Editing Fine Gael (section)

==History==
{{main|History of Fine Gael}}

===Foundation===
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| image1 = W. T. Cosgrave, circa 1930 (cropped).jpg
| image2 = O'Duffy portrait.jpg
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| image4 = James Dillon circa 1930s.jpg
| caption1   = [[W. T. Cosgrave]] 
| caption2   = [[Eoin O'Duffy]] 
| caption3   = [[Frank MacDermot]] 
| caption4   = [[James Dillon (Fine Gael politician)|James Dillon]]
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| footer = Cosgrave, O'Duffy, MacDermot, and Dillon brought three political groups together to form Fine Gael in 1933
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 | header = Previous logos of Fine Gael
 | image1 = Fine Gael logo 1970s.jpg
 | image2 = Fine Gael logo 1980s.png
 | image3 = Fine Gael logo 1990s.png
 | caption1 = {{circa}} 1970s
 | caption2 = {{circa}} 1980s
 | caption3 = {{circa}} 1990s
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Fine Gael was created in 1933 following the merger of three political organisations; [[Cumann na nGaedhael]] (CnaG) led by [[W. T. Cosgrave]], the [[National Centre Party (Ireland)|National Centre Party]] led by [[Frank MacDermot]] and [[James Dillon (Fine Gael politician)|James Dillon]], and the National Guard (better known as the [[Blueshirts]]), led by [[Eoin O'Duffy]]. Cumann na nGaedhael, born out of the pro-[[Anglo-Irish Treaty]] side in the [[Irish Civil War]], had been the party of government from the creation of the [[Irish Free State]] in 1922 until the [[1932 Irish general election|1932 general election]], which it lost to the newly emergent [[Fianna Fáil]]. The National Centre Party was a new party that had done well at the 1932 election, and represented the interests of farmers. The National Guard were not a political party, but a militant group made up of former pro-Treaty [[Irish Army]] soldiers, and was previously known as the Army Comrades Association. Following the disruption of Cumann na nGaedhael meetings by members of the [[Irish Republican Army]], the ACA had begun providing security at their events.<ref name="Without the Blueshirts">{{Cite news |last1=Collins |first1=Stephen |last2=Meehan |first2=Ciara |date=7 November 2020 |title=Without the Blueshirts, there would have been no Fine Gael |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/without-the-blueshirts-there-would-have-been-no-fine-gael-1.4399082 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210104144931/https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/without-the-blueshirts-there-would-have-been-no-fine-gael-1.4399082 |archive-date=4 January 2021 |access-date=6 January 2021 |newspaper=The Irish Times}}</ref> This led to the leadership of the ACA being taken over by a number of CnaG [[Teachta Dála|TDs]], including [[Thomas F. O'Higgins]].<ref name="Without the Blueshirts"/> In early 1933, Eoin O'Duffy took over the ACA, renamed them the National Guard, and began instilling the organisation with elements of European [[fascism]].<ref>Maurice Manning, "The Blueshirts", Dublin, 1970</ref> However, in August 1933 the Fianna Fáil government banned the National Guard, fearing a planned parade in Dublin might be an attempt to emulate the [[March on Rome]], which saw [[Benito Mussolini]] rise to power in Italy.<ref name="Without the Blueshirts"/>

In September 1933, the three groups combined forces and merged to form Fine Gael. The National Guard (referred to informally by this point as "the Blueshirts") were to serve as the youth wing of the new party, "The League of Youth". CnaG members dominated the new party. However, to avoid the perception that Fine Gael was simply Cumann na nGaedhael under a new name, O'Duffy was made leader of the new party. Following poor results at the [[1934 Irish local elections|1934 local elections]] and concerns over his increasingly rabid rhetoric, O'Duffy resigned from the leadership after the party attempted to control what he said in public. He was replaced by W. T. Cosgrave, with James Dillon becoming deputy leader. O'Duffy attempted to regain control of the Blueshirts, but was rebuffed by the majority of them, who chose to stay with Fine Gael. Under the stewardship of Cosgrave and Dillon, the party returned to the more traditional conservatism espoused by Cumann na nGaedhael, with the moribund League of Youth disbanded by 1936.<ref name="Without the Blueshirts"/><ref>{{Cite book |last=McGarry |first=Fearghal |title=Eoin O'Duffy: A Self-Made Hero |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2005 |isbn=978-0199276554 |pages=261–265}}</ref>

