Speech by An Taoiseach, Micheál Martin TD at the Opening of the Exhibition “Soldiers of Destiny: The early years of Fianna Fáil in Kerry , 1926-1933” Kerry County Library, Tralee
Published on: 16 February 2026
Monday, 16th February 2026
It is a real pleasure to be with you today to formally launch this fascinating exhibition.
Prepared to the highest academic standards and based on widely-praised research, Owen O’Shea has provided a deep insight into the foundations and rapid growth of one of democratic Europe’s most successful political parties.
In fact, the party founded on May 16th 1926 is second only to the Swedish Social Democratic Party in terms of electoral success and impact on government over the past century.
While far too many commentators have relied on the lazy idea that politics in Ireland were fixed in place in January 1922 when Dáil Éireann voted on the Treaty, the facts show a very different story.
They show very significant changes in political support between parties and movements, with the most successful, Fianna Fáil, being founded explicitly to get away from the Civil War as the sole prism through which to view politics.
It is incredibly disrespectful and condescending to say that people could only see the Civil War when deciding how to vote. It suggests people were unwilling to properly examine the failure of their own ideologies and parties to secure support from the Irish people
To understand this period properly you have to take the time to look at a wide range of evidence with an open mind. You have to go deeply into archives, into newspaper sources and into a study of different elections and the personalities and issues which defined them.
Where better for this work to be focused than on Kerry – a county central to our revolution, our Civil War and to the building of this democratic republic over the past century.
This exhibition draws on the work carried out for Owen’s brilliant thesis and book “From bullets to ballots: politics and electioneering in post-civil war Kerry”. This work, completed under the supervision of Professor Diarmuid Ferriter and published by UCD Press is a striking example of the type of work being carried out by a new generation of historians.
Owen’s past work on the Civil War in Kerry was one of the most important contributions to the national remembrance of its centenary. In a balanced and fair way he showed how the War was more intense and prolonged here than anywhere else. He also showed how the terrible savagery of certain events can and should never be forgotten.
What Owen has done is to make a major contribution to answering the question of another leading historian – after the division of the Civil War, how did we so quickly move forward as a country and leave that conflict behind?
I want to congratulate Owen on producing this exhibition dealing with a core part of his work, and for securing a prestigious special grant from the Royal Irish Academy.
I want to acknowledge the support of Kerry County Library, both in Tralee and Killarney, To County Librarian Tommy O’Connor and his staff I want to say how impressive it is that you have so comprehensively bucked the international trend which has seen libraries become less important in communities. Here is another example of our libraries finding new and important ways to be part of opening up history and literature to the community.
With so many current and former representatives present, as well as their families, I would run a big risk if I tried to acknowledge everyone. I want to acknowledge the relatives of Fianna Fáil’s Deputies from those early years, members and office holders, representatives from the Kerry Archaeological and Historical Society, one of the most active and important of these societies in the country.
I would also like to acknowledge my friend and former colleague John O’Donoghue who was one of the great reforming Ministers for Justice of the last century and was always a proud voice for Kerry in national debates.
As the exhibition shows, from the very first moments of its foundation, Fianna Fáil was defined not by a handful of leaders, but the remarkable commitment of the largest group of members and supporters ever brought together by one political party.
This is something which outside observers often miss. It can be easy to fall into thinking that the people you know in Fianna Fáil speak for all in the party. In fact, the party’s great strength has always been the range of views and the importance of members who give their time and idealism to the party while never seeking acknowledgement of this.
When Eamon de Valera led Constance Markiewicz, Seán Lemass, Seán T. O’Kelly and others of their revolutionary generation to start a new party they had no resources and no guarantee of success. They faced enormous hurdles in a collapsed republican vote, no blueprint to follow and the aggressive opposition of both the government and the media.
But they were determined to do everything they could to build a new party and win public support. Three years after the civil war, they believed that a new direction was required – one which would focus on social, economic, cultural as well as constitutional issues.
The speed and scale of their success was beyond anything they had hoped for.
At the core of this, here in Kerry and nationally, was a focus on both people and policies.
