93-620: Thomas Mullen (20 June 1896 – 2 January 1966) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician and school teacher. He was born in Roemore, Breaffy , County Mayo , to primary school teacher parents, Thomas and Mary Mullen (née Coggins) He was educated at St Jarlath's College , Tuam , and University College Galway . He too became a teacher and taught in Tullamore and North Brunswick St and at St Saviour's, Denmark St, in Dublin . Mullen became active in
186-464: A No vote. Leader Micheál Martin signalled his own desire for a Yes vote, but was unable to bring the party under one stance, and ultimately more than half of Fianna Fáil's TDs campaigned for a No vote. On polling day the Yes side won, 66% to 33%. After the 2020 general election , for the first time in history, Fianna Fáil entered into a coalition government with its traditional rival Fine Gael, as well as
279-410: A copy of their Charter for Change. One of these, Shane Ross , said Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin had contacted them the previous day and that they would meet the following week. According to Michael Healy-Rae, he and his brother Danny met with Enda Kenny for "over an hour" on 4 March. A statement by Marc MacSharry in which he said Fianna Fáil could enter a coalition with Fine Gael, provided that
372-420: A decade now, a socially conservative, supposedly republican party has been led by a centrist social liberal with a more cautious position on Irish unification than even Leo Varadkar ." In the early 20th century, Fianna Fáil had a more explicitly working-class orientation. In 1926, Seán Lemass described the party as "a progressive republican party based on the actual conditions of the moment" while upon winning
465-487: A generation that will build a new Ireland, an Ireland of which we can all be proud". Fianna Fáil has not contested any elections in Northern Ireland since its registration and recognition there in 2007. At the party's 2014 Ard Fheis, a motion was passed without debate to stand candidates for election north of the border for the first time in 2019. Since 24 January 2019, the party have been in partnership with
558-438: A huge difference between them. But they think there is. That's the crucial thing. It's absolutely ingrained in them. They have convinced themselves of something that is a myth, fundamentally." The first publicised contact between Martin and Kenny was announced on 31 March (34 days after the election), in the form of a twenty-minute telephone call. Martin reported that Kenny had told him any talks between them must wait until after
651-537: A minority government or a coalition of liquorice all-sorts." Later that day, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael parliamentarians met separately at Leinster House . At Fianna Fáil's parliamentary party meeting, leader Micheál Martin was reported to have said that it would take as long as two months to form a government. A statement from vice-chairperson of the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party Catherine Byrne said: "We agreed to work in
744-568: A more social liberal profile. Fianna Fáil supported the unsuccessful 2024 Irish constitutional referendums , which would have deleted a reference to women’s domestic duties and broadened the definition of the family. Evidence from expert surveys, opinion polls and candidate surveys have failed to identify strong distinctions between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. Fianna Fáil is generally considered more populist and economically interventionist than its rival. University College Dublin professor Thomas Däubler wrote that Fianna Fáil had "made
837-490: A move to the centre" in the 2016 election , which resulted in Fine Gael being placed "considerably to the right" of Fianna Fáil. In 2020, Time magazine described Fianna Fáil as "slightly more socially conservative and further to the left on the economy" than Fine Gael. Fianna Fáil has been described in modern times as struggling with its identity as a party. In 2023, Jack Sheehan of The Irish Times wrote that "for
930-460: A number of sources suggested might have been the single worst result in its history when the party polled extremely poorly in the 2021 Dublin Bay South by-election . The result prompted Jim O'Callaghan and Cathal Crowe to question whether Martin should lead the party into its next general election. In February 2023, former leader Bertie Ahern rejoined the party, having left in 2012. Over
1023-557: A progressive manner towards the formation of a new government, but not at any cost ... forming an unstable government is not in the people's interest." The statement also made reference to the contentious election issue of the water utility company Irish Water : "The meeting strongly reiterated its commitment to supporting the Irish Water model as the best and most cost effective way of providing clean water and decent waste water services. The Irish people have shown enormous resilience in
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#17327867095901116-470: A report by academic experts writing for the votewatch.eu site found that FF "do not seem to toe the political line" of the ALDE Group "when it comes to budget and civil liberties" issues. In the 2014 European elections , Fianna Fáil received 22.3% of first-preference votes but only returned a single MEP , a reduction in representation of two MEPs from the previous term. This was due to a combination of
