of Irish political movements of the 20th century, each of which claimed sole descent from the original party established by Arthur Griffith in 1905. ... County Monaghan Monaghan was a constituency used in elections to Dáil Éireann, the lower house of parliament in the Republic of Ireland. ... The Second Dáil was Dáil Éireann as it convened from 16th August, 1921 until 8th June, 1922. ... The following is the list of those who have served as Chief of Staff of the Irish Republican Army in the various incarnations of organisations bearing that name. ... Richard Mulcahy General Richard James Mulcahy (10 May 1886 – 16 December 1971) was an Irish politician, leader of Fine Gael and Cabinet Minister. ... World map showing Europe Political map (neighbouring countries in Asia and Africa also shown) Europe is one of the seven traditional continents of the Earth. ... Francisco El Caudillo Franco. ...

Civil War General & An Garda Síochána

In 1921 he supported the Anglo-Irish Treaty. He served as a general in the Free State Army in the ensuing Irish Civil War and was one of the brains behind the Free State's strategy of seaborne landings into Republican held areas. He successfully took Limerick city for the Free State in July 1922, before being held up in heavy fighting south of the city. The enmities of the civil war era were to stay with O'Duffy throughout the rest of his political career, particularly as many units under his command committed many brutal atrocities during the civil war, such as the Ballyseedy Massacre. Signature page of the Anglo-Irish Treaty The Anglo-Irish Treaty, officially called the Articles of Agreement for a Treaty Between Great Britain and Ireland, was a treaty between the Government of the United Kingdom and representatives of the extra-judicial Irish Republic which concluded the Irish War of Independence. ... The Irish Army (Irish: Arm na hÉireann) is the main branch of the Irish Defence Forces. ... Combatants Irish Republican Army (part) Irish National Army Commanders Liam Lynch Frank Aiken Michael Collins Richard Mulcahy Strength c. ... At the beginning of the Irish Civil War in June 1922, the newly created Irish Free State government held only the capital city of Dublin. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 52. ... Memorial to the Republican soldiers murdered by Free State forces at Ballyseedy, County Kerry. ...

After the war, O'Duffy became Commissioner of An Garda Síochána (the Civic Guard) when the Irish Free State was established in 1922. It has been claimed, though not substantiated, that O'Duffy was Michael Collins's choice as his successor. However neither W.T. Cosgrave nor Richard Mulcahy viewed him as fit for national leadership. It has also been suggested that Cosgrave and Mulcahy intended to remove him as Garda Commissioner had Cumann na nGaedhael won the 1932 general election. However Cumann na nGaedhael lost power in 1932 to Fianna Fáil under Eamon de Valera. Emblem of the Garda Síochána. ... The Irish Free State (Irish: Saorstát Éireann) (1922–1937) was the name of the state comprising the 26 of Irelands 32 counties that were separated from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland under the Irish Free State Agreement (or Anglo-Irish Treaty) signed by British and... Michael John Collins (Irish: Mícheál Seán Ó Coileáin; 16 October 1890 – 22 August 1922) was an Irish revolutionary leader, served as Minister for Finance in the Irish Republic, as Director of Intelligence for the IRA, as a member of the Irish delegation during the Anglo-Irish Treaty... William Thomas Cosgrave (Irish name Liam Tomás Mac Cosgair; 6 June 1880 – 16 November 1965), known generally as W.T. Cosgrave, was an Irish politician who succeeded Michael Collins as Chairman of the Irish Provisional Government from August to December 1922. ... Richard Mulcahy General Richard James Mulcahy (10 May 1886 – 16 December 1971) was an Irish politician, leader of Fine Gael and Cabinet Minister. ... Cumann na nGaedhael (League of the Gaels), sometimes spelt Cumann na nGaedheal,[1] was an Irish language name given to two Irish political parties, the second of which had the greater impact. ... The Irish general election of 1932 was held on February 16, 1932, just over two weeks after the dissolution of the 6th Dáil on January 29. ... Fianna Fáil - The Republican Party (IPA ; commonly translated roughly into English as Soldiers of Destiny (though the more literal translation is Soldiers [Fianna] of Ireland),¹ is currently the largest political party in Ireland with 55,000 members. ... Eamon de Valera (born Edward George de Valera, sometimes Gaelicised Éamon de Bhailéara; October 14, 1882 – August 29, 1975), was an Irish politician, best known as a leader of Irelands struggle for independence from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in the early 20th century, and...