===Finding success with coalitions with Labour===
[[File:Garret FitzGerald 1975 (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|150px|[[Garret FitzGerald]] is credited as having had a liberalising effect on the party in the 1980s]]
Fine Gael remained out of government and at a low ebb for a prolonged period until the aftermath of the [[1948 Irish general election|1948 general election]], which saw the party form a grand coalition with several other parties in order to oust Fianna Fáil and place Fine Gael member [[John A. Costello]] as Taoiseach. The coalition was short-lived but revived again between 1954 and 1957. However, following this stint Fine Gael returned to opposition for 16 years. The party went through a period of soul-searching during the 1960s, in which a new generation of Fine Gael politicians led by [[Declan Costello]] sought to revitalise Fine Gael with new ideas. In what has later been hailed as a landmark moment in Fine Gael history, Costello proposed moving the party to the left in a [[social democratic]] direction with a document entitled "Towards a Just Society". The document was adopted as the basis for the party's manifesto for the [[1965 Irish general election|1965 general election]]; however, when the party failed to make headway at the polls the momentum behind the Just Society document wilted and faded.<ref name="Titans">{{cite news |last=Byrne |first=Elaine |date=15 November 2008 |title=Titans of political history reflect on Fine Gael's role |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/titans-of-political-history-reflect-on-fine-gael-s-role-1.910576 |work=[[Irish Times]] |location= |access-date=7 January 2022}}</ref><ref name="DIB Declan">{{cite web |url=https://www.dib.ie/biography/costello-david-declan-a10016 |title=Costello, (David) Declan |last=Clavin |first=Terry |date= June 2018 |website=Dictionary of Irish Biography |publisher= |access-date=7 January 2022 |quote=}}</ref><ref name="Meehan Examiner">{{cite news |last=Meehan |first=Ciara |date=11 June 2014 |title=Policy changes conceived in Costello's 'Just Society' |url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/commentanalysis/arid-20271623.html |work=[[Irish Examiner]] |location= |access-date=7 January 2022}}</ref>

It was not until leader [[Liam Cosgrave]] secured an election pact with the [[Labour Party (Ireland)|Labour Party]] that Fine Gael returned to government in 1973. This period also saw Fine Gael becoming increasingly liberal in ethos, particularly under the leadership of [[Garret FitzGerald]] who took the reins of the party in 1977;<ref name="Britannica"/> It was during this time that Fine Gael campaigned in a number of referendums: the party supported Irish entry into the [[European Economic Community]], supported lowering the voting age from 21 to 18, and supported a proposal to remove the "special position" of the Roman Catholic Church from the constitution. It was on the successful side in all three of these campaigns. The party also began to take a more liberal approach to the introduction of [[contraceptives]] to Ireland, although an attempt by the Fine Gael/Labour coalition to legalise contraceptives in 1974 stumbled after six members of Fine Gael, most prominently Taoiseach Liam Cosgrave, voted against the government's own bill.<ref>{{Cite news |date=17 July 1974 |title=Access to Contraceptives Denied, 1974 |url=https://www.rte.ie/archives/2014/0717/631329-contraceptive-bill-defeated/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210909165848/https://www.rte.ie/archives/2014/0717/631329-contraceptive-bill-defeated/ |archive-date=9 September 2021 |access-date=9 September 2021 |work=RTÉ News |via=RTÉ Archives}}</ref>

The arrangement between Fine Gael and Labour proved pleasing to both parties and their election pacts remained throughout the rest of the 1970s and into the 1980s, seeing the pair enter government a number of times together.<ref name="Britannica">{{cite web |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Fine-Gael |title=Fine Gael |last=Marsh |first=Michael |date= |website= |publisher=[[Britannica]] |access-date=29 January 2021 |quote= |archive-date=18 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210418034250/https://www.britannica.com/topic/Fine-Gael |url-status=live }}</ref> In 1985, Fine Gael/Labour voted to liberalise access to contraceptives.<ref name="FitzGerald’s positive impact">{{cite news |last=McConnell |first=Daniel |date=3 July 2021 |title=Garret FitzGerald's positive impact is one worth recalling |url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/columnists/arid-40327691.html |work=[[Irish Examiner]] |location= |access-date=9 September 2021 |archive-date=9 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210909165848/https://www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/columnists/arid-40327691.html |url-status=live }}</ref>  That same year FitzGerald signed the [[Anglo-Irish Agreement]] with [[Margaret Thatcher]], paving the way to devolved government in [[Northern Ireland]].<ref name="FitzGerald’s positive impact"/> In 1986 the party campaigned for a Yes in that year's [[Tenth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 1986|referendum on legalising divorce]], which was defeated, with the No side obtaining 63.5% of the vote.<ref name="FitzGerald’s positive impact"/>

===Decline and rebuilding===
The 1980s had proven fruitful electorally for Fine Gael, but the 1990s and early 2000s saw this momentum decline quickly. One of the first signs of this was the party's poor result in the [[1990 Irish presidential election|1990 presidential election]], in which their candidate [[Austin Currie]] obtained just 17% of the first preference vote.