1209-673: A stable government. Michael McDowell , a former Tánaiste who had led the Progressive Democrats , intervened around this time. McDowell called for Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil to come together and govern. He told The Irish Times ' s political podcast: "I was brought up in a strongly Fine Gael house, I was Garret FitzGerald 's director of elections, I was his organiser, I was chairman of my local constituency – I know how Fine Gael hearts tick. I sat in cabinet, both as attorney general and minister for justice for seven years [in coalition] with Fianna Fáil... and I know there isn't
1302-522: A viable administration. This eventually resulted in Ireland's first minority government since 1989 : a coalition led by Fine Gael with the support of nine independent politicians, and with a formal agreement that Fianna Fáil would abstain on matters of confidence and supply . After the 2011 general election , Fine Gael and the Labour Party formed a coalition government , taking over from
1395-487: A viable minority government would work". On 14 April the Dáil reconvened to vote on nominations for Taoiseach. Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams had suggested postponing the vote due to ongoing negotiations, but his motion was rejected. Kenny lost three different votes for Taoiseach, the third by a vote of 52–77. Following Kenny's loss, Micheál Martin was also unable to receive the number of votes necessary to become Taoiseach by
1488-469: A vote of 43–91. Neither candidate was able to attract enough Independent TDs to secure a majority of the Dáil's votes. In an earlier meeting dubbed the "Ag House Meeting", 14 Independent TDs signed an agreement to abstain from voting for Taoiseach, calling upon the leaders of the major parties to agree to a reciprocal agreement with three budgets to provide stability for the Irish people. Seán Ó Fearghaíl ,
1581-472: Is a centre to centre-right political party in Ireland . Ideological classifications of the party vary; the party is commonly referred to as conservative , though it has also been described as Christian democratic , liberal or ideologically ambiguous. The party was founded as a republican party in 1926 by Éamon de Valera and his supporters after they split from Sinn Féin in order to take seats in
1674-698: Is a member of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe and of Liberal International . From February 2019 to September 2022, Fianna Fáil was in partnership with the Social Democratic and Labour Party in Northern Ireland . Fianna Fáil was founded by Éamon de Valera , a former leader of Sinn Féin . The previous year, de Valera proposed a motion calling for elected members to be allowed to take their seats in Dáil Éireann if and when
1767-548: Is acknowledged for having successfully guided Ireland through World War II unscathed but is criticised for leaving Ireland in economic and cultural stagnation. His successors such as Lemass however were able to turn around Ireland's economic fortunes as well as primed the country for entry into the European Economic Community , later the European Union . Fianna Fáil's fortunes began to falter in
1860-558: Is primarily cited as being on the centre or centre-right of the political spectrum . Fianna Fáil's ideology has been characterised both as conservative and ambiguous or malleable. The party has also been ideologically described as centrist , Christian-democratic , liberal-conservative , populist , conservative-liberal , socially conservative , liberal , national-liberal and national-conservative . In 2017, academics Eoin O'Malley and Sean McGraw wrote that Fianna Fáil "appears centrist, conservative, and attached to
1953-448: The 1932 Irish general election , newly elected Fianna Fáil TD Seán Moylan proclaimed that Fianna Fáil's win meant a victory of "the owners of the donkey and cart over the pony and trap class". The Fianna Fáil party of the 1930s has been described as an economically social democratic one that sought to create an economically independent state ( autarky ) via protectionist policies, based on its culturally nationalist thinking. During
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#17327867095902046-767: The 1943 general election . His brother Eugene Mullen , was a TD for Mayo from June to September 1927. Mullen died in St Mary's Hospital, Phoenix Park. His last residence was 92 St Assam's Ave, Raheny , Dublin. He was survived by his wife, Louisa (née Ryan), and three daughters. He is buried at St. Fintan's Cemetery, Sutton . Fianna F%C3%A1il Fianna Fáil ( / ˌ f iː ( ə ) n ə ˈ f ɔɪ l , - ˈ f ɔː l / FEE -(ə-)nə FOYL , - FAWL , Irish: [ˌfʲiən̪ˠə ˈfˠaːlʲ] ; meaning "Soldiers of Destiny" or "Warriors of Fál "), officially Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party ( Irish : Fianna Fáil – An Páirtí Poblachtánach ),
2139-626: The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) Group in the European Parliament after the 2009 European elections . In October 2009, it was reported that Fianna Fáil had irritated its new Liberal colleagues by failing to vote for the motion on press freedom in Italy (resulting in its defeat by a majority of one in the Parliament) and by trying to scupper their party colleagues' initiative for gay rights . In January 2010,
