National Organiser
Ógra Shinn Féin
“They can trace back their history to Na Fianna,
Which the Countess formed in 1909”
So goes the ‘Voice of Ógra Shinn Féin' and they are important words as next year will mark the Céad bliain (100 years) from the formation of the first Irish Republican Youth organisation, Na Fianna Éireann.
It is a significant anniversary which Ógra Shinn Féin must and will commemorate, paying tribute to the pivotal role played by the organisation and the activists it educated and trained.
We need to be imaginative and ambitious in our plans as we move towards this significant anniversary. We need to educate the broadest section of modern Irish youth on the momentous and crucial part played by Na Fianna Éireann activists from 1909 until it came to an end in 1992.
It was Na Fianna and its cadre like Liam Mellowes who where key to the Easter Rising, supplying vital intelligence and quarter master duties, and it was a Na Fianna Unit at Boland’s Mill who fired the first shots during Easter Week 1916.
Na Fianna proved the sincerity and commitment of their activists from their early days with 5 Fian’s tragically killed during the Rising.
Na Fianna Éireann sparked inspiration to Irish youth, giving young Irish republicans a forum and movement to debate and organise themselves in national ideals and in preparation for freedom.
The blood sacrifice of young activists on Easter Week 1916 caught the national sympathy and anger of Irish youth who quickly and in droves mobilised behind the flag of Na Fianna.
The confidence and skills that was gifted to their activists, equipped the IRA with an experienced and committed pool of activists from which to recruit, and many of these outstanding, visionary activists went on to lead the IRA, devising strategy and tactics throughout the Tan War.
Na Fianna continued to play a key role in the difficult years following partition as republicans where brutalised and interned by free staters and the bigoted unionist northern state.
They would again tragically yet inspirationally come to the fore in 1969 as loyalist mobs attempted to ethnically cleanse nationalist ghettos, with the first republican activist to die during the modern phase of conflict being Fian Gerald McAuley.
Gerard died defending his area,
Na Fianna continued to recruit, educate and train young activists up until it came to end in 1992. The contribution of this youth organisation to the freedom struggle has been immense, and as the inheritants of their legacy, Ógra Shinn Féin must not only be planning to commemorate their contribution, but also re-double our efforts to complete the task for which so many fallen Fian’s died for.
We can derive all the inspiration in the world from the exploits and sacrifice of Na Fianna, we have the flag of Na Fianna (Sun Burst) emblazoned on our logo, we are proud to be linked to their unbroken legacy and next year should be used to inspire thousands of more Irish youth to the struggle.
Onwards to the
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