The Irish political party Fianna Fáil was founded on 16 May 1926 at a public meeting at the La Scala Theatre on Prince's Street (now O'Connell Street) in Dublin., with Éamon de Valera as its first president. Organizing took place two months after de Valera and other deputies in the Dáil Éireann deputies, decided to split from the original Sinn Féin.Notable New Yorkers – Éamon de Valéra This happened because de Valera's motion calling for elected members be allowed to take their seats in the Dáil, if and when the controversial Oath of Allegiance was removed, failed to pass at the Sinn Féin Ard Fheis on 11 March 1926, and De Valera resigned as the Sinn Féin chairman."Mr. De Valera Resigns: Ard-Fheis Vote Sequel", Irish Independent, March 12, 1926, p.7 "Irish Republican Split. Search For Basis of Cooperation". The Times, 13 March 1926. The new party adopted its name on 2 April of the same year. From the formation of the first Fianna Fáil government on 9 March 1932 until the 2011 general election, the party was in power for 61 of 79 years. Its longest continuous period in office was 15 years and 11 months (March 1932–February 1948). Its single longest period out of office, in that time, has been four years and four months (March 1973–July 1977). All eight of its party's leaders have served as Taoiseach. It was the largest party in Dáil Éireann at every general election from the 1932 general election until the 2011 general election, when it suffered the worst defeat of a sitting government in the history of the Irish state.

Founding

The Fianna Fáil Party was founded by Éamon de Valera former Príomh Aire (prime minister & president of Dáil Éireann (April 1919–August 1921)) and President of the Republic (August 1921–January 1922) when he and a number of other members split from Sinn Féin. Other founding members included Seán Lemass (who became its second leader), Seán T. O'Kelly, P. J. Ruttledge and others, including the 1916 veterans Gerald Boland and Constance Markievicz, who chaired the inaugural meeting at the La Scala Theatre in O'Connell Street, Dublin. Though Fianna Fáil was also opposed to the Treaty settlement, it adopted a different approach of aiming to republicanise the Irish Free State. As far as the party's economic policies are concerned, Fianna Fáil's platform of economic autarky had appeal among the farmers, working-class people and the poor, whilst initially alienating more affluent classes.Paul Bew, Ellen Hazelkorn, and Henry Patterson, The Dynamics of Irish Politics (London: Lawrence & Wishart, 1989), p. 42Peter Mair and Liam Weeks, "The Party System", in Politics in the Republic of Ireland, ed. John Coakley and Michael Gallagher, 4th ed. (New York: Routledge, 2004), p. 140

De Valera (1926–59) In the June 1927 election Fianna Fáil did well in western Ireland and in the working class districts of Dublin."Southern Irish Elections". The Times, 6 June 1927. After the election Fianna Fáil initially refused to enter the Irish Free State's Dáil Éireann in protest at the Oath of Allegiance which all members of the Dáil were obliged to take. The oath, which was contained in the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921, was drafted by Michael Collins, using phraseology taken from the Irish Republican Brotherhood's oath and suggestions from de Valera, then President of the Republic. In its final form, it promised "allegiance" to "The Irish Free State" and "that I will be faithful" to King George V in his role as King of Ireland, "in virtue of the common citizenship".Dáil Éireann - Volume 3–19 December 1921 debate on treaty The party initially took a court case on the issue of the oath. However the assassination of the Cumann na nGaedheal Minister for Justice, Kevin O'Higgins, led the then government to introduce a new bill, requiring all candidates to swear that they would take the oath if elected."Mr. Cosgrave and the Oath". The Times, 30 August 1927. (If they declined to give that guarantee, they would be ineligible to be candidates in any election.) Fianna Fáil abandoned its previous refusal to take the oath, dismissed it as an "empty formula", and entered the Dáil. Between the June 1927 election and the 1932 general election de Valera founded The Irish Press.Declaration by Éamon de Valera Galway Observer, 8 August 1931.O'Brien, Mark. De Valera, Fianna Fáil and the Irish Press: The Truth in the News? Irish Academic Press, 2001 (p. 56).

On 9 March 1932 Éamon de Valera was elected President of the Executive Council of the Irish Free State. He would be prime minister (titled as President of the Executive Council until 1937 and as Taoiseach after 1937) for 21 years, the first 16 of which were uninterrupted. The ban on the Irish Republican Army (IRA) was lifted, the Oath of Allegiance to the British Crown was abolished and the office of Governor-General was greatly demoted.Dáil Éireann – Volume 64 – 12 December, 1936. Executive Authority (External Relations) Bill, 1936 – Committee Stage. During his first term de Valera weakened the links between the Free State and Britain. The relations with the United Kingdom rapidly deteriorated. De Valera also started an economic war with Britain, the country's largest trading partner, by withholding land annuity payments though the Irish Government did not actually end its own collection of annuities that were costing its farmers over £4 million annually. High tariffs were placed on British imports and the British responded by placing tariffs on Irish goods such as agricultural produce. This "tit for tat" policy was disastrous for the Irish economy with the impact of the Great Depression compounding the difficulties, removing the outlet of emigration from Ireland and reducing remittances from abroad.Barry, Frank, and Mary E. Daly. "Irish Perceptions of the Great Depression" (No. iiisdp349. IIIS, 2011.) OnlineIrish History 1851–1950, Austin Reid, Folens Press (1980), Economic War 1933–38, pp. 223–226. Seanad debate of 6 September 1934 The government urged people to support the confrontation with Britain as a national hardship to be shared by every citizen and it would last until 1938 when the Anglo-Irish Free Trade Agreement was signed.Daly M.E., Industrial Development and Irish National Identity, 1922–39 (Gill and Macmillan, Dublin 1992)

