| Summary |
Annotation Ireland's republican party has held office longer than any other political party in Europe, gaining the support of the ruling class, the Catholic Church and the working people alike. Exploring the reasons for this, Allen provides a history of Fianna Fail since Irish independence and its links with the country's labor movement. Challenging accepted views on the Patty's rise to power, he demonstrates that, contrary to its official ideology, it has shown little interest in ending the partition of Ireland and that its partnership with the Catholic Bishops is now breaking up as new social forces emerge. Examining the strong links between Fianna Fail and the country's unionized workers, who account for over 45 per cent of the total workforce, he argues that the Irish working class has now outgrown the Party. |
