[1] He was the founder and leader of Ailtirí na hAiséirghe, a fascist party which sought to create a Christian corporatist state and revive the Irish language through the establishment of an authoritarian dictatorship in Ireland.

Inspired by Lenihan, a cultural nationalist, he changed his name from Gerald Cunningham to its Gaelic form, Gearóid Ó Cuinneagáin.

[10] In 1937, he wrote an article in the conservative republican Wolfe Tone Weekly calling for an alliance between Ireland and Italy against their common enemy, the United Kingdom.

[12] In 1939, recognising that war between Britain and Germany was imminent, he called on Irish people to "make use of this other great danger facing England to benefit our country".

[14] In 1940 Ó Cuinneagáin was involved in the establishment of Clann na Saoirse, which was connected to the pro-Axis organisations Irish Friends of Germany and Cumann Náisiúnta.

[15] Ó Cuinneagáin was appointed Stiúrthóir (director) in May and issued an eight-point programme calling for the military reclamation of Northern Ireland, pro-natalist policies, a ban on emigration, the elimination of the "pernicious influence of aliens" on Irish economic life, the establishment of a "sovereign federation" of the Celtic nations (Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Brittany), and the prohibition of the English language.

The Irish Friends of Germany and Cumann Náisiúnta began to organise meetings planning to assist a German invasion under the cover of Irish-language classes taught by Ó Cuinneagáin.

[18] Craobh na hAiséirghe claimed to be a non-political and non-ideological organisation dedicated to the preservation of the Irish language and culture, and many of its members had no interest in fascism.

[19] At Craobh na hAiséirghe's second meeting Ó Cuinneagáin was elected president of the organisation but within a few weeks changed his original title to Ceannaire, meaning "leader".

For Ó Cuinneagáin, association with the party allowed him to gain recruits for Craobh na hAiséirghe and make connections with the Irish Republican Army, in addition to the possibility of influencing Córas' policy ideologically.

[21] In 1941, Ó Cuinneagáin was elected to Conradh na Gaeilge's national executive, the Coiste Gnótha, but became involved in a dispute with other members of the executive over a proposed Conradh commemorative publication of the 1916 Easter Rising, as Ó Cuinneagáin insisted that a member of Craobh na hAiséirghe be appointed editor of the issue.

[22] Afterwards he commenced a boycott of Conradh, prohibiting Craobh delegates from participating in the Coiste Gnótha and withholding the annual fee due from the branch.

His two-hour speech was a political one that strongly criticised Irish society and its leadership but praised the Emergency Powers Act for helping to prepare Ireland for totalitarian government.

The publication of Aiseirghe 1942, which was devoted purely to laying out Ó Cuinneagáin's political vision for his new movement, similar to the eight-point programme he had issued as a member of Clann na Saoirse, exacerbated these tensions.

In his final address as leader of the branch, Ó Cuinneagáin pledged his co-operation with its objectives and asked members to assist Glún na Buaidhe.

[26] Ó Cuinneagáin and his movement began to hold speeches where crowds of people might be found such as pubs, cinemas, sporting events and churches as well as to organise parades and Irish dancing.

[30] The Irish intelligence service G2 and its British counterpart MI5 began to note that Aiséirghe members often attended Sinn Féin meetings and sometimes even spoke from their platforms.

In an attempt at a publicity stunt two weeks before the election Ó Cuinneagáin organised an Aiséirghe céilí in Belfast and gave a fiery speech during it, hoping to be arrested and gain press coverage as a "political prisoner."

Fearing this to be the diplomatic prelude to an invasion of Ireland by the Allies, the Irish government placed the army on high alert and rushed troops to the border.

Ernest Blythe, criticising Ó Cuinneagáin's limitations as a public speaker, suggested that he should resign as Ceannaire while remaining Secretary or Director of Organisation.

Despite clear signs that the election would result in a sweeping victory for Fianna Fáil and the party suffering financial issues Ó Cuinneagáin was determined that Aiséirghe should run candidates.

Ó Cuinneagáin also expressed an interest in technological advances and pointed ways in which they could be used to assist an Irish cultural and economic revival.