The model of building the party involved reaching out to people who could win respect and support in communities – seeking a widespread membership from beyond the confines of those who had been involved in politics in the previous few years.
The seven men who served as Fianna Fáil Deputies in the party’s first years are each described by Owen in this exhibition – and I again want to particularly welcome relatives from five of the families.
I won’t go through all of their histories, but I will mention one of them, Fred Crowley, as a very good demonstration of the exceptional record and characters of the local leaders who secured the support of the people of Kerry for the new party.
Fred Crowley’s background included every element of the national revival and struggle for independence. His father had been a founder of the Land League locally and, after attending university in England, he himself returned to Kerry, joining the Irish Volunteers and later being active in the War of Independence. He took the republican side of the Civil War while his brother joined the National Army.
When Fianna Fáil was founded he was an obvious potentially key figure to offer as a candidate of real substance. In his 18 years as a TD he became known for being a steady and effective representative. Contributing quietly and effectively to the radical work of the party nationally and being a tireless advocate for developing Kerry.
He was one of the first people to seek to promote tourism to new groups. He was President of the National Ploughing Association and promoted higher education as a member of the governing body of UCC.
When he died in 1945 he was succeeded by his wife Honor who won her own mandate in seven elections in a row, making a unique contribution herself. She secured investment and expansion in Kerry tourism, was the first Irish woman to serve in the Assembly of the Council of Europe and was a member of the Council of State.
The Crowley’s also showed Fianna Fáil’s ability to attract people from different backgrounds. Honor’s father was John Pious Phelan, Nationalist MP for Kerry, barrister and the first person to win an Olympic medal and demand that the tricolour be flown at the ceremony.
Le linn na mblianta a raibh an Athbheochan Gaelach faoi lánseoil agus fás an phoblachtánachais, bhí tionchar suntasach ag Ciarraí ar chúrsaí, i bhfad níos mó ná méid an chontae.
I gcroílár an tionchair sin, caithfear líon na ndaoine a raibh sé de phribhléid acu freastal ar Ghaeltacht Chiarraí a chur san áireamh agus gan amhras an traidisiún agus an cúlra náisiúnach ar leith atá ag Contae Chiarraí.
Bhí rian an tionchair sin le brath go soiléir i bhFianna Fáil ina raibh an cultúr agus tiomantas don oideachas a bhí chomh tábhachtach sin i gCiarraí le brath ar leibhéal náisiúnta.
Sna cuntais atá tagtha chugainn ar na blianta sin, is fíorspéisiúil an ní é an fháilte chroíúil a cuireadh roimh Eamon de Valera aon uair a théadh sé ar cuairteanna rialta ar fud an chontae.
Toisc gurbh as contae in aice le Ciarraí é ach go raibh baint mhór aige chomh maith le gluaiseachtaí a d'fhág tionchar leanúnach ar Chiarraí, bhí de Valera ar a suaimhneas ar thalamh slán agus é i measc mhuintir Chiarraí.
As this exhibition shows, the party was built door to door, through countless long conversations focused on how our country could find a new way forward. The defining spirit was one which believed that the poorest country in the democratic world could change its fortunes. It could build a state which would tackle poverty, provide opportunity and have a clear voice in the world.
In the final paragraph of his book, which deals with all parties and political life in Kerry during the decade after the Civil War, Owen O’Shea sums up the reality very well:
“Revisiting and reopening old wounds did not serve, in the long term, to satisfy the needs of electors and hard-pressed citizens who were so desirous of hope, advancement and a better life. One party recognised this more than the others”
Today we have a modern, diverse, European democracy. Just like every European country, our politics today is vastly different from a century ago. But it is important to take the time to look at the traditions we draw on. To look at how many obstacles have been overcome and to look at the idealism which has delivered so much for our country.
Kerry played a vital role in helping to develop a uniquely successful political party and the policies which helped our country to protect democracy while delivering social and economic progress.
I again thank Dr Owen O’Shea, the Royal Irish Academy and Kerry County Libraries for helping to open up this history and make it accessible to a new generation.
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Micheál Martin