Following another general election in 1933 Eamon de Valera dismissed O'Duffy as Garda Commissioner. In the Dáil de Valera explained the reason for his dismissal, Dáil Éireann[1] is the lower house of the Oireachtas (parliament) of the Republic of Ireland. ...

"he [O'Duffy] was likely to be biased in his attitude because of past political affiliations".

The true reason, however, appears to have been the new government's discovery that in 1932, O'Duffy's was one of the voices urging Cosgrave to resort to a military coup rather than to turn over power to the incoming Fianna Fáil administration. O'Duffy refused the offer of another position of equivalent rank in the public service. Fianna Fáil - The Republican Party (IPA ; commonly translated roughly into English as Soldiers of Destiny (though the more literal translation is Soldiers [Fianna] of Ireland),¹ is currently the largest political party in Ireland with 55,000 members. ...

Leader of the ACA, & Fascism

In July 1933 O'Duffy became leader of the Army Comrades Association, which had been ostensibly set up to protect Cumann na nGaedhael public meetings, which had up to that point been disrupted under the slogan "No Free Speech for Traitors" by Irish Republican Army men newly confident since the elections. O'Duffy and many other conservative elements within the Irish Free State began to embrace fascist ideology which was very much in vogue at that time. He immediately changed the name of this new movement to the National Guard. O'Duffy was an admirer of the Italian leader, Benito Mussolini, and his organisation adopted outward symbols of European fascism, such as the straight-arm Roman salute and the distinctive blue uniform. It wasn't long before they became known as the Blueshirts. In August 1933 a parade was planned by the Blueshirts in Dublin to commemorate Michael Collins and Arthur Griffith, both of whom who had died 11 years earlier. This was a clear imitation of Mussolini's March on Rome and was widely perceived as such despite claims to the contrary by Blueshirt apologists. De Valera feared a similar coup d'etat and as a result the parade was banned. By September the Blueshirts were declared an illegal organisation. To circumvent this ban the movement once again adopted a new name, this time styling itself the League of Youth. The Army Comrades Association (ACA), better known by its nickname The Blueshirts, was an Irish organisation set up by former police commissioner General Eoin ODuffy in the 1930s. ... Cumann na nGaedhael (League of the Gaels), sometimes spelt Cumann na nGaedheal,[1] was an Irish language name given to two Irish political parties, the second of which had the greater impact. ... Following the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty on 6 December 1921, the Irish Republican Army in the 26 counties that were to become the Irish Free State split between supporters and opponents of the Treaty. ... The Irish Free State (Irish: Saorstát Éireann) (1922–1937) was the name of the state comprising the 26 of Irelands 32 counties that were separated from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland under the Irish Free State Agreement (or Anglo-Irish Treaty) signed by British and... Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (July 29, 1883 – April 28, 1945) was the Prime-Minister and dictator of Italy from 1922 until his overthrow in 1943. ... The Oath of the Horatii, by Jacques-Louis David The Roman salute is a gesture in which the arm is held out forward straight, with palm down. ... The Army Comrades Association (ACA), better known by its nickname The Blueshirts, was an Irish organisation set up by former police commissioner and army General Eoin ODuffy in the 1930s. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 53. ... Arthur Griffith (Art Ó Gríofa in Irish) (March 31, 1872 – August 12, 1922) was the founder and first leader of Sinn Féin. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Blueshirt refers to two different political movements in the 1930s. ...

