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Cumann na nGaedheal (League of the Gaels) was an Irish language name given to two Irish political parties.
The first Cumann na nGaedheal was founded by Arthur Griffith in 1904 to campaign against a visit by King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra to Ireland. In 1905 it merged with a number of other parties to form Sinn Féin.
The second Cumann na nGaedheal was formed by pro-treaty Sinn Féin TDs in Dáil Éireann in Dublin in 1923. It came into being between its inception in December 1922 and its formal launch in April 1923. It had as its core element the pro-treaty section of Sinn Féin returned in the 1922 general election. The party contested its first general election in 1923 and won 63 seats (39% of the poll). Its leader was W.T. Cosgrave. Until 1932 it formed the Government of the Irish Free State. It was surprisingly defeated by Fianna Fáil in the general election of February 1932.
Its support base contracted further in the general election of January 1933 and it subsequently entered discussions with the National Centre Party and the National Guard (Blueshirts) on the possibility of a merger. This came about in September 1933 with the formation of Fine Gael from the three parties.
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