Irish Brigade (Spanish Civil War)

Irish Brigade
The St. Patrick's saltire flag of the Irish Brigade.
Active	1936–1937
Country	Ireland
Allegiance	Roman Catholic Church, Nationalist faction, Francisco Franco
Type	Infantry
Size	• 700 troops
Garrison/HQ	Cáceres
Nickname(s)	Blueshirts
Engagements	Spanish Civil War Battle of Jarama
Commanders
Notable commanders	Eoin O'Duffy
Insignia
Badge of the Irish Brigade.

Spanish Civil War

The Irish Brigade (Spanish: Brigada Irlandesa, "Irish Brigade" Irish: Briogáid na hÉireann) fought on the Nationalist side of Francisco Franco during the Spanish Civil War. The unit was formed wholly of Roman Catholics by the politician Eoin O'Duffy, who had previously organised the banned quasi-fascist Blueshirts and openly fascist Greenshirts in Ireland. Despite the declaration by the Irish government that participation in the war was unwelcome and ill-advised, 700 of O'Duffy's followers went to Spain. They saw their primary role in Spain as fighting for the Roman Catholic Church, which had come under attack by the Red Terror. They also saw many religious and historical parallels in the two nations, and hoped to prevent communism gaining ground in Spain.

The Irish Catholic primate Cardinal MacRory was approached in early August 1936 by the Spanish nationalist Count Ramírez de Arellano, a Carlist from Navarre, for help for the Nationalist rebels. MacRory suggested that O'Duffy was the best man to help, as his politics were supportive and he had organised the enormous Dublin Eucharistic Congress in 1932. In 1935 O'Duffy had formed the National Corporate Party, a small fascist group, and hoped that its involvement in Spain would increase its popular vote. He travelled to Spain later in 1936 to meet Franco and Ramírez, promising that 5,000 volunteers would follow him.