Editing Fine Gael (section)

===Foundation===
{{multiple image|perrow = 2|total_width=240
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| direction = horizontal
| width = 
| image1 = W. T. Cosgrave, circa 1930 (cropped).jpg
| image2 = O'Duffy portrait.jpg
| image3 = Frank MacDermot, 1933.jpg
| 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]]
| caption_align = center
| footer = Cosgrave, O'Duffy, MacDermot, and Dillon brought three political groups together to form Fine Gael in 1933
| footer_align = center
}}
{{multiple image
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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
}}

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>