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P .H. PEARSE'S MANIFESTO

We believe, as every Irish boy whose heart has not been corrupted by foreign influence must believe, that our country ought to be free. We do not see why Ireland should allow England to govern her, either through Englishmen, as at present, or through Irishmen under an appearance of self-government. We believe that England has no business in this country at all - that Ireland, from the centre to the zenith, belongs to the Irish.

Our forefathers believed this and fought for it ; Hugh O'Donnell and Hugh O'Neill and Rory O'Moore and Owen Roe O'Neill; Tone and Emmet and Davis and Mitchel. What was true in their time is still true. Nothing that has happened or that will ever happen can alter the truth of it. Ireland belongs to the Irish. We believe, then, that it is the duty of Irishmen to struggle always, never giving in or growing weary, until they have won back their country again.

The object of Na Fianna Eireann is to train the boys of Ireland to fight Ireland's battle when they are men. In the past the Irish, heroically though they have struggled, have always lost, for want of discipline, for want of military knoledge, for want of plans, for want of leaders. The brave Irish who rose in '98, in '48 and in '67 went down because thet were not soldiers; we hope to train Irish boys from their earliest years to be soldiers, not only to know the trade of a soldier - drilling, marching, camping, signalling, scouting and (when they are old enough) shooting - but also what is far more important, to understand and prize military discipline and to have the MILITARY SPIRIT.

Centuries of oppression and unsuccessful effort have almost extinguished the military spirit of Ireland : if that were once gone - if Ireland were to become a land of contented slaves - it would be very hard, perhaps impossible, ever to arouse her again. we believe that Na Fianna Eireann have kept the military spirit alive over the last four years, and that if the Fianna had not been founded in 1909, the volunteers of 1913 would never have arisen. In a sense, then, the Fianna have been the pioneers of the volunteers; and it is from the ranks of the Fianna that the Volunteers must be recruited. This is a special reason why we should be active during 1914. The Fianna will constitute what the old boys called the MACRADH, or boy-troop, of the Volunteers, and will corespond to what is called in France an Ecole Polytecnique or Military school. As the man who was to lead the armies of France to such glorious victories came forth from the militery school of Brienne, so may the man who shall lead the Irish Volunteers to victory come forth from Na Fianna Eireann.

Our programme includes every element of military training. We are not mere "Boy Scouts", although we teach and practice the art of scouting. Physical culture, infantry drill, marching, the routine of camp life, semaphore and Morse signalling, scouting in all it's branches, elementary tactics, ambulance and first aid, swimming, hurling and football are all inluded in our scheme of training; and opportunity is given to the older boys for bayonet and rifle practise. This does not exhaust our programme for we believe that mental culture should go hand in hand with physical culture and we provide instruction in Irish and in Irish history, lectures on historical and literary subjects, and musical and social entertainments as opportunities permit.

Finally, we believe with Thomas Davis that "RIGHTEOUS men" must "make our land a nation once again". Hence we endeavour to train our boys to be pure, truthful honest, kindly, sober; clean in heart as well as in body; generous in the service to their parents and companions now as we would have them generous to the service of their country hereafter. We bear a very noble name and inherit very noble traditions, for we are called after the Fianna of Fionn, that heroic companionship which, according to legend, flourished in Ireland in the second and third centuries of the Christian era.

Na Fianna Éireann

Become an associate Associate membership is open to all, irrespective of age or sex, who are prepared to observe the constitution and rules of the organisation. Each member pays a fee of £10 per annum, which entitles him or her to a badge, membership card and the special quarterly bulletin - "Fianna".

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