In this  podcast we meet our first partisan – Aileen O’Brien, a 22 year old Irish American who moved to Ireland in 1935. O’Brien was always a mysterious figure – her contemporaries were never quite sure what to make of her. Some considered her a fascist, others thought her a naive catholic while inteligence agenices suspected  she may have been a covert arms dealer.

Unsurprisingly not long after she arrived in Ireland Aileen’s activities attracted the attention of the Irish police and eventially even military intelligence. Using never before seen archives this podcast follows O’Brien’s life up until the summer of 1936.

Her strange and intriguing life is an insight into far right activism in 1930s ireland and explains why many Irish people supported the fascist coup in Spain in July 1936.

Partisans is created by myself Fin Dwyer and Stewart Reddin.

Logo design – Keith Hynes