Clann Na Poblachta - Foundation

Foundation

In 1946, MacBride founded a new political party called Clann na Poblachta. The party was launched officially on 6 July 1946 in Barry's Hotel in Dublin. It held its first Ard Fheis in November 1947 in the Balalaika Ballroom.

The party appealed to disillusioned young urban voters, and republicans. Many had become alienated from Éamon de Valera's Fianna Fáil, the main republican party in Ireland but which in the view of more militant republicans had betrayed their principles during World War II by executing IRA prisoners. Clann na Poblachta also drew support from people who were tired of the old civil war politics and wanted more concern for social issues. In post-war Europe many people blamed the social evils of unemployment, poor housing, poverty and disease for the rise of fascism and communism. This new mood influenced people in Ireland also. Some people saw Clann na Poblachta as a replacement for Fianna Fáil. Others a replacement for the marginalised Sinn Féin, more a break from the traditional pro- and anti-treaty Irish Civil War division. The new party grew rapidly during 1947.

The party was influenced by social democratic policies such as United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal, Clement Attlee's welfare state, elements of European Christian Democracy as well as Republicanism. It attracted a diverse range of people from traditional Republicans such as Noel Hartnett and social democrats such as Dr. Noel Browne, who had been attracted to the party due to its commitment to fight Tuberculosis and Peadar Cowan, a former Labour Party executive member who had resigned in disgust due to the infighting within the Labour Party at the time.

Clann were formed at a time during a period of turmoil in Irish politics - Fianna Fáil (FF) and Fine Gael - the two major parties of the state - were weak. Fine Gael were in disarray because of their rival's seemingly hegemonic dominance and because of a perceived failure to be able offer anything to disillusioned FF supporters. FF were visibly losing support because of the failure of the party's republican programme to end mass unemployment, poverty and emigration. The Labour Party had bitterly split in 1944 over personal differences between William X. O'Brien and James Larkin while Clann na Talmhan was perceived as being too specialist and too focused on the needs of farmers.