Saving the State: Fine Gael from Collins to Varadkar

by Stephen Collins, Ciara Meehan

Overview

When Fine Gael entered a coalition government with Fianna Fáil in 2020 the party did what would have been unthinkable for its forefathers who fought and won a bitter civil war to establish the institutions of an independent Irish state almost a century earlier.

Told through the lens of its leaders and Taoisigh, Saving the State is the fascinating story of the wilderness years and the achievements in government, the defeats and crises, the partnerships and the leadership upheavals that have shaped Fine Gael over the decades.

From the special place in the party’s pantheon of heroes occupied by Michael Collins to the dark era of the Blueshirts, and from its role as the founders of the state to its claim to be the defenders of the state, the ways that members perceive their own history is also explored.

This book is essential reading for anyone interested in understanding how Fine Gael came to be the party it is today and the role that it played in shaping modern Ireland.

'A superb, illuminating and even-handed look at the highs and lows in Fine Gael's turbulent history,' David McCullagh, author of DeValera: Rise and DeValera: Rule.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780717189731
Publisher:	Gill Books
Publication date:	01/27/2021
Pages:	400
Sales rank:	869,242
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.20(h) x (d)

About the Author

Ciara Meehan is a Reader in History and Associate Dean with the University of Hertfordshire’s School of Humanities. She is the author of several works on Irish history and statehood, including The Cosgrave Party.

Table of Contents

Introduction vi

1 The W.T. Cosgrave Years 1

2 Eoin O'Duffy, the Blueshirts and the Creation of Fine Gael 27

3 John A. Costello and the First Inter-Party Government 46

4 Costello Returns with a Second Inter-Party Government 68

5 James Dillon, Opposition and the Just Society 91

6 Liam Cosgrave Takes Over 111

7 Cosgrave and the National Coalition 135

8 A New Leader: Garret Fitzgerald 168

9 Garret in Power 195

10 Under Pressure: Alan Dukes 224

11 Ousted: John Bruton 248

12 Michael Noonan and the Demise of Fine Gael 278

13 Enda Kenny picks up the Pieces 296

14 Enda Kenny in Government 329

15 Leo Varadkar Takes Over 358

16 The End of Civil War Politics? 389

Endnotes 419

Bibliography 438

Index 444