The Irish Republican Brotherhood

Between 1858 and 1924, the Irish Republican Brotherhood was a secret oath-bound fraternal society dedicated to the formation of an "independent democratic republic" in Ireland. Its American counterpart was first the Fenian Brotherhood, but from the 1870s it was Clan na Gael. Both wings of the movement are commonly referred to as "Fenians." As a successor to organizations such as the United Irishmen of the 1790s and the Young Irelanders of the 1840s, the IRB played a significant role in Irish history as the principal champion of republicanism during the campaign for Ireland's independence from the United Kingdom.

In the 1850s and 1860s, the Irish Republican Brotherhood was known as the Fenian movement and was devoted to using force to achieve an independent Irish republic. After planning an aborted rising in March 1867, it faced major internal differences in both the United States and Ireland over its leadership and strategy, whether it was best to strike at England, Ireland, or Canada. After a succession of failed operations in Canada in 1866, 1867, and 1871, as well as bombings in England that did not bring Ireland closer to independence, the matter was resolved.

As part of the 1870s-80s New Departure, IRB members strove to democratize the Home Rule League and its successor, the Irish Parliamentary Party, while also participating in the Land War. In 1916, the IRB conducted the Easter Rising, which resulted in the foundation of the first Dáil Éireann in 1919. The suppression of Dáil Éireann triggered the Irish War of Independence and the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty in 1921, which eventually led to the foundation of the Irish Free State, which excluded Northern Ireland's territory.

Founded: 17 March 1858
Dissolved: 1924
Purpose: Formation of an independent democratic republic
Location: Ireland
Founders: James Stephens, John O'Mahony, Thomas Clarke Luby