Aontacht Éireann (; en, "Irish Unity") was an Irish political party founded by Kevin Boland, a former Fianna Fáil government minister and advocate of Irish republicanism. The party mainly operated within the Republic of Ireland. Boland resigned from

Dáil Éireann Dáil Éireann ( , ; ) is the lower house, and principal chamber, of the Oireachtas (Irish legislature), which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann (the upper house).Article 15.1.2º of the Constitution of Ireland read ...

on 3 November 1970 rather than support a motion of confidence in Taoiseach

Jack Lynch John Mary Lynch (15 August 1917 – 20 October 1999) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as Taoiseach from 1966 to 1973 and 1977 to 1979, Leader of Fianna Fáil from 1966 to 1979, Leader of the Opposition from 1973 to 1977, Minister ...

, who had sacked ministers Neil Blaney and Charles Haughey for their refusal to support Government policy on Northern Ireland amid allegations of misuse of aid to Northern Ireland during the

Arms Crisis The Arms Crisis was a political scandal in the Republic of Ireland in 1970 in which Charles Haughey and Neil Blaney were dismissed as cabinet ministers for alleged involvement in a conspiracy to smuggle arms to the Irish Republican Army in North ...

. In May 1971, Boland resigned from Fianna Fáil; on 19 September 1971, he launched the new party before an audience of over one thousand delegates.Gallagher (1985)

Seán Sherwin Seán Sherwin (born 1946) is an Irish former Fianna Fáil politician. He was an unsuccessful candidate for the Dublin South-West constituency at the 1969 general election. However, Dublin South-West's long-serving Labour Party TD Seán Dun ...

, Fianna Fáil TD for Dublin South-West, was the only serving member of the Dáil to join Aontacht Éireann. Sherwin would later return to Fianna Fáil and serve as its National Organiser. Boland tried to persuade Fianna Fáil dissidents Neil Blaney,

Paudge Brennan Patrick Brennan (18 February 1922 – 10 June 1998) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who sat for 25 years as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Wicklow constituency, and was briefly a Senator. Brennan first stood for election to Dáil Éireann ...

and Des Foley to join his party, but they remained within Fianna Fáil, contesting the 1973 general election as independents. Captain James Kelly, who was implicated and then cleared in the Arms Trial, became Vice-Chairman of Aontacht Éireann. The party supported Northern Ireland's

republicans Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

more vehemently than Fianna Fáil. It was described by Boland as "a return to what Fianna Fáil was when it was set up to subvert the Free State". At the 1973 general election, Boland, Sherwin and eleven other candidates stood for Dáil Éireann under the Aontacht Éireann banner. None was successful and the party received less than 1% of the total national vote. Boland himself won only 6% of the vote in his constituency, Dublin County South. The party briefly had local representation, with Gerry Carroll serving as a member of Cork City Council. Boland and most of the original members of the party resigned in 1976 after it was taken over by a number of

far-right Far-right politics, also referred to as the extreme right or right-wing extremism, are political beliefs and actions further to the right of the left–right political spectrum than the standard political right, particularly in terms of being ...

individuals.O'Maolain, Ciaran, ''The Radical Right: A World Directory (Keesing's Reference Publications)'', pg 164. The party was essentially defunct by the time it was formally wound up in 1984.Barberis, McHugh and Tyldesley (2005)

Notes

References

* Barberis, Peter, John McHugh and Mike Tyldesley, 2005. Encyclopedia of British and Irish Political Organisations. London: Continuum International Publishing Group. , * Gallagher, Michael, 1985. Political Parties in the Republic of Ireland. Manchester: Manchester University Press. ,
Captain James J Kelly: A brief biography

Elections Ireland
(incomplete record of AE election candidates) {{DEFAULTSORT:Aontacht Eireann 1971 establishments in Ireland 1984 disestablishments in Ireland Defunct political parties in the Republic of Ireland Irish republican parties Political parties established in 1971 Political parties disestablished in 1984