2232-552: The Ceann Comhairle , suggested after the vote that the Dáil be adjourned until 20 April. Despite opposition from TDs including Adams and Finian McGrath (Independent), the motion passed with the help of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael TDs. The "Ag House Agreement" signed by the Dáil's Independent TDs also said that the TDs were stepping away from talks with the two major parties until the two major parties reached an agreement. However,
2325-490: The Green Party , ending its longest period out of government since its formation. Under the agreement, Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin served as Taoiseach for the first half of the parliamentary term. That same year a number of Fianna Fáil members were involved in the " Golfgate " scandal, an event that ultimately led to the resignation of Fianna Fáil deputy leader Dara Calleary . In July 2021 Fianna Fáil suffered what
2418-568: The Irish Free State from within. Fianna Fáil's platform of economic autarky had appeal among the farmers, working-class people and the poor, while alienating more affluent classes. It largely pre-empted voters of the aforementioned groups from the Labour Party (with its almost identical economic and social policy) following its entry into the Dáil in 1927. Fianna Fáil would go on to style themselves for several decades as "the real Labour Party." Cumann na nGaedheal sought to exploit
2511-789: The Irish Republican Army after the 1916 Easter Rising . He was the organiser of the escape from Rath Camp in the Curragh Camp during the Irish War of Independence . During the Irish Civil War , he was leader of the Tintown No 1 internment camp of 61 prisoners. He was elected to Dáil Éireann as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin County constituency at the 1938 general election . He did not contest
2604-480: The Oireachtas , which Sinn Féin refused to recognise. Since 1927, Fianna Fáil has been one of Ireland's two major parties, along with Fine Gael since 1933; both are seen as centre-right parties, to the right of the Labour Party and Sinn Féin. The party dominated Irish political life for most of the 20th century, and, since its foundation, either it or Fine Gael has led every government. Between 1932 and 2011, it
2697-509: The Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) formerly the main Irish nationalist party in Northern Ireland, but now smaller than Sinn Féin . There had long been speculation about the eventual partnership for several years prior. This was initially met with a negative reaction from Seamus Mallon , former Deputy Leader of the SDLP, who stated he would be opposed to any such merger. Former leader of
2790-506: The 1970s and 1980s. In 1970 the Arms Crisis threatened to split the entire party in two when Fianna Fáil cabinet ministers Charles Haughey and Neil Blaney were dismissed by Jack Lynch after being accused of seeking to provide arms to the newly emergent Provisional Irish Republican Army . Factional infighting over Northern Ireland, economics and the "moral issues" such as the legalization of divorce, abortion, and contraception plagued
2883-402: The 1990s, Fianna Fáil was described as a conservative and nationalist party. The following are the terms of office as party leader and as Taoiseach: Charles Haughey Fianna Fáil was the most electorally successful party in 20th-century democratic Europe . Ógra Fianna Fáil serves as the party's official youth wing. On 17 September 2007, Fianna Fáil announced that the party would for
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2976-503: The 2007 election, the party's structure has significantly weakened. This was in part exacerbated by significant infighting between candidates in the run-up to the 2011 general election. The Irish Times estimated that half of its 3,000 cumainn were effectively moribund. This fraction rose in Dublin with the exception of Dublin West , the former seat of both Brian Lenihan Snr and Brian Lenihan Jnr . Inactive Defunct Fianna Fáil
3069-587: The Ag House Agreement's demand for three budgets, saying that the party would look into the policy moving forward. On 17 April, fifty-one days after the election, the Sunday Independent published a scathing editorial, calling for a government to be formed. On the same day, former Tánaiste Mary Harney intervened, claiming the deadlock in government formation would damage "Ireland's reputation" in remarks made during her closing address at
3162-413: The Dáil the previous afternoon that Kenny had invited him to talks. Talks then began between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. On the night of 6 April, Fine Gael released a statement in which it announced that it had made a formal offer during talks with Martin to form a partnership government with Fianna Fáil and Independent TDs. However, Martin rejected this offer. A meeting between Kenny and Martin on 8 April
3255-831: The Dáil. Having lost all their seats in 2011, the Green Party returned two TDs; these included former Communications Minister Eamon Ryan . The result left Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil with similar seat numbers and brought an end to the previous government's overall majority. Enda Kenny , the Taoiseach , immediately conceded on television that the outgoing coalition government of Fine Gael and Labour would be unable to continue. Fianna Fáil had entered negotiations with Independents and smaller parties by Tuesday 1 March when Fine Gael's efforts got underway. For Fianna Fáil this involved talks with newly elected TDs at constituency level "far, far away from Dublin". Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin
3348-788: The Fianna Fáil party whip withdrawn. He has since been re-added to Fianna Fáil's website. In the European Committee of the Regions , Fianna Fáil sits in the Renew Europe CoR group, with two full and two alternate members for the 2020–2025 mandate. Kate Feeney is third vice-president of the Group. 2016 Irish government formation The events surrounding the formation of Ireland's government in 2016 took place during March, April and May of that year, following
3441-598: The Independent Alliance in Athlone , as well as non-Alliance Independents Michael Collins , Noel Grealish , Michael Harty , Mattie McGrath and Denis Naughten. Negotiations continued over Easter (Easter Day fell on Sunday 27 March in 2016). This period also featured nationwide commemorations of the centenary of the 1916 Easter Rising . On 29 March, Fine Gael met with rural Independents (led by former Fine Gael TD Denis Naughten); Fianna Fáil did likewise
3534-491: The Independents did offer to facilitate any task that would hasten the formation of a government. The next day on 15 April, talks resumed between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. Independent TD Finian McGrath, speaking with Sean O'Rourke on RTÉ , laid out further demands for the parties. In order for Independents to enter the government, McGrath said, Fine Gael would need to provide: Barry Cowen of Fianna Fáil responded to
3627-550: The National Drugs Strategy) and Regina Doherty (Government chief whip). Announcing his team of junior ministers, Kenny said that his government would place a stronger emphasis on important policy areas, particularly health; but Michael Brennan, political editor of The Sunday Business Post suggested the Taoiseach would face criticism from opposition parties for expanding government and creating "jobs for
3720-714: The SDLP Margaret Ritchie originally stated publicly that she opposed any merger, announcing to the Labour Party Conference that such a merger would not happen on her "watch". On 10 January 2019, Richie stated that she now supported a new partnership with Fianna Fáil. Both Fianna Fáil and the SDLP currently have shared policies on key areas including addressing the current political situation in Northern Ireland, improving public services in both jurisdictions of Ireland, such as healthcare, housing, education, and governmental reform, and bringing about
3813-734: The border in September 2007 in northern universities, and established two 'Political Societies', the William Drennan Cumann in Queens University, Belfast, and the Watty Graham Cumann in UU Magee, Derry, which subsequently became official units of Fianna Fáil's youth wing, attaining full membership and voting rights, and attained official voting delegates at the 2012 Ard Fheis. On 23 February 2008, it
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3906-522: The controversial Oath of Allegiance was removed. It failed to pass at the Sinn Féin Ard Fheis , leading de Valera and a number of other members, including most of Sinn Féin's parliamentary talent, to split from Sinn Féin. His new party adopted its name on 2 April of the same year. While it was also opposed to the Treaty settlement , it rejected abstentionism, instead aiming to republicanise
3999-534: The course of 2024, several sitting Fianna Fáil councillors and former party members left to join the right-wing Independent Ireland party. Fianna Fáil uses a structure called a cumann system. The basic unit was the cumann (branch); these were grouped into comhairlí ceantair (district branches) and a comhairle dáil ceantair (constituency branch) in every constituency. The party claimed that in 2005 they had 50,000 registered names, but only an estimated 10,000–15,000 members were considered active. However, from
4092-432: The early 1990s onward, the cumann structure was weakened. Every cumann was entitled to three votes to selection conventions irrespective of its size; hence, a large number of cumainn had become in effect "paper cumainn ", the only use of which was to ensure an aspiring or sitting candidate got enough votes. Although this phenomenon was nothing new (the most famous example being Neil Blaney 's "Donegal Mafia"). Since
4185-504: The early 2000s, Fianna Fáil leader Bertie Ahern affirmed the party's catch-all stance by defining Fianna Fáil as a party that "looks out for the small ranking guy, the middle-ranking guy and assists the big guy". In 2023, party leader Micheál Martin described Fianna Fáil as "a progressive republican party which rejects the failed and destructive idea that you must conform to the traditional left/right ideology". Between 1989 and 2011, Fianna Fáil led coalition governments with parties of both
4278-577: The election of 2011. Its longest continuous period in office was its first, 15 years and 11 months (March 1932 – February 1948). Its longest single period out of office in the 20th century was four years and four months (March 1973 – July 1977). All of the party's leaders have served as Taoiseach . The party's most dominant era was the 41-year period between 1932 and 1973, when party leaders Éamon de Valera, Seán Lemass and Jack Lynch served as Taoiseach in an almost unbroken chain save for two three-year stints by John A. Costello . De Valera's reign