Fine Gael

In September 1933 Cumann na nGaedhael, the Centre Party and the Blueshirts merged to form Fine Gael. O'Duffy, though not a TD, became the first leader, with former President of the Executive Council, (prime minister) W.T. Cosgrave serving as parliamentary leader. The National Guard became the youth wing of the party. However, meetings were often attacked by IRA men. O'Duffy proved to be a weak leader - he was a military leader rather than political, and he was temperamental. In September 1934 O'Duffy suddenly and unexpectedly resigned as leader of Fine Gael as his extreme views and poor judgement became an embarrassment to his party. He went on to form the National Corporate Party. Cumann na nGaedhael (League of the Gaels), sometimes spelt Cumann na nGaedheal,[1] was an Irish language name given to two Irish political parties, the second of which had the greater impact. ... The Centre Party was a political party in the Irish Free State in the early 1930s. ... Fine Gael (IPA: , though often anglicized to (approximate English translation: Family of the Irish) and officially, Fine Gael - United Ireland Party, is the second largest political party in Ireland, presently forming the largest opposition party in the Oireachtas (Irish Parliament), and claims a membership of over 34,000. ... A Teachta Dála (Irish for Dáil Deputy, pronounced chock-ta dawla) is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower chamber of the Irish Oireachtas or National Parliament. ... The President of the Executive Council (Irish: Uachtaráin na hArd-Chomhairle) was the head of government or prime minister of the 1922-1937 Irish Free State, and the leader of the Executive Council (cabinet). ... William Thomas Cosgrave (Irish name Liam Tomás Mac Cosgair; 6 June 1880 – 16 November 1965), known generally as W.T. Cosgrave, was an Irish politician who succeeded Michael Collins as Chairman of the Irish Provisional Government from August to December 1922. ... Fine Gael (IPA: , though often anglicized to (approximate English translation: Family of the Irish) and officially, Fine Gael - United Ireland Party, is the second largest political party in Ireland, presently forming the largest opposition party in the Oireachtas (Irish Parliament), and claims a membership of over 34,000. ... The National Corporate Party was a political party in Ireland founded by Eoin ODuffy. ...

Spanish Civil War

The Blueshirt movement had begun to disintegrate also, so much so that by 1935 the organisation no longer existed. In June 1935 O'Duffy launched the unabashedly fascist National Corporate Party. The following year the General organised an Irish Brigade to fight for Francisco Franco in the Spanish Civil War. Despite the declaration by the Irish Government that participation in the war was illegal, 700 of O'Duffy's followers went to Spain to fight on Franco's side (around 250 other Irishmen went to fight for the Republicans). The Irish contingent refused to fight the Basques for Franco, seeing parallels between their recent struggle and Basque aspirations. They saw their primary role in Spain as fighting communism, rather than defending Spain's territorial integrity. O'Duffy's men saw little fighting in Spain and were sent home by Franco after being accidentally fired on by Spanish Nationalist troops. A contingent of O'Duffy's domestic enemies (IRA men and left wing activists) fought on the opposite side in the Spanish Civil War, see the Connolly Column.^[1] An Irish Brigade fought on the side of Francisco Franco during the Spanish Civil War. ... Francisco El Caudillo Franco. ... Combatants Spanish Republic CNT-FAI UGT POUM Soviet Union International Brigades Spanish State Falangists Carlists Fascist Italy Nazi Germany Commanders Manuel Azaña Francisco Largo Caballero Juan Negrín Francisco Franco Casualties Civilians killed/wounded = hundreds of thousands The Spanish Civil War, which lasted from July 17, 1936 to April... Eusko Gudarostea was the name of the Basque national army during the Spanish civil war. ... The Gernika oak is a symbol of Basque freedoms. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... The Connolly Column refers to the Irish volunteers who fought for the Spanish Republic in the International Brigades in the Spanish Civil War. ...

