Fenian Brotherhood, 1858-1880 The Fenian Brotherhood was an Irish republican-Irish Am

Fenian Brotherhood, 1858-1880

The Fenian Brotherhood was an Irish republican-Irish American organisation founded in the United States in 1858 by John O’Mahony and Michael Doheny. Members were commonly known as “Fenians”. They issued a bombastic proclamation in America announcing an imminent general rising in Ireland.

The flag is based on the American ‘Stars and Stripes’ It has four bars representing the provinces of Ireland and 32 stars representing the counties.

The Fenian Rising proved to be a “doomed rebellion,” poorly organised and with minimal public support. The Fenian Brotherhood itself, however, continued to exist until voting to disband in 1880.