4371-463: The election, representatives from Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil announced that they had reached an agreement for a Fine Gael-led minority government. For extra stability, the agreement included a review date of September 2018, with the government permitted to rule until then. On 6 May 2016, a fourth vote for Taoiseach was held in the Dáil. Enda Kenny became the first Fine Gael leader to be re-elected as Taoiseach. He did so by gaining just one vote more than
4464-544: The election. Cowen's premiership was sharply criticised in the media, with The Sunday Times describing Cowen's tenure as Taoiseach as "a dismal failure" and in 2011 the Irish Independent calling Cowen the "worst Taoiseach in the history of the State." Martin continued to lead Fianna Fáil past 2011; In the 2016 general election Martin's Fianna Fáil made a moderate recovery while Fine Gael retained control of
4557-498: The first time organise in Northern Ireland. The then Foreign Minister Dermot Ahern was asked to chair a committee on the matter: "In the period ahead Dermot Ahern will lead efforts to develop that strategy for carrying through this policy, examining timescales and structures. We will act gradually and strategically. We are under no illusions. It will not be easy. It will challenge us all. But I am confident we will succeed". The party embarked on its first ever recruitment drive north of
4650-424: The further unity and cooperation of the people on the island and arrangements for a future poll on Irish reunification . In September 2022, SDLP party leader Colum Eastwood announced the end of its partnership with Fianna Fáil, saying that the SDLP needed to move forward by "standing on its own two feet". Fianna Fáil joined the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) party on 16 April 2009, and
4743-472: The general election held on 26 February, which failed to produce an overall majority for any of the country's outgoing political alliances and resulted in a hung parliament . The outgoing administration was a coalition government of Fine Gael and the Labour Party . Both parties lost many seats, meaning they no longer commanded an overall majority in Dáil Éireann . The largest opposition party, Fianna Fáil , more than doubled its number of seats, becoming
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#17327867095904836-470: The government as a minority government , made possible by a confidence and supply agreement with Fianna Fáíl. In 2018 the party was divided internally over how the party would handle that year's referendum on the Eighth Amendment , the provision in the Irish constitution which forbade abortion , with a significant portion of both the parliamentary party and the ordinary membership in favour of
4929-615: The historic principles of European republican philosophy , namely liberty, equality and fraternity ". The party's main goal at its beginning was to reunite the North and the South. Fianna Fáil is supportive of the European Union . Although part of the liberal Renew group in the European Parliament, its liberal nature has been disputed. As of 2009, Fianna Fáil did not always support Renew's positions on civil liberties though
5022-517: The history of the Irish state. This loss was described as "historic" in its proportions and "unthinkable". The party sank from being the largest in the Dáil to the third-largest, losing 58 of its 78 seats. This broke 79 consecutive years of Fianna Fáil being the largest single party in the Dáil. That election took place with Micheál Martin as leader, as Cowen had resigned as party leader in January 2011, although retained his role as Taoiseach until
5115-473: The involvement of Leo Varadkar , Richard Bruton , Simon Harris and Eoghan Murphy was also noted. Meanwhile, the Sunday Independent of 13 March reported that Enda Kenny had a street conversation outside Leinster House with Fianna Fáil TD John McGuinness on government formation on 9 March, though McGuinness was not part of the team of TDs officially tasked with talks by Micheál Martin. On
5208-437: The largest opposition party, and it entered a confidence and supply arrangement with a Fine Gael–led minority government . In 2020, after a number of months of political stalemate following the general election , Fianna Fáil agreed with Fine Gael and the Green Party to enter into an unprecedented coalition, with the leaders of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael rotating between the roles of Taoiseach and Tánaiste . Fianna Fáil
5301-452: The last number of years and deserve stability." This contradicted an earlier contribution made by Simon Coveney on Prime Time when he suggested Fine Gael would "certainly be willing to talk about water" in any negotiations with other parties to form a government. Fianna Fáil's Barry Cowen had also indicated that abolishing Irish Water was a ' red line issue' but both Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil later "backtracked, U-turned and reinvented
5394-492: The leadership of Seán Lemass in the 1960s, Fianna Fáil began to utilise some corporatist policies (embracing the concept of ' social partnership '), taking some influence from the Roman Catholic Church. It was also during Lemass' time that the party shifted heavily away from autarkic thinking and towards a firm belief in free trade and foreign direct investment in Ireland. In 1967, Jack Lynch described
