This is the first major examination of the origins and development of the highly influential Fianna Fail party in Irish politics. Richard Dunphy explores the historical development of the party, looking at its organizational structure, the evolution of its ideology, and the interactions between party and state, and analyses how the changing social structure of Ireland affected Fianna Fail policies. The result is a fascinating mixture of detailed empirical research and broader theoretical analysis which reconstructs Fianna Fail's rise to power and explains how it retained its position of dominance. The author locates the historical experience of Fianna Fail rule in Ireland within the broader dimensions of European politics.