| The Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB), or the | | | | than a gesture. However, the movement |
| Fenian organisation was founded simultaneously in | | | | received a fresh impetus of recruits, they kept |
| Dublin and New York in 1858 by a number of | | | | the channels open and waited for the day that |
| individuals who had been connected with the 1848 | | | | revolution would occur. They would have to wait |
| rebellion in Ireland, which included - James | | | | fifty years but during this long period, Fenianism |
| Stephens, John O’Mahony, Charles Kickham, | | | | was an ideal that nationalists could cling |
| John O’Leary, Thomas Clarke Luby and | | | | desperately to. However, by the start of the |
| Michael Doheny. They organised the movement | | | | twentieth century the movement had largely |
| along the lines of ‘circles’ which was | | | | stagnated, becoming more interested with Dublin |
| comparative to a regiment, it was very secretive | | | | municipal politics than the establishment of an Irish |
| with each rank only knowing the one above it. | | | | Republic. A younger generations of nationalists |
| The Fenians believed that armed revolution was | | | | began to change all this from 1905 on, by 1914 |
| the only way forward and they therefore | | | | the Supreme Council of the IRB was largely |
| prepared for an uprising for when Britain should be | | | | purged of its older, jaded leadership. The new |
| at a disadvantage. They soon established | | | | blood helped establish the Irish Volunteers in 1913 |
| themselves in Australia, South America, Canada | | | | and were very influential in the subsequent Irish |
| and particularly in America as well as in the large | | | | War of Independence. Following the Civil War, the |
| cities of England. When a rising was at last | | | | Supreme Council voted to dissolve the |
| attempted in 1867, the government were well | | | | organisation, deeming that it’s goals had been |
| ahead of the conspiracy and nearly all the Fenian | | | | achieved. |
| leaders were in prison, it was really nothing more | | | | |