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he politics of Limerick are intimately intertwined with political and economic developments at national level and are also influenced by general political moods, tensions and economic shifts on the broader inter- national arena, as this article dealing with the Blueshirt movement in Limerick City and County in the 1930s amply illustrates. Ireland's struggle for independence from British rule culminated in the Anglo- Irish Treaty of 1921. Under this agree- ment, Ireland's thirty-two counties were divided: twenty-six were allocated to the Irish Free State, while the remaining six, because of their overall Protestant majority, stayed within the United Kingdom. The acceptance of the partition of the country and the Oath of Allegiance to the British Monarch split the Irish nationalist movement into two factions, those who were pro-Treaty led by Michael Collins, and those who were anti-Treaty, led by Eamon De Valera. The foot soldiers of the movement, the volunteers of the Irish Republican Army, also divided. What followed was a bitter civil war that lasted from June 1922 until May 1923, when the anti-Treaty forces were defeated. On 7 December 1923, the Irish Free State officially came into existence. The members of the Provisional government, under the leadership W.T. Cosgrave, took the name of Cumann na nGaedheal - the Irish Party. Anti-Treaty members elected to the Dail, specifically Sinn Fein, refused to take their seats and remained outside the parliamentary process. This state of affairs came to an end in 1927 following the assassination of the Vice-President and Minister of Justice, Kevin O'Higgins, when the Cosgrave government passed a Bill forcing every elected member to the Dail to either take the Oath of Allegiance to the British Crown or give up his seat. By that time Eamon De Valera's new political party, Fianna Fail, founded in 1926 after he split with Sinn Fein, had become the main political opposition. In laying the groundwork for a democratic state, the government faced a General Owen O'Duffy, about 1932 number of threats to its stability. In 1924, a mutiny by a small group of officers within During the world economic crisis the army was brought to an end when sparked off by the Wall Street Crash Kevin O'Higgins sacked the officers of 1929, the Cumann na nGaedheal involved. The decision of the Boundary government made a number of unpopular Commission in 1925 to retain all the six After this, O'Higgins approached decisions that included the cutting of the northern counties within the British State, members of the British establishment old age pension by one shilling, cuts in the when the government had thought that with Arthur Griffith's old idea of dual salaries of teachers, civil servants and the some of the counties would be re-united monarchy, that is, a 32-county Ireland with Garda Force and the introduction of the with the south, made the partition of the its own government, under a British Intoxicating Liquor Act, which sought to country a permanent feature of Irish life. Monarch; this suggestion fell through.' reduce the number of public houses and shorten opening hours. On 22 January '30s saw the rise of militant, colour- battleground of the 1930s in Ireland was 1932, the entire Garda Force of Limerick shirted, extreme right-wing political not communism: it was going to be the City held a meeting in William Street parties in practically every country in Economic War with Britain and the Barracks and the following resolution was Europe, the two largest being Benito payment of Annuities by the farming adopted: Mussolini's black-shirted fascists in Italy community to the De Valera government. and Adolf Hitler's Brownshirts in The Annuities, which were paid twice a 'We the N.C.O.'s and men of the Germany, who came to power in 1922 and year to the British Government, were Limerick Force, view with the gravest 1933 respectively. Ireland followed the repayments on low interest loans that alarm the action of the Executive European trend with its own homebred Britain had given to Irish farmers in the Council in deciding on a further colour-shirted movement - the Blueshirts. 1890s and early 1900s to help them to buy curtailment of 5% in our emoluments, The Blueshirts had their origins in the land. In the mid-1920s, Peadar O'Donnell, *i and we are strongly of the opinion that Army Comrades Association (ACA), an an anti-treaty IRA leader and socialist, had ' this action on the part of the Executive organisation founded to protect the been actively involved in a campaign not is wholly unjustifiable and is a step interests of ex-Free State soldiers who had to pay Annuities. It was felt that the people taken more in the case of election upheld the Treaty. Two of its founding were paying for land that originally had propaganda than in the interests of members were Commandant Ned Cronin been taken from them. The fact that the econ~my'.