Delargy became its secretary, while Henry McGhee and Richard Stokes were appointed as joint treasurers.
Delargy immediately wrote to Anthony Mulvey of the new Anti-Partition League of Ireland (APL), stating that he intended for the two groups to work together.
[1] However, the two groups had some differing views; the Friends of Ireland were also happy to work with the Northern Ireland Labour Party and believed that the ultimate answer to the social problems of Catholics in Northern Ireland was socialism, while the Anti-Partition League accused the British Labour government of having "Tory attitudes" and saw the reunification as the ultimate answer.
[2] Other active members of the Friends included Geoffrey Bing, William Foster, John Haire, Valentine McEntee and H. B. Morgan.
The debate on the Northern Ireland Act 1947, was the best opportunity for this, and Delargy and Anthony Mulvey of the Nationalist Party, while not opposing the Act, co-operated in raising objections about the Government of Northern Ireland.