Republic of Éire Nua - Fenian Guard

During the Brotherhood days, Irish revolutionaries often clashed with Protectorate forces in smaller units, lighting several small fires under the British Empire’s foot. This method only worked until the British responded with crushing force and smoked out the enemy before they could retreat underground. For the inevitable day that the revolution boiled over, the IRA needed a unified and trained standing army, one that could fight the enemy under the light of day. The result of the Hidden Dáil's 1916 initiative was the Fenian Guard, the strong arm of the united IRA. The first Fenian officers were handpicked for marksmanship and trustworthiness under pressure, resulting in a shorthand list of 200 candidates. After training, these men were dispersed across Éire Nua, with the simple command of forming their own combat sections. After the first five years of operation, the Fenian Guard had recruited and trained 4000 men for their first flying columns. By the outbreak of the Great War, this