Eoin
O'Duffy
was
born in Laragh, Ireland in 1892. As a young
man he worked as an engineer, architect and auctioneer in Wexford
and Monaghan.
O'Duffy
joined the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and
by the end of the First World War was commander
of the Monaghan Brigade. On 14th February, 1920, O'Duffy's unit successfully
captured the R.U.C. barracks at Ballytrain.
During the Civil War O'Duffy
was appointed head of the South Western Command. In September 1922
he retired from the army to become Chief Commissioner of the Garda
Siochana in September 1922. He held the post until being dismissed
by Eamon de Valera in February 1933.
O'Duffy became active in
the fascist movement and was given command
of the Army Comrades Association (also known as Blueshirts).
O'Duffy renamed the movement the National Guard. He also organized
marches, flags, salutes ("Hail O'Duffy) based on those in Nazi
Germany. This led to fighting in the streets between the National
Guard and left-wing groups. In August 1933 the government banned the
National Guard from marching to Leinster Lawn.
The following month O'Duffy
helped establish the Fine Gael Party.
O'Duffy became president of the party but he caused considerable controversy
when he described the Irish Republican Army
as a communist organization. In August 1934 O'Duffy was forced to
resign from the presidency.
On the outbreak of the
Spanish Civil War O'Duffy began recruiting
volunteers to go and fight in the war. Supported by the Catholic Church
in Ireland and by right-wing national newspapers, O'Duffy and the
first volunteers left travelled from Dublin
on 13th November, 1936. It has been argued that the men who went to
Spain were mainly motivated by a desire
to defend the Catholic Church in Spain.
An estimated 750 Blue Shirts
fought with the Nationalist
Army during the
war. The Irish volunteers became part of the XV Bandera Irlandesa
del Terico of the Spanish Foreign Legion. The Blueshirts
suffered heavy losses at Jarama in February
1937.
On his return to Ireland
in 1938 O'Duffy published his book, Crusade
in Spain. O'Duffy continued to advocate fascist policies
and during the Second World War he had negotiations
with politicians in Germany about the possibility
of persuading the Irish Republican Army of
undertaking a policy of sabotage against Britain.
Eoin
O'Duffy
was given a state funeral when he died in 1944.
(1)
Eoin O'Duffy, statement issued
on why the Irish Brigade was leaving Spain (May, 1937)
They have now been in the front line trenches without a
break since February 19, on which date they received their
baptism of fire. Since then they have been subjected to almost unceasing
shell fire and bombing day after day and night after night.
We have left seven dead
on the field, we have many seriously wounded, some maimed for life,
and many others suffering from shell shock, pulmonary diseases, rheumatic
fever, &c., developed in the trenches during the incessant heavy
rains of February and March, from which complaints, I fear, some of
the men may never fully recover. By the end of March we had 150 in
hospital.
The greatest trial of
war will undoubtedly be the danger of typhoid and other fevers from
now on, but the climatic conditions during the past few months, and
the almost complete absence of water for either drinking or sanitary
purposes, have had serious effects on the health of the Irish troops
already.
Nevertheless, neither
the sick nor wounded ever made any complaints and returned to the
front cheerfully immediately
on their discharge from hospital.
As our brigade is composed
entirely of volunteers General Franco has been concerned about the
safety of minors - those under 21 years of age - and has made representations
to me from time to time in regard to their repatriation. The number
of volunteers under 21 is upwards of 106.
Owing to the understanding
in regard to the six months' period of service, a large number of
volunteers arranged with
their employers to engage substitutes during their absence, and about
the middle of April I received requests from upwards of 200 officers,
N.C.O.s, and men to make arrangements for their return to Ireland.
All expressed, however, their loyal acceptance of my decision and
signified their willingness to remain here if I so desired.
The transport of volunteers
from Ireland to Spain always presented difficulties, but now, with
the Free State Non-Intervention Act and the activities of the international
observers on the frontiers, we are confronted with the position that
no further support from Ireland will be forthcoming. The Irish post
offices have even refused to accept parcels addressed to members of
the brigade in Spain since the passing of the Act.
Without a reserve, or
any hope of a reserve, it is a very serious responsibility for any
commander or leader to order
men into action in modem warfare where one or two activities might
result in the complete annihilation of a little band of men like this
which constitutes the Irish Brigade.
No one knows better than
I do the high morale, the spirit, and the bravery of the men, and
I know that no danger, not even the certainty of death itself, would
daunt them, but such an ending of the brigade, however, glorious,
would be as bad
for Spain as it would be for Ireland.
Taking all these facts
into consideration, I considered it my duty as leader of the brigade
to give each member an opportunity of deciding for himself as to whether
he should return to Ireland now or continue on here for the duration
of the war.
With the exception of
a few who have made up their minds to remain in Spain, the unanimous
decision has been to return to Ireland now, our obligations having
been fulfilled.
Accordingly the brigade
will return to Ireland as soon as its place in the front line has
been filled and the men have
had a rest in Caceres. Meanwhile travelling arrangements will be made.
(2)
John Quinn, interviewed in the North Belfast News (20th October
2001)
The one thing that upsets me about the history that is written about
the Irish men who fought in the Spanish Civil War is that it tends
to misrepresent the ideals and beliefs which led so many of these
men to fight, on both sides.
Many people mistakenly
believe that everyone who joined Eoin O'Duffy was a fascist, some
may have been, but the vast majority of those who did fight for Franco
had no interest in fascism and were more traditional Catholics. This
book (Spanish Civil War: The Untold Misery) will show that many of
the men who joined Eoin O'Duffy, especially from Belfast, did so because
of the fact that they were devout Catholics and as a consequence did
what the church told them to do, but also they went to fight because
of the unique relationship they had with O'Duffy himself.
Whatever O'Duffy's faults
he obviously made an impression on a number of his old IRA comrades
and when 1936 came around some joined him on the boat to Spain.
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