In May 1936 de Valera abolished Seanad Éireann (Irish Free State). At that time he also announced his intention to draw up a new constitution. On 1 July 1937 the Irish people adopted the new Constitution of Ireland. This new constitution was republican in all but name. The constitution claimed that the state consisted of the entire island of Ireland and the office of Governor-General was replaced by the President of Ireland. De Valera was able to succeed with this tactic as the 1930s had seen a change in Britain's relationship with Ireland. In 1931, the Statute of Westminster had all but abolished Westminster's right to legislate for the Free State, effectively granting it internationally recognised independence. Thus, the Houses of Commons/Lords no longer had a role in turning National bills into Law. It was a delicate political move but one which de Valera managed to execute without major disruption.

In 1939 at the outbreak of World War II de Valera announced that Ireland would remain neutral. Fine Gael TD James Dillon was alone in advocating an alliance with the United Kingdom. This policy infuriated the British; however, Ireland's neutrality strongly favoured the Allies. Controversially, de Valera formally offered his condolences to the German Minister in Dublin on the death of Adolf Hitler in 1945, in accordance with diplomatic protocol.An Irish Statesman and Revolutionary by Elizabeth Keane (), page 106

After de Valera had spent sixteen years in power—without answering the crucial questions of partition and republican status—the public demanded a change from Fianna Fáil government. In the 1948 election, de Valera lost the outright majority he'd enjoyed since 1933. De Valera refused to enter a coalition, and was consigned to opposition when the other parties banded together to form the First Inter-Party Government. He returned in 1951, but no new ideas emerged from the Cabinet. Seán Lemass was eager to launch a new economic policy but the conservative elements in the government prevailed.Garvin, T. Preventing the Future; Why was Ireland so poor for so long? , (Gill & Macmillan, Dublin 2005), Fianna Fáil lost power again in 1954. In 1957 de Valera returned for the final time as Taoiseach. At this stage he was 75 years old and almost blind. However, he allowed Lemass to proceed with his economic expansion plan the 'Programme for Economic Expansion' of 1958. He won the presidential election on 17 June 1959 and resigned as Taoiseach, leader of Fianna Fáil and TD for Clare six days later, handing over power to Seán Lemass.

Lemass (1959–66)

Seán Lemass became the new leader of the Party and Taoiseach on 23 June 1959 (the same day de Valera became president). A founding member of the party, he had been a member of every Fianna Fáil government since 1932.

Lemass as Taoiseach concentrated his energy on mainly economic matters. He had the task of implementing the 'First Programme for Economic Development' which began in 1958. The policy of Protectionism was abandoned and free trade was introduced. Grants and tax concessions were given to companies who set up in Ireland. As a result of the 'Programme' the Irish economy grew at a rate of 4% per annum. A second, even more ambitious, Programme for Economic Expansion was started in 1963. Tom Garvin, professor emeritus of politics at University College Dublin, has argued that Lemass suggested and enabled protectionism from 1932, and then was unduly credited when he chose to revert to a free trade policy after 1960.Garvin T. Preventing the future Why was Ireland so poor for so long? Gill & Macmillan, Dublin (2004).

Lemass' success in managing the economy led to his victory in the 1961 general election. Lemass now felt that he had a greater mandate and began making more changes including the establishment of Taca He introduced a new wave of fresh and more modern thinkers to the Cabinet, including Brian Lenihan, Charles Haughey, George Colley and Patrick Hillery. Even though this was a minority government it is considered by many the best and most productive government in the history of the state.

The sixties were a time of great change in Ireland. In 1961 RTÉ television began broadcasting, opening up a new world to the Irish people. The following year the Second Vatican Council led to – according to its supporters – greater openness in the Catholic Church, which was still a major force in Ireland. In 1963 the U.S. President John F. Kennedy visited Ireland. In 1966 free secondary education was announced by the Minister for Education, Donogh O'Malley.Dáil Éireann Debate Vol. 225 No. 12 Committee on Finance. - Vote 28 — Office of the Minister for Education. http://oireachtasdebates.oireachtas.ie/debates%20authoring/debateswebpack.nsf/takes/dail1966113000031

During this term Lemass began a new policy of reconciliation with Northern Ireland. On 9 January 1965, Lemass travelled to Stormont in great secrecy for talks with Prime Minister of Northern Ireland Terence O'Neill. In February O'Neill returned the compliment and visited Lemass in Dublin.

In November 1966 Lemass announced his resignation as leader and Taoiseach. After fifty years serving Ireland and its people, the founding fathers, Seán Lemass, Seán MacEntee and James Ryan, who had dominated Irish politics for so long, left the stage of history.

Lynch (1966–79)