O'Duffy, Eoin (1892–1944)

Irish politician and soldier. Born in County Monaghan, he joined the Irish Volunteers in 1917, and took a leading part in the Sinn Fein movement and the Irish Republican Army. He supported the Anglo-Irish Treaty (1921) and was appointed the first commissioner of the Garda Síochána (civic guard), established to police the Irish Free State in 1922. Following his dismissal by the president of the executive council (prime minister) Éamon de Valera in 1933, he joined the oppositon, and became director general of the semi-fascist National Guard (formerly the Blueshirts).

The Blueshirts merged with Cumann na nGaedheal and the Centre Party to form Fine Gael with O'Duffy as its first president in 1933. O'Duffy's radicalism and pro-fascist sympathies resulted in his resignation from the party the following year. His next political venture, the fascistic National Corporate Party, failed to gain popular support. In 1936 he led the Irish Brigade to Spain to fight for Gen Franco during the Spanish Civil War (1936–39), but it returned home within six months due to infighting and poor military performance.

O'Duffy was the author of The Crusade in Spain (1938).