Fine Gael formed a government between 1994 and 1997 with the Labour Party and the [[Democratic Left (Ireland)|Democratic Left]]. This government legalised divorce [[Fifteenth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland|after a successful referendum]] in 1995. The party's share of TDs fell from 54 in 1997<ref>{{cite web |author=<!--Not stated--> |date= |title=1997 general election |url=http://irelandelection.com/elections.php?detail=yes&tab=summary&elecid=4&electype=1 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190129143202/http://irelandelection.com/elections.php?detail=yes&tab=summary&elecid=4&electype=1 |archive-date=29 January 2019 |access-date=29 January 2021 |website=Irelandelecion.com |publisher= |quote=}}</ref> to only 31<ref>{{cite web |author=<!--Not stated--> |date= |title=2002 general election |url=http://irelandelection.com/elections.php?elecid=4&elecbutton=Next&tab=summary&detail=yes&electype=1 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210213031600/http://irelandelection.com/elections.php?elecid=4&elecbutton=Next&tab=summary&detail=yes&electype=1 |archive-date=13 February 2021 |access-date=29 January 2021 |website=Irelandelection.com |publisher= |quote=}}</ref> in the [[2002 Irish general election|2002 general election]], its second-worst result ever at that point. It was at this point [[Enda Kenny]] took over leadership of the party and began the process of rebuilding it. At the [[2007 Irish general election|2007 general election]] Kenny was able to bring Fine Gael back to its 1997 levels with 51 TDs.<ref>{{cite web |author=<!--Not stated--> |date= |title=2007 general election |url=http://irelandelection.com/elections.php?elecid=3&elecbutton=Next&tab=summary&detail=yes&electype=1 |access-date=29 January 2021 |website=Irelandelection.com |publisher= |quote=}}</ref>

===Recovery===
The collapse of the [[Celtic Tiger]] resulted in the [[post-2008 Irish economic downturn]], which threw Ireland not only into economic turmoil but also political upheaval. The [[2011 Irish general election]] saw the governing Fianna Fáil collapse at the polls,<ref name="Guardian McDonald">{{cite news |last=McDonald |first=Henry |date=26 February 2011 |title=Fianna Fáil trounced as Fine Gael and Labour set to form coalition |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/feb/26/fianna-fail-irish-general-election |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200111110654/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/feb/26/fianna-fail-irish-general-election |archive-date=11 January 2020 |access-date=29 January 2021 |work=The Observer |publisher=[[The Guardian]] |location=}}</ref> while Fine Gael and the Labour Party returned with their best results ever.<ref name="Guardian McDonald"/><ref>{{cite news |last=Taggart |first=Peter |date=5 March 2011 |title=Irish parties agree to form coalition government |url=http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/europe/03/05/ireland.government |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121109123809/http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/europe/03/05/ireland.government/ |archive-date=9 November 2012 |access-date=29 January 2021 |work=CNN |publisher=}}</ref> For the first time in its history, Fine Gael became the largest party in Dáil Eireann. Once more Fine Gael and Labour paired up to form a government, their tenure marked by the difficulty of trying to guide Ireland towards economic recovery. In 2013, a number of Fine Gael parliamentary party members, including [[Lucinda Creighton]], were expelled from the party for defying the party whip on [[anti-abortion]] grounds to oppose the [[Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill]].<ref name="Making Renua">{{cite news |last=McGee |first=Harry |date=13 March 2015 |title=Renua: the making of a political party |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/renua-the-making-of-a-political-party-1.2138502 |work=[[Irish Times]] |location= |access-date=3 March 2021 |archive-date=16 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181116055028/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/renua-the-making-of-a-political-party-1.2138502 |url-status=live }}</ref> These members subsequently formed a political party called [[Renua]].<ref name="Making Renua"/>

