Cumann na Saoirse

This article is about the 1920s organisation. For the modern political party, see Irish Freedom Party.

Cumann na Saoirse (The League for Freedom) was an Irish republican women's organisation formed in Dublin in 1922, following a split in Cumann na mBan.

Cumann na Saoirse
Founder	Jennie Wyse Power
Founded	March 1922 (1922-03)
Dissolved	May 1923 (1923-05)
Split from	Cumann na mBan
Headquarters	Ireland
Ideology	Irish nationalism Pro Anglo-Irish Treaty
Politics of the Republic of Ireland Political parties Elections Politics of Northern Ireland Political parties Elections

History

On 7 January 1922 the Anglo-Irish Treaty was approved by the Second Dáil by a close vote of 64–57. On 5 February a convention was held to discuss this, and 419 Cumann na mBan members voted against as opposed to 63 in favour. The Pro-Treaty women, headed by Jennie Wyse Power set up Cumann na Saoirse to replace Cumann na mBan in March 1922.^[1] Some of those who supported the Treaty changed the name of their branches to Cumann na Saoirse, while others retained their name but gave allegiance to the Free State Government.^[2]

By July 1923, the Irish Civil War having ended, the organisation was ready to dissolve itself.^[3] It enquired to Richard Mulcahy about transferring membership to an Irish Red Cross, but no such society was set up until 1939.^[3]