The Blueshirt Movement, 1932-5: Ireland's Fascists?

Abstract

identification as fascists stems, quite understandably, from the shirt worn by members of the movement. By adopting method of dress which was so readily comparable with that of the followers of Mussolini and Hitler, the movement was increasingly identified as another of the many shirted movements in interwar Europe. In the 1930s, as today, the wearing of the coloured shirt became synonymous with fascism. In reality the situation was far more complex. The aim of this article is to explore the question of the Blueshirts and their relationship with fascism. As Robert Fisk states, 'Whether the Blueshirts were an essentially fascist organization or merely a final instalment of the Civil War saga is still point of contention.' The question is one which has perplexed countless Irish historians, and has also been at the centre of much of the previous work relating to the movement. A large part of the problem has been the failure of Irish historians to attempt full definition of fascism and its many sub-categories. The term 'fascist' has been used as general blanket term, and the understanding of it usually stems from the German and Italian models.2 Before any classification of the Blueshirts as fascists or otherwise can be made, the term must be defined. This article will attempt to clear up the conundrum of fascism in relation to the Blueshirts. The features of fascism in the movement will be examined, as will the perception of the Blueshirts as fascist by other groups in the Free State. This will lead to an