Post-Irish Independence
In the 1920s and 1930s, the ICA was kept alive by veterans such as Seamus Mc Gowan, Dick McCormick and Frank Purcell, though largely as an old comrades association by veterans of 1916.
Uniformed Citizen Army men provided a guard of honour at Constance Markievicz's funeral in 1927.
In 1934, Peadar O'Donnell and other left wing republicans left the IRA and founded the Republican Congress. For a brief time, they revived the ICA as a paramilitary force, intended to be an armed wing for their new movement. According to Brian Hanley's history of the IRA, the revived Citizen Army had 300 or so members around the country in 1935. However, the Congress itself split in 1935 and collapsed shortly afterwards.
The ICA's last public appearance was to accompany the funeral procession of union leader James Larkin in Dublin in 1947.
Read more about this topic: Irish Citizen Army
Famous quotes containing the word independence:
“Children are as destined biologically to break away as we are, emotionally, to hold on and protect. But thinking independently comes of acting independently. It begins with a two-year-old doggedly pulling on flannel pajamas during a July heat wave and with parents accepting that the impulse is a good one. When we let go of these small tasks without anger or sorrow but with pleasure and pride we give each act of independence our blessing.”
—Cathy Rindner Tempelsman (20th century)