General Eoin O'Duffy : the political life of an Irish firebrand /
"Although most of the prominent figures from Ireland's revolutionary generation have been endlessly profiled and commemorated, the controversial General Eoin O'Duffy remains a pariah. Despite reaching the towering heights of leadership in the republican movement during the Irish revol...
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| Format: | Book |
| Language: | English |
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Jefferson, North Carolina :
McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers,
[2024]
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| Summary: | "Although most of the prominent figures from Ireland's revolutionary generation have been endlessly profiled and commemorated, the controversial General Eoin O'Duffy remains a pariah. Despite reaching the towering heights of leadership in the republican movement during the Irish revolutionary period and subsequently becoming a key state-builder in early independent Ireland as head of the national police force, O'Duffy's legacy retains a whiff of sulphur. It has been undoubtedly tarnished by his controversial political career in the 1930s, including his leadership of the fascistic Blueshirts and his pro-Franco involvement in the Spanish Civil War. Using a blend of well-charted and previously overlooked or unavailable material, this study examines the tumultuous periods of Ireland's struggle for independence and the early Irish Free State by utilising a biographical lens. It foregrounds O'Duffy's place within pro-Treaty Irish nationalism, as a militarist and supporter of Michael Collins who became a safe pair of hands relied upon to rescue the pro-Treaty regime during crises. It offers new interpretations on his involvement within international fascism and provides much needed nuance on the prevalence of crypto-fascist outlooks in the 1930s. It seeks to blow away the cobwebs of mythology and recalibrate our understanding of this most controversial Irishman."-- |
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| Physical Description: | v, 235 pages : illustrations ; 26 cm |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references and index. |
| ISBN: | 9781476693262 1476693269 |