~ from Charleville, County Cork, and British Government had scrapped the Colonel Austin Brennan from Meelick, Co. paying of annuities in Northern Ireland By the early 1930s, Cumann na nGaedheal Clare. The ACA began life on 10 February was grist to the mill. De Valera adopted had become so unpopular with the 1932, the same month that De Valera and O'Donnell's proposal in his 1932 election electorate that it was defeated in the Fianna Fail were elected to power. The manifesto, which became official govern- general election of February 1932, objectives of the association were: ment policy when Fianna Fail came to bringing De Valera and his party to power. (a) To uphold the honour of the State. power. The withholding of Annuity In the weeks leading up to polling day, (b) To honour the Irish Volunteers who payments to Britain led to a retaliatory 20% Cumann na nGaedheal election posters had died during the Anglo-Irish War tax imposed on Irish goods imported into emphasised their achievements of the of Independence and to raise a Britain. This was particularly detrimental previous ten years, including the national memorial to them. to Ireland's cattle export trade, hitting establishment of a sound financial (C) To be non-political and non-sectarian.7 those 'big farmers' who tended to be position, which was, they maintained, the But this rather innocuous policy began to Cumann na nGaedheal supporters. In envy of Europe and Arneri~a.~Conversely, change when Fianna Fail began releasing reply to these measures, the Irish they portrayed Fianna Fail's election IRA political prisoners and lifting the government applied import duties to promises as a threat to the stability of the former government's ban on such left British goods. state and hinted that Fianna Fail was wing organizations as Saor Eire and the Meanwhile, attacks on Cumann na influenced by socialist and communist Irish Communist Party. Large open-air nGaedheal meetings were becoming more ideas.4 meetings were held to celebrate the frequent. On Sunday, 9 October 1932, Nevertheless. Fianna Fail swe~tto release of Republican prisoners and several hundred Fianna Fail supporters, power on a platform of radical ideas and threats were made by speakers against some of them marching four square in promises: Cumann na nGaedheal to the effect that military formation with hurleys on their 1. Fianna FAil would abolish the Oath of the hour of retribution had come.8 The shoulders,14 gathered in the Co. Limerick Allegiance. release of the prisoners was seen by town of Kilmallock to obstruct a Cumann 2. Fianna Fail would keep the Annuities Cumann na nGaedheal supporters as an na nGaedheal meeting which was to take within the country and get advice on attempt to stifle any opposition to Fianna place that afternoon. As soon as the whether or not the Irish Government Fail and as a threat to the freedom of speakers, who were accompanied by fifty should pay pensions to members of speech? for calls were openly being made or sixtv ACA men. stood UD on the back of the former police force, the Royal by IRA leaders for the suppression of the a lorry to make their speeches the attack Irish Constabulary. 'Free State traitors' and the 'Cosgravite began. In the hand-to-hand fighting that 3. Fianna Fail would encourage the traitors1.1o In April, ex-President Cosgrave followed, hurleys, sticks, stones and creation of Irish manufacturing was prevented from speaking at a meeting bottles were used as weapons. As the industries to meet the needs of the in Cork by a hostile mob. fighting continued, Fianna Fail supporters people and protect the home market In August 1932, Colonel T.F. tried to start a rival meeting. When the for farmers to encourage them to O'Higgins, brother of the assassinated Cumann na nGaedheal speakers returned grow enough food for the population. Minister of Justice Kevin O'Higgins, took to Lyon's Hotel, they were attacked, as 4. Fianna Fail would negotiate foreign over the leadership of the Army Comrades were members of a band from Limerick. trade agreements that would give Association. In response to the IRA's call One former member of the Blueshirts, to preference to Irish goods. for a 'No Free Speech For Traitors' whom this writer spoke, related how he They also pledged to try to end, by campaign, O'Higgins said that the ACA and some other men were trapped in the peaceful means, the partition of the would stand shoulder to shoulder for hotel. When I asked if he had thrown any country.

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