Irish involvement in the Spanish Civil War

Overview about the Irish involvement in the Spanish Civil War

The Spanish Civil War lasted from July 17, 1936 to April 1, 1939. While both sides in the Spanish Civil War attracted participants from Ireland, the majority sided with the Nationalist faction.

Feeling in Ireland in the 1930s ran overwhelmingly against the Second Spanish Republic due to the opposition by the Catholic Church. Following the July coup by the generals in Spain, a wave of atrocities swept the country on both sides; in Republican Spain, the Red Terror was, in part, directed against the Church there. Ireland was awash with atrocity stories, leading to proposals to form a crusade to protect the Church and fight against the Spanish Republic. In Ireland, the issue was presented in stark contrasts. Intermediate shades received little toleration. The Catholic church, arguably coming to the height of its conservatism, portrayed the war as a struggle between Christ and anti Christ. Religion was under attack. Christian civilisation was mortally imperilled by the poison of communism. Innumerable sermons dinned home the dubious tenet that whatever opposed the onrush of communism was good. A joint pastoral of the Irish bishops firmly supported Franco. Encouraged by the Church hierarchy, Eoin O'Duffy, leader of the fascist NCP, started to recruit a brigade of Irish volunteers to fight in Spain in defence of the church. By late 1936 some 7,000 men had volunteered, of whom about 700 were selected, and in November 1936 these sailed to Spain, where they became the XV Bandera (battalion) of the Spanish Foreign Legion, or "Irish Brigade". However, the Brigade became something of a political football: Franco was at first keen to have it, as a way of cementing control over the Requetes, the catholic monarchist militia of Navarre, but once this was achieved the brigade's presence was at odds with the Nationalists emphasis on "Spanishness". On the other hand, O'Duffy's purpose for the Brigade was not so much to support Spain as to enhance his own reputation in Ireland, and restore his political fortunes there. Militarily the Brigade achieved little; in its first action, near Ciempozuelos in February 1937, the Brigade was involved in a friendly fire incident with a Falangist unit while advancing to the front. Four brigaders and up to nine Falangists were killed in the exchange of fire. Shortly after, at Titulcia in March 1937 the Brigade refused to advance after taking casualties and was withdrawn. Later, months of inactivity in a quiet sector sapped morale and saw an erosion of discipline; the unit was finally sent home in July 1937.

McGarry, Fearghal, Irish Politics and the Spanish Civil War, Cork: Cork University Press, 1999. Stradling, Robert, The Irish and the Spanish Civil War 1936 1939. Crusades in Conflict, Manchester: Manchester University Press,