A Lieu Sûr for the Fenians: France, the Fenians and the Irish Colony, 1848-1870

Abstract

Every significant Irish nationalist organisation has depended on the international support of the Irish diaspora, never more so than in the 19th century. The Young Irelanders were scattered abroad in so many instances after the failure of the 1848 Rebellion, with many of their number fleeing to America, continental Europe and elsewhere. Though the Franco-Irish dimension of the Fenian movement is smaller in scale than Irish-American dimension, it is nonetheless worthy of investigation. This article seeks to address the lack of emphasis placed on the French element of Irish nationalism by providing a thorough examination of the influence of 19th-century France on the Fenians. It charts the direct influence of Paris and of the Irish diaspora in France on the movement and its exposure to organisations such as Young Italy, Young Poland and native French movements including La Société des Saisons. This paper concludes that France, French revolutionary spirit and French republican ideals were of significant importance to the Fenian movement, and played a direct role in shaping the development of Irish nationalism.