Fine Gael

The Irish center right party, founded in 1933 from the pro Treaty side of the Civil War.

Overview

Fine Gael descends from Cumann na nGaedheal, the pro Treaty party that governed the new Free State under W T Cosgrave, merged in 1933 with Blueshirt remnants under Eoin O'Duffy, immediately replaced by Cosgrave. Its governments established the institutions of the state; later leaders Garret FitzGerald built constitutional reform and social liberalism, John Bruton and Enda Kenny steered recovery, Leo Varadkar as taoiseach legalized abortion referendum era and managed Brexit, and Simon Harris served as youngest taoiseach. The party shares Fine Gael families across generations, pro European, law and order, and socially moderate, alternating power with Fianna Fail, its Civil War twin, since 1932, and now often in coalition with it.