In the aftermath of the 1916 Rising, the issue of communications and moving around important documentation and messages between republicans in Dublin was becoming a major problem and one that needed significant measures in place to ensure the lines of communications could stay open.
Correspondence sent through the regular postal service was, more often than not, opened and checked by the military censors. Anyone suspected of being a republican or even being connected to one could expect to have their post opened and checked by the postal service on orders from the military authorities.
A new system was devised in 1917 by Fianna HQ that would replace the British postal service with a new secret arrangement called the ‘Fianna Post’. This new operation was suggested to the leaders of the Volunteers, the IRB and Sinn Fein as a means of combating the damaging censorship occurring in the regular post. The…
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AN SIONNACH FIONN 
Trying to censor anyone’s freedom to organize or express themselves and particularly to achieve independence is really quite incidious and unfortunately probably as old as humanity’s existence. While ideally we ought to be able to resolve conflicts nonviolently, I sincerely doubt such an approach would have been effective in 1916 from what I’ve heard and read about the circumstances. And I’ve ended up in a lot of arguments with pacifists over this point of view recently because in part I have insisted that they and myself have never had our ideals tested, and I think most of us have no idea how we would respond in the same situation. Cautionary tale: This hasn’t resulted in making me popular. 🙂 On the whole modern conflicts are to me quite ridiculous (unnecessary) and self-serving, but it has always seemed to me that certain things like freedom from slavery or independence from oppression are definitely worth fighting for, if that’s the only effective option . Incidentally I was surprised, but perhaps ought not have been, to find out that Na Fianna Éireann still exists. Out of curiosity I read some of their declarations of ethics, (well of course I did, given that I think about ethics for a living and I have also personally taken the three values of the much more ancient fianna as my own.) I wrote up a generally oriented reply to a few points on my blog in my posts entitled In Defense of Imperfection which you can check out if you want, or else I can send you a link. I mention this not to promote myself but because I thought you might find it interesting despite the philosophical arguments. 🙂 Okay I should probably return to dissertation writing now. 🙂
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Interesting reading. Here is a link if others wish to read the piece. Personally I find myself drawn to the Fianna than any other grouping in Irish history (or mythology). I consider myself first and foremost a Fenian in every sense of the word.
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Well met. I don’t identify as a fenian for many reasons– some of them practical–such as that I live in California. That said I do live according to fenian values and walk my journey with others who do the same, in this world and the next. When I took the fianna’s values as my own, I did so in the other world, and as a druid, rather than a member of a fian: I am the former but not the latter. In fact my interest in the myths and legends of the fianna led me to happen on your blog. Your posts about them are really helpful especially to someone like me who is still learning Irish. As you probably figured out, I am a bit baffled by the value which the contemporary organization places on always appearing cheerful (which might not be humanly possible) and being the best in your field (because you represent the group) and not more so because of anything to do with living authentically. I mean for instance why an external demand for excellence when those who wish to live all they are command excellence within themselves?And by what standard of excellence are they measured–the world’s, or by what answers the question how ought I to live, found within? Admittedly though, I am outside the cultural and historical context in which such claims are being made and my experience of acting as a representative of a group through all I do is limited to my blindness. For some reason it’s assumed that I exemplify what all blind people are like–and it’s a very different thing to choose to participate in a group which you represent than it is to happen to find yourself presumed to be in one not of your making. I’d love to hear your thoughts about all this sometime. 🙂 Thank you also for linking to my post on my blog! I’ll link parts 2 and 3 from there as wordpress doesn’t make it easy to follow a series.
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