Comhairle na Poblachta

Comhairle na Poblachta (Irish for 'Council of the Republic') was an Irish republican organisation established in 1929. ^{[1] [2]}

The organisation had the support of the IRA, which had agreed to its formation at its General Army Convention in January 1929. An early Saor Éire programme had also been proposed, but was rejected in favour of Comhairle na Poblachta. ^[1] The IRA envisaged it as a coordinating body of anti-Treaty republican forces, ^{[1] [3]} and its membership was drawn from Sinn Féin, Fianna Éireann, the IRA, ^{[4] [5]} Cumann na mBan and left-wing republicans. ^[4]

According to leading member Mary MacSwiney, the Comhairle sought "agreement and co-operation between the civil and military arms of the Republic". Other prominent members included Margaret Buckley, Maud Gonne, Count Plunkett, Frank Ryan, Peadar O'Donnell, Brian O'Higgins, and Mick Fitzpatrick. ^{[6] [7]} A weekly newspaper, An Phoblacht , was issued. Apart from their shared hostility to the Cumann na nGaedheal government, the party's members had little in common. ^{[3] [7]}

During the Army Convention in February 1931, the increased ranks of left-wing republicans led by Peadar O'Donnell approved a re-drafted Saor Éire programme. ^{[1] [3] [7]} Following the formation of Saor Éire, Comhairle na Poblachta appeared to become defunct. ^[4]

The Comhairle was not successful in its aims. ^{[6] [2]}

References

1. Hammill, Jonathan (1995). "Saor Éire And The IRA: An Éercise In Deception?". Saothar. 20. Irish Labour History Society. JSTOR   23197224.
2. Murphy, Brian (October 2009). "MacSwiney, Mary". Dictionary of Irish Biography. Royal Irish Academy. doi:10.3318/dib.005295.v1. During the late twenties, her efforts to reinvigorate the movement foundered: the self-styled second dáil was without a president from 1927 and a new forum in 1929, Comhairle na Poblachta, was stillborn.
3. Gahan, David. The Land Annuities Agitation in Ireland 1926-32 (PDF) (PhD thesis). Maynooth University. pp. 130–131, 179. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
4. "Anti-State Activities, Joint Pastoral of Hierarchy and events leading up to its issue". 'Women in 20th-century Ireland – 1922-1966: sources from the Department of the Taoiseach database', Box: s 5864B. National Archives of Ireland.
5. Gallagher, Michael (1985). "Minor Parties" (PDF). Political Parties in the Republic of Ireland. Manchester University Press. pp. 94–95. ISBN   0-7190-1742-4 . Retrieved 6 July 2025. The IRA itself had generally shunned the political arena, refraining from giving full support to any of the minor republican groups in which some of its members participated, such as Comhairle na Poblachta (1929)...
6. "Margaret Buckley". Irish Republican News. 27 July 2023. Retrieved 6 July 2025. Three years after the formation of Fianna Fáil in 1926, a body known as Comhairle na Poblachta was set up to find, in Mary MacSwiney's words, "agreement and co-operation between the civil and military arms of the Republic." Margaret Buckley was a member along with Mary Mac Swiney, Maud Gonne, Count Plunkett, Frank Ryan, Peadar O'Donnell, Brian O'Higgins, Mick Fitzpatrick and others. The Comhairle was not successful.
7. Hickey, D. J.; Doherty, James E. (1987). A Dictionary of Irish History 1800-1980 (2nd ed.). Gill and Macmillan. p. 83. ISBN   9780717115679. OCLC   1051451317. OL   7835986M.