page_title: Fianna Éireann
section_title: Jubilee Camp 1959
hierarchical_section_title: Fianna Éireann / Fianna organisation after 1950 / Jubilee Camp 1959
caption_attribution_description: Fianna Officers, Bodenstown, 1959
context_page_description: Na Fianna Éireann, known as the Fianna, is an Irish nationalist youth organisation founded by Bulmer Hobson and Constance Markievicz in 1909. Fianna members were involved in the setting up of the armed nationalist body the Irish Volunteers, and had their own circle of the Irish Republican Brotherhood. They took part in the 1914 Howth gun-running and in the 1916 Easter Rising. They were active in the War of Independence and took the anti-Treaty side in the Civil War.
  The Fianna were declared an illegal organisation by the government of the Irish Free State in 1931. This was reversed when Fianna Fáil came to power in 1932, but re-introduced in 1938. During the splits in the Republican movement of the later part of the 20th century, the Fianna and Cumann na mBan supported Provisional Sinn Féin in 1969 and Republican Sinn Féin in 1986.
  The Fianna is a Proscribed Organisation in the United Kingdom under the Terrorism Act 2000.
context_section_description: A committee was sent up by GHQ in 1958 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Fianna's founding. Chief Scout Jimmy Cruise headed this body and it was decided to hold a camp in central Ireland for all Fianna sluaithe. Permission was given by the Patrician Brothers, Ballyfin, County Laois, to use their extensive grounds for this purpose in August 1959. These were years when money was scarce and travelling made difficult. Consequently, only about 100 Fianna members attended the camp. Each sluagh catered for itself and there were joint activities organised. The Special Branch of the Garda Síochána was busy while the camp was in progress, visiting the homes of Fianna members, especially the young Scouts, telling the parents that the boys were on an IRA training camp. Quite a few members were lost this way. In 1959, Fianna was given the privilege of having its colour party lead the annual pilgrimage to the grave of Wolfe Tone at Bodenstown. A report to the Ard Fheis in 1963 showed that, as well as the sluaithe mentioned above, there were now new units in Roscrea, Nenagh, and Ballyfermot/Chapelizod. A new department had been set up which catered for friends of the Fianna who were either too old to join, or were not in a position to do so. This was known as the dept. of Associated Members. This new section was run by the Adjutant General.
caption: Fianna Officers, Bodenstown, 1959
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