===Since 2015===
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| image1 = Leo Varadkar TD (cropped).jpg
| image2 = Simon Harris at the Special European Council - 2024 (cropped).jpg
| caption1 = [[Leo Varadkar]], Leader of Fine Gael from 2017 to 2024
| caption2 = [[Simon Harris]], current Leader of Fine Gael
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In 2015, the Fine Gael/Labour government held [[Thirty-fourth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland|a referendum to allow gay marriage under the constitution]]. The government campaigned for a yes vote and were successful.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.finegael.ie/fine-gael-launches-campaign-for-yes-vote-in-marriage-equality-referendum/ |title=Fine Gael launches campaign for Yes vote in Marriage Equality Referendum |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=27 April 2015 |website=Fine Gael |publisher= |access-date=29 January 2021 |quote= |archive-date=8 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210208114657/https://www.finegael.ie/fine-gael-launches-campaign-for-yes-vote-in-marriage-equality-referendum/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Following the [[2016 Irish general election|2016 general election]], Fine Gael retained control of the government as a [[minority government]], made possible by a [[confidence and supply]] agreement with Fianna Fáíl, who agreed to abstain in confidence votes.<ref>{{cite news |last=McDonald |first=Henry |date=3 May 2016 |title=Ireland to have minority Fine Gael government after deal agreed |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/may/03/ireland-to-have-minority-fine-gael-government-after-deal-agreed |work=[[The Guardian]] |location= |access-date=29 January 2021 |archive-date=23 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210323200610/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/may/03/ireland-to-have-minority-fine-gael-government-after-deal-agreed |url-status=live }}</ref> Enda Kenny resigned as party leader in 2017.<ref>{{cite news |last=McDonald |first=Henry |date=17 May 2017 |title=Enda Kenny announces resignation as Fine Gael leader |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/may/17/enda-kenny-announces-resignation-fine-gael-leader |work=[[The Guardian]] |location= |access-date=21 January 2021 |archive-date=2 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210202105837/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/may/17/enda-kenny-announces-resignation-fine-gael-leader |url-status=live }}</ref> Following a [[2017 Fine Gael leadership election|leadership contest]], [[Leo Varadkar]] became his successor as well as Taoiseach.<ref>{{cite news |last1=O'Regan |first1=Michael |last2=O'Halloran |first2=Marie |date=14 July 2017 |title=Leo Varadkar becomes youngest ever Taoiseach |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/leo-varadkar-becomes-youngest-ever-taoiseach-1.3119285 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201202232826/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/leo-varadkar-becomes-youngest-ever-taoiseach-1.3119285 |archive-date=2 December 2020 |access-date=29 January 2021 |work=[[Irish Times]] |location=}}</ref> In doing so, Varadkar became one of the first [[List of openly LGBT heads of government|openly LGBT heads of government in the world]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Linehan |first=Hugh |date=3 June 2017 |title=Is having a gay taoiseach a big deal for Ireland? |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/is-having-a-gay-taoiseach-a-big-deal-for-ireland-1.3105955 |work=[[Irish Times]] |location= |access-date=29 January 2021 |archive-date=11 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111193609/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/is-having-a-gay-taoiseach-a-big-deal-for-ireland-1.3105955 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2018 the Fine Gael government held [[Thirty-sixth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland|a referendum on the Eighth Amendment]], the provision in the Irish constitution which forbid [[abortion]]. The party campaigned to repeal the amendment and was successful.<ref>{{cite news |last=Kelly |first=Fiach |date=3 April 2018 |title=Madigan to lead Fine Gael group seeking repeal of abortion law |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/madigan-to-lead-fine-gael-group-seeking-repeal-of-abortion-law-1.3449471 |work=[[Irish Times]] |location= |access-date=29 January 2021 |archive-date=9 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109030911/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/madigan-to-lead-fine-gael-group-seeking-repeal-of-abortion-law-1.3449471 |url-status=live }}</ref>

After the [[2020 Irish general election|2020 general election]], for the first time in history, Fine Gael entered into a coalition government with its traditional rival [[Fianna Fáil]], as well as the [[Green Party (Ireland)|Green Party]], with Leo Varadkar serving as [[Tánaiste]] for the first half of the government's five-year term, then becoming Taoiseach in December 2022.<ref>{{cite news |last=Carroll |first=Rory |date=15 June 2020 |title=Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and Greens agree deal to form Irish coalition |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/15/fine-gael-fianna-fail-and-greens-agree-deal-to-form-irish-coalition |work=[[The Guardian]] |location= |access-date=29 January 2021 |archive-date=3 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210203032423/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/15/fine-gael-fianna-fail-and-greens-agree-deal-to-form-irish-coalition |url-status=live }}</ref> Leo Varadkar resigned as leader of Fine Gael on 20 March 2024, and was succeeded by [[Simon Harris]], who was elected unopposed on 24 March.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/politics/2024/03/24/simon-harris-fine-gael-leader-contest/|title=Simon Harris pledges to win back trust of voters who no longer support Fine Gael as new leader|newspaper=The Irish Times|access-date=24 March 2024|archive-date=30 March 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240330030511/https://www.irishtimes.com/politics/2024/03/24/simon-harris-fine-gael-leader-contest/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/politics/arid-41359864.html|title=Simon Harris commits to 'renewal' of party in first speech as Fine Gael leader|first=Paul Hosford and Greg|last=Murphy|date=24 March 2024|website=Irish Examiner|access-date=24 March 2024|archive-date=10 April 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240410034021/https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/politics/arid-41359864.html|url-status=live}}</ref>