5487-408: The left and the right. Fianna Fáil's platform contains a number of enduring commitments: to Irish unity ; to the promotion and protection of the Irish language ; and to maintaining Ireland's tradition of military neutrality . The party's name and logo incorporates the words 'The Republican Party'. According to Fianna Fáil, "Republican here stands both for the unity of the island and a commitment to
5580-445: The minimum required for gaining power under the terms of the minority government agreement with Fianna Fáil. Including his own vote, Kenny received the votes of Fine Gael TDs and nine independents: Seán Canney , John Halligan , Michael Harty, Michael Lowry , Finian McGrath, Kevin "Boxer" Moran , Denis Naughten, Shane Ross and Katherine Zappone . Lowry offered a handshake to Kenny shortly after Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl confirmed
5673-419: The most significant split in the party's history when a large portion of the membership walked out to create the Progressive Democrats in 1985, under the leadership of Haughey archrival Desmond O'Malley . Haughey was forced to resign as Taoiseach and party leader in 1992 following revelations about his role in a phone tapping scandal . Although the two parties had seemed poised to be bitter enemies owing to
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#17327867095905766-402: The next Dáil vote on nominations for Taoiseach, which was due on the following Wednesday, 6 April. That vote also failed to elect a Taoiseach, with both Kenny and Martin failing to obtain enough votes to secure the post, while the vote made history when Anti-Austerity Alliance TD Ruth Coppinger became the first woman to be nominated as Taoiseach. Afterwards, Martin rejected claims by Kenny in
5859-419: The next day. Fine Gael's commitments to the rural independents included more investment on rural transport and rural broadband; no closures of small schools, post offices or police stations; protection of the credit union sector, as well as commitments on housing and mental health. On 30 March the Green Party pulled out of any further talks, claiming it wanted to leave Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil together to form
5952-507: The night of 15 March, hours after meeting the Fianna Fáil four, the Social Democrats announced they had pulled out of any further talks with Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael. Fianna Fáil also held talks with the Green Party on the same day; its leader, Eamon Ryan, promised to continue negotiating with the party alongside which he had sat in government between 2007 and 2011. Around the same time, Fine Gael's Simon Coveney met rural members of
6045-459: The notion that Fianna Fáil was a party in thrall to communists. During the 1932 general election campaign, Cumann na nGaedheal declared in a newspaper advert that "the gunmen and Communists are voting for Fianna Fáil today – vote for the Government party." However, Fianna Fáil won the election, forming its first government on 9 March 1932. It was in power for 61 of the 79 years between then and
6138-447: The number of Ministers of State from fifteen to eighteen, the highest number of junior appointments since Bertie Ahern named 20 in 2007. These appointments were made up of a selection of Fine Gael and Independent deputies, and included four women– Helen McEntee (Minister of State for Mental Health and Older People), Marcella Corcoran Kennedy (Minister of State for Health Promotion), Catherine Byrne (Minister of State for Communities and
6231-419: The party as "left of centre" while suggesting it was to the left of Fine Gael and Labour. However, during the 1969 Irish general election , the party ran red scare tactics against Labour after it began using the slogan "the seventies will be socialist!". As Fine Gael became more and more socially liberal in the 1970s under Garret FitzGerald , the party reacted by embracing social conservatism and populism. In
6324-511: The party did legalize same-sex civil partnerships in 2010. In 2014, Fianna Fáil expelled MEP Brian Crowley for joining the right-wing European Conservatives and Reformists Group , with the party stating that "the ideas and principles of the ECR group and its component parties are totally incompatible with the core principles of Fianna Fáil". In recent years, Fianna Fáil has increasingly been seen as divided on social issues, and as moving towards
6417-404: The party in this era and grew particularly intense when Charles Haughey later became party leader. Under Haughey, Fianna Fáil lost both the 1981 general election and November 1982 general election to Garret FitzGerald 's Fine Gael during a particularly chaotic time in Ireland's political and economic history. Numerous failed internal attempts to oust Haughey as leader of the party culminated in
6510-687: The party's Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) sat in the ALDE Group during the 7th European Parliament term from June 2009 to 1 July 2014. The party is a full member of the Liberal International . Prior to this, the party was part of the Eurosceptic Union for Europe of the Nations parliamentary group between 1999 and 2009. Party headquarters, over the objections of some MEPs, had made several attempts to sever
