Irish Brigade (Spanish Civil War)
The Irish Brigade (Spanish: Brigada Irlandesa, "Irish Brigade" Irish: Briogáid na hÉireann), fought on the Nationalist side of Francisco Franco during the Spanish Civil War. The unit was formed wholly of Roman Catholics by the politician Eoin O'Duffy, who had previously organised the banned quasi-fascist Blueshirts and openly fascist Greenshirts in Ireland. Despite the declaration by the Irish government that participation in the war was unwelcome and ill-advised, 700 of O'Duffy's followers went to Spain. They saw their primary role in Spain as fighting for the Roman Catholic Church, some of whose priests and nuns had been attacked (see Red Terror (Spain)). They also saw many religious and historical parallels in the two nations, and hoped to prevent communism gaining ground in Spain.
Read more about Irish Brigade (Spanish Civil War): Initial Involvement, Support For The Brigade, Volunteers, Training and Deployment, Mixed Reputation, Withdrawal and Reaction
Famous quotes containing the words irish, brigade and/or civil:
“The Irish are the only men who know how to cry for the dirty polluted blood of all the world.”
—Norman Mailer (b. 1923)
“Rational free spirits are the light brigade who go on ahead and reconnoitre the ground which the heavy brigade of the orthodox will eventually occupy.”
—G.C. (Georg Christoph)
“There is reason in the distinction of civil and uncivil. The manners are sometimes so rough a rind that we doubt whether they cover any core or sap-wood at all.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)