The Irish National Association of Australasia was formed in Sydney in 1915 and for over a century it has been a significant ‘Irish’ organisation in Sydney. Irish sports, language, dancing, literature, history and culture have been central to its existence. Above all, the association has never swerved from its total support for the undivided freedom of Ireland.
The INA’s first decade was marked by controversy as the Irish fight for independence resonated in Australia, further dividing a community already split over the First World War, conscription, industrial relations and religious sectarianism. At times the INA had a large and sometimes surprising impact on the Irish and Australian-Irish community which extended into social, political, sporting and cultural areas. This history draws on many sources to tell the story of the INA and the people who worked to drive the organisation and its vision into the twenty-first century. The interaction of committee members, the community, rivals and friends resulted in victories and losses which make this story so engaging.
Reviews
To Foster an Irish Spirit is a work of true scholarship, full of interesting details for a son or daughter of an Irish-born parent, for those with Irish forebears, for lovers of Irish culture and those interested in Australian history. … As he turns the pages of this book the reader revisits the high points and low points of the recent history of Ireland and the Irish people’s struggle against oppression and enslavement. The story is told of a significant ethnic migrant group coming to terms with sharing a land, far from home, with strangers whose forebears entertained hostile loyalties and unorthodox articles of faith.
Chris Geraghty, Journal of the Australian Catholic Historical Society, Vol. 41, 2020
[A] history that will be essential reading for those with Irish connections or ancestry and those interested in Australian, Irish and Irish-Australian history. It is recorded with all its controversies, arguments, nationalism and its message of total support for the undivided freedom of Ireland.
Christine Sanderson, Descent, Vol. 50 No. 2, 2020
For more information and to purchase the books visit Anchor Books Australia.
Paperback, ISBN 9780646804309, 306 pages.
Contents
Acknowledgements
Foreword
Introduction
Part One: From Go to Woe 1915-1935 (Jeff Kildea)
In the beginning 1915-1917
Internment of the ‘Irish Seven’ 1918-1919
After Albert Dryer 1920-1935
Part Two: Revival to Survival 1936-2015 (Richard Reid)
Revival 1936-1956
Golden Age to Reform 1956-1978
Survival 1979-2015
Part Three: The Parade and the Memorial (Perry McIntyre)
St Patrick’s Day Parade 1979-1998
The 1798 Memorial at Waverley Cemetery 1916-2016
Appendix: Presidents of the INA 1915-2019
Abbreviations
Endnotes
Bibliography
Index