(; "Society of the Gaels"), was a political organisation founded in 1900 by

Arthur Griffith Arthur Joseph Griffith ( ga, Art Seosamh Ó Gríobhtha; 31 March 1871 – 12 August 1922) was an Irish writer, newspaper editor and politician who founded the political party Sinn Féin. He led the Irish delegation at the negotiations that prod ...

and

William Rooney William Rooney ( ga, Liam Ó Ruanaidh; 29 September 1873–6 May 1901), also known as Fear na Muintire, was an Irish nationalist, journalist, poet and Gaelic revivalist. Along with Arthur Griffith and Denis Devereux he founded the Celtic Lit ...

. Griffith had written an article in the ''

United Irishman ''The United Irishman'' was an Irish nationalist newspaper co-founded by Arthur Griffith and William Rooney.Arthur Griffith ...

'' newspaper in March 1900, calling for the creation of an association to bring together the disparate nationalist groups of the time, and the result was the formation of Cumann na nGaedheal in September of that year. In October 1900

Inghinidhe na hÉireann Inghinidhe na hÉireann (; "Daughters of Ireland") was a radical Irish nationalist women's organisation led and founded by Maud Gonne from 1900 to 1914, when it merged with the new Cumann na mBan. Patriotic Children's Treat The Inghinidhe origi ...

decided to affiliate themselves with the party and as a result were awarded representation on the governing council of the party. Griffith put forward his proposal for the abstention of Irish members of parliament from the

Westminster parliament The Parliament of the United Kingdom is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It meets at the Palace of Westminster, London. It alone possesses legislative supremacy ...

at the 1902 Cumann na nGaedheal convention. In 1907 it merged with the

Dungannon Clubs The Dungannon Clubs were founded in Ireland in 1905 by Bulmer Hobson and Dennis McCullough, whose goal was the eventual creation of an Irish Republic. Seán McDermott became the organizer for the clubs in Belfast, Dublin, Glasgow, London, and ...

and the National Council to form the original

Sinn Féin Sinn Féin ( , ; en, " eOurselves") is an Irish republican and democratic socialist political party active throughout both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The original Sinn Féin organisation was founded in 1905 by Arthur G ...

.Michael Laffan, ''The Resurrection of Ireland: The Sinn Féin Party 1916-23'', pp. 25-6, .

References

1900 establishments in Ireland History of Sinn Féin {{Ireland-hist-stub