Retirement and Death

O'Duffy returned to Ireland from Spain in disarray. He retired from politics completely, apart from a low-level dalliance with Nazism. He is thought to have met with IRA figures and members of the German consul's in the summer of 1939. See main article. In the summer of 1943 O'Duffy approached the German Legation in Dublin with an offer to organise an Irish Volunteer Legion for use on the Russian Front. He explained his offer to the German ambassador as a wish to "save Europe from Bolshevism". He requested an aircraft to be sent from Germany so that he could conduct the necessary negotiations in Berlin. The offer was "not taken seriously".^[2] By this time his health had begun to seriously deteriorate and he died on 30 November 1944, aged 52. He was afforded a state funeral by the government. Following requiem mass in the Pro-Cathedral he was buried in Glasnevin Cemetery. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... This article serves as an introduction to a series of articles about collaboration and intelligence sharing between three groups; The Irish Republican Army (IRA). ... The Eastern Front of World War II was the theatre of war covering the conflict in central and eastern Europe from June 22, 1941 to May 9, 1945. ... Bolshevik Party Meeting. ... November 30 is the 334th day (335th on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 31 days remaining. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1944 calendar). ... State funerals in the Republic of Ireland and predecessor states since independence in 1921 have taken place on the following occasions: Former Taoiseach John A. Costello did not receive a state funeral, at the request of his family. ... The Malborough Street frontage of the Pro-Cathedral St Marys Church, known also as St Marys Pro-Cathedral or simply the Pro-Cathedral, is the episcopal seat of the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland. ... Glasnevin Cemetery, also known as Prospect Cemetery, is the main Catholic cemetery in Dublin, the capital of Ireland. ...

Events after his death

O'Duffy had remained a bachelor all his life. Following his death rumours began to circulate that hinted at O'Duffy's involvement in a homosexual relationship with the actor Micheál MacLiammoir in the 1930s. MacLiammoir confirmed that they had had a relationship to Mary Manning, a playwright and editor of a magazine associated with the Gate Theatre founded by MacLiammoir. A biographer of MacLiammoir, Denis Staunton, stated that MacLiammoir and O'Duffy remained friends after the affair ended, and that the relationship was well known within the actor's circle of friends and colleagues. A bachelor is a man above the age of majority who has never been married (see single). ... Since its coinage, the word homosexuality has acquired multiple meanings. ... Micheál MacLiammóir (born Alfred Willmore) was an Irish actor and dramatist born 25 October 1899 in the Kilburn neighborhood of London. ... Template:Unsourced A playwright, also known as a dramatist, is someone who writes dramatic literature or drama. ... The Gate Theatre, in Dublin, was founded in 1928 by Hilton Edwards and Micheál MacLiammoir, initially using the Abbey Theatres Peacock studio theatre space to stage important works by European and American dramatists. ...

Another MacLiammoir biographer, Christopher FitzSimons, who did not mention the relationship in his 1994 biography of the actor and his longtime partner, Hilton Edwards, The Boys, said subsequently that he had heard rumours of the affair "from many sources".^[3] The existence of the relationship was first revealed in an RTÉ documentary, The Odd Couple, broadcast in July 1999. A 2005 biography of O'Duffy by Fearghal McGarry provided more evidence, including that O'Duffy was assaulted on a boat travelling to the United Kingdom when he propositioned a man. Hilton Edwards (1903-1982) was an Irish actor and theatrical producer who, with his partner Micheál MacLiammoir, co-founded the Gate Theatre in Dublin. ... Radio Telefís Éireann (RTÉ; Irish for Radio and Television of Ireland) is the national publicly-funded broadcaster of Ireland. ...

References

1. ^ Thomas Gunning, former secretary to O'Duffy, was also a "suspect" for Irish military Intelligence (G2) having remained in Spain after the rest of the Irish volunteers for Franco departed under a cloud of recrimination. Gunning worked as a newspaper correspondent in Spain for a short time then made his way to Berlin where he worked for the Propaganda ministry until his death in 1940.
2. ^ See Stephan, Enno: Spies in Ireland (1963) P.232
3. ^ Irish Independent review of the Odd Couple.

The name Franco may refer to: Francisco Franco, Dictator of Spain from 1936 to 1975 Francois Luambo Makiadi, a Congolese musician and founder of the band OK Jazz active from the 1950s to 1980s ... The Irish Independents header consists of its name and a green harp The Irish Independent is Irelands best-selling broadsheet newspaper. ...

Further Information/Sources

• Fearghal McGarry, Eoin O'Duffy: A Self-Made Hero (Oxford University Press, 2005)

• For material on the Irish Bandera
• For material on the International Brigadiers from Ireland.
• Eoin O'Duffy: A Self-Made Hero - Fearghal McGarry interviewed
• A review of McGarry's book by Dermot Bolger in the Sunday Independent, (Dublin) 27th Nov. 2005.
• A collection of documents on O'Duffy's Spanish adventure.