Fianna Fáil << FEE uh nuh FAWL >> is one of the leading political parties of the Republic of Ireland. Its name means soldiers of destiny. The party seeks to reunite Ireland by peaceful means and to promote the Irish language and culture. While it acknowledges the importance of a competitive market economy, it also supports state regulation of business and publicly funded social services.
In 1926, a group of Sinn Féin members led by Eamon de Valera split from that party to form Fianna Fáil. The new party opposed the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921, which had created the Irish Free State from most of Ireland but left Northern Ireland as part of the United Kingdom. Fianna Fáil members first won seats in Dáil Éireann, Ireland’s House of Representatives, in 1927. In 1932, the party won enough seats to gain control of Ireland’s government. Fianna Fáil has held power either alone or in partnership with other parties for most of the time since then.
Under the leadership of de Valera, Fianna Fáil sought to make Ireland economically independent and to strengthen Irish culture. Before de Valera stepped down as party leader in 1959, the Fianna Fáil government had begun to open the country to international investment, trade, and cultural influences.
In 1994, Bertie Ahern was chosen as leader of Fianna Fáil. In the 1997 parliamentary elections, Fianna Fáil won the most seats in Dáil Éireann, and Ahern became taoiseach (prime minister). In the late 1990’s, the party modified its approach to reuniting Ireland and supported efforts to bring peace to Northern Ireland in partnership with the British government. Fianna Fáil leaders Ahern and Albert Reynolds played key roles in the peace process that led to the Good Friday Agreement of 1998. Brian Cowen succeeded Ahern as taoiseach and Fianna Fáil leader in 2008.
In January 2011, Micheál Martin replaced Cowen as party leader. With Ireland suffering from a poor economy, Fianna Fáil suffered its worst ever election defeat in February. Fianna Fáil had been Ireland’s dominant party since 1932, but it finished behind the Fine Gael party and the Labour Party. In 2020, Fine Gael entered into a coalition government with Fianna Fáil. Martin became taoiseach as part of the governing agreement and served until December 2022.
See also Ireland, History of.
