# Fianna Fáil: Hard Men and Blood Sacrifices (Part 1)

An episode of [What Were We Like](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1845439909), 30 Mar 2026, 41 min.

Audio: https://traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/c7d3b33c-f943-4afb-8665-b0b200e579f7/0887db98-33c9-4af7-ba73-b3720155d3d4/45c182c8-13cc-480b-ac90-b41c00cc35a1/audio.mp3?utm_source=Podcast&in_playlist=510a10ae-1082-48a7-961a-b3720155da9c

Since the crash, Fianna Fáil has become 'just another political party'. But for nearly a century it was THE leading force in Irish politics, synonymous with power, influence and flash suits; and dominated by outsized personalities like Pee Flynn, Charlie Haughey and Bertie Ahern. In this series, From the Civil War to the Crash, marking the centenary of Fianna Fáil, Diarmaid and Catriona trace how The Soldiers Of Destiny built up one of the most successful election machines in the world, and how it fell apart. Part 1 looks at its foundation, when a gang of idealistic young men lead by Eamon De Valera formed the party out of the ashes of the Civil War. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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