6603-648: The party's links to the European right, including an aborted 2004 agreement to join the European Liberal Democrat and Reform (ELDR) Party, with whom it already sat in the Council of Europe under the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) banner. On 27 February 2009, Taoiseach Brian Cowen announced that Fianna Fáil proposed to join the ELDR Party and intended to sit with them in
6696-411: The party's slow development towards all-Ireland politics, Mr. Cowen observed: "We have a very open and pragmatic approach. We are a constitutional republican party and we make no secret of the aspirations on which this party was founded. It has always been very clear in our mind what it is we are seeking to achieve, that is to reconcile this country and not being prisoners of our past history. To be part of
6789-769: The party's vote further dropping in Dublin and a two candidate strategy in the Midlands North West constituency, which backfired, resulting in sitting MEP Pat "the Cope" Gallagher losing his seat. On 23 June 2014, returning MEP Brian Crowley announced that he intended to sit with the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) rather than the ALDE group during the upcoming 8th term of the European parliament. The following day on 24 June 2014 Crowley had
6882-413: The party, which was still in government under a new leader and Taoiseach Brian Cowen , was held responsible for the effects of the post-2008 Irish economic downturn . The party's popularity crashed: an opinion poll on 27 February 2009 indicated that only 10% of voters were satisfied with the Government's performance. In the 2011 general election , it suffered the worst defeat of a sitting government in
6975-465: The party. Mr. McHugh confirmed that although he had joined the party, he would continue to sit as an independent MLA. In June 2010, Fianna Fáil opened its first official office in Northern Ireland, in Crossmaglen, County Armagh. The then Taoiseach Brian Cowen officially opened the office, accompanied by Ministers Éamon Ó Cuív and Dermot Ahern and Deputies Rory O’Hanlon and Margaret Conlon. Discussing
7068-543: The peace process in Northern Ireland, as well the economic upswing caused by the Celtic Tiger which saw Ireland's economy boom during the 2000s. However, this momentum came to a sharp and sudden halt following two events. Firstly, Ahern was forced to resign as Taoiseach and left the party in 2008 following revelations made in the Mahon Tribunal that Ahern had accepted money from property developers. Secondly,
7161-579: The personal conflicts between the memberships, from 1989 onwards Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats served repeatedly in coalition governments together, helping to stabilise Fianna Fáil. In 1994 Fianna Fáil came under the new leadership of Haughey protégé Bertie Ahern , who also became Taoiseach in 1997. Under Ahern, Fianna Fáil was able to claim credit for helping to broker the Good Friday Agreement in 1998 which began
7254-787: The previous Fianna Fáil - Green Party coalition government shortly after the latter had agreed to embark on the Economic Adjustment Programme for Ireland . Fine Gael and the Labour Party continued with these measures. The general election was held on Friday 26 February 2016. Fine Gael lost 26 seats; the Labour Party, which lost 30 seats, only just returned enough members to secure speaking rights in Dáil Éireann . Fianna Fáil added 23 seats, Sinn Féin added nine, and Anti-Austerity Alliance–People Before Profit also gained seats. The Social Democrats and Independents 4 Change returned all their elected representatives to
7347-524: The previous government, kept that role and was also appointed Tánaiste in the new government. The new cabinet arrived at the Áras shortly after 11 pm the same evening, to receive their seals of office from President Higgins in the State Reception room. As is traditional, Enda Kenny chaired the first cabinet meeting there; this ended shortly after midnight. Kenny made the government's junior ministerial appointments on 19 May 2016, expanding
7440-399: The reported exchange of an economic paper between the two. Talks continued in the following days; however, they were slow to discuss the contentious issue of Irish Water. Talks continued for several weeks, with both Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil suggesting that a deal was untenable. Fine Gael briefly considered entering into a deal with their normal coalition partner the Labour Party, but that
7533-521: The result. Kenny then departed to Áras an Uachtaráin , where President Higgins presented him with his seal of office. The new administration was announced later the same evening, Shane Ross having confirmed himself as Minister for Transport in advance. Three Independent politicians secured senior cabinet posts: Zappone ( appointed to the Seanad by Kenny in 2011), Naughten and Ross. Frances Fitzgerald, who had served as Minister for Justice and Equality in
7626-649: The role of Taoiseach rotated between the parties, was reported by the Irish Examiner as having been released "in order to test the waters as to such a deal". The Dáil reconvened on Thursday 10 March. It did not elect a Taoiseach and was adjourned until Tuesday 29 March, though talks continued. Its adjournment coincided with the Saint Patrick's Day festivities and an EU summit in Brussels, while Kenny also cut short his annual visit to Washington owing to
