Irish Christian Front

The organisation was founded with the intention of showing support and raising funds for the Nationalist faction of the Spanish Civil War.

The ICF was able to send a substantial amount of money and supplies to the Nationalists but its domestic policies were never adopted.

Sympathy for the rebellion was widespread in staunchly Catholic Ireland, as the rebels were seen as protecting their country from godless communism.

Belton, a sitting TD for Cumann na nGaedheal, was the first and only president of the ICF and its leading figure.

Future Clann na Poblachta TD (and later Labour party member) Joseph Brennan served as vice-president.

[8] Politicians of all major parties spoke at these meetings as did leading trade unionists, clergymen, academics and journalists.

Despite persistence, and the drafting of the 'Clonmel Resolution', which was affirmed by a number of local councils, the government did not budge and it passed the Spanish Civil War (Non-intervention) Bill in February 1937, which re-affirmed Irish neutrality.

[13] More specifically, it advocated strict censorship of books and films that were 'in any way subversive to the morals of the people', youth in particular.

Speakers also expressed support and admiration for the policies of Adolf Hitler in Germany and Benito Mussolini in Italy.

The ICF failed to use Irish support for Franco to get right-wing social and economic policy implemented at home.

As Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy became involved, it became difficult to argue that conflict was a purely religious one.

[23] Corporatism and opposition to democracy were not popular ideas in Ireland, and the leadership in Dublin was not able to convert provincial branches to the cause, let alone the wider public.