7719-557: The same time period, the emergence of the Troubles and the Arms Crisis of 1971 tested the party's nationalism, but despite these events, Fianna Fáil maintained their moderate culturally nationalist stance. In 1983, R. Ken Carty wrote of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael that they were "heterogeneous in their bases of support, relatively undifferentiated in terms of policy or programme, and remarkably stable in their support levels". In
7812-498: The second-largest party in the Dáil. The parties comprising the left-wing Right2Change alliance, as well as other unaligned parties such as the Green Party or the Social Democrats , also failed to win a majority of seats. Consequently, senior figures from both Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil embarked on talks with each other and also with independent politicians and representatives of several smaller parties, aiming at forming
7905-422: The state", but that there was "deep ambiguity concerning what type of party Fianna Fáil really is". In the modern era, Fianna Fáil is seen as a typical catch-all party and has defined itself as such. It has presented itself as a " broad church " and attracted support from across disparate social classes . In the 1980s, Brian Lenihan Snr declared "there are no isms or [ide]ologies in my party"; further, in
7998-966: The talks. References to the political deadlock came aplenty in Washington: Joe Biden told Kenny he would get 80 per cent of the vote if he ran in America, and Kenny was quoted as having told the Irish Embassy: "Bejaysus, I wish I didn't have to go back and face what I have to face". Following the failure of the Dáil to elect a Taoiseach, Fianna Fáil named a negotiating team comprising four of its TDs: finance spokesman Michael McGrath , education spokesman Charlie McConalogue , environment spokesman Barry Cowen, and legal advisor and newly elected TD Jim O'Callaghan . The Irish Times noted that Fine Gael's negotiators with other groups included Frances Fitzgerald and Simon Coveney, who both attended most of their party's meetings with others, while
8091-599: The three-day Women in Media conference in Ballybunion . In the same address, Harney—who attended along with her husband Brian Geogheghan—claimed that "when she left public life she made a conscious decision to leave politics behind her". Green Party leader Eamon Ryan met with Fine Gael on 19 April, with the party offering its support for a minority government from the opposition benches. Meanwhile, talks between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil were held at Trinity College and led to
8184-525: The wheel on water charges" as Kevin Doyle phrased it in the Irish Independent . A meeting of Independents—minus Michael Healy-Rae and his brother Danny , who nonetheless maintained phone contact—also took place on 3 March in Kildare Street , with Denis Naughten chairing. On Friday 4 March, four of the six incoming Independent Alliance TDs met with Taoiseach Kenny to talk and present him with
8277-637: Was announced that a former Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) councillor, Colonel Harvey Bicker , had joined Fianna Fáil. Bertie Ahern announced on 7 December 2007 that Fianna Fáil had been registered in Northern Ireland by the UK Electoral Commission . The party's Ard Fheis in 2009 unanimously passed a motion to organise in Northern Ireland by establishing forums, rather than cumainn, in each of its six counties. In December 2009, Fianna Fáil secured its first Northern Ireland Assembly MLA when Gerry McHugh , an independent MLA, announced he had joined
8370-470: Was reported to have had an 'informal chat' with Catherine Murphy and Róisín Shortall of the Social Democrats in the Dáil canteen. Green Party leader Eamon Ryan also had talks with several parties. On Thursday 3 March, Michael O'Leary , the CEO of Ryanair , called the outcome of the general election "a mess", and said he expected another election within 12 months. Ireland, he said, "can't survive with either
8463-410: Was reported to have lasted only ten minutes. Early on 9 April, Jim O'Callaghan hosted a covert meeting at his home with Leo Varadkar, Deirdre Gillane (chief adviser to Micheál Martin) and Andrew McDowell (a policy adviser to Enda Kenny). It lasted for more than an hour. Then came an announcement that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael would meet, with both publishing a statement saying they would "discuss how
8556-437: Was the largest party in Dáil Éireann , but latterly with a decline in its vote share; from 1989 onwards, its periods of government were in coalition with parties of either the left or the right. Fianna Fáil's vote collapsed in the 2011 general election ; it emerged in third place, in what was widely seen as a political realignment in the wake of the post-2008 Irish economic downturn . By 2016, it had recovered enough to become
8649-438: Was viewed by many observers as unlikely. Michael D. Higgins , President of Ireland , issued a warning to the major party leaders on 19 April; he said that if they were unable to reach an agreement, he was "very, very well aware" of Article 13 of the constitution which gives him the "absolute power" to decide whether the Dáil should be dissolved if the Taoiseach tells him a government cannot be formed. On 29 April, 63 days after
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