Page "Clann na Poblachta" Paragraph 5

In October 1947, Clann na Poblachta won two by-elections ( in Dublin County and Tipperary ).

The Taoiseach, de Valera, saw the threat posed by the new party and in February 1948 he called a snap general election to try and catch Clann na Poblachta off guard.

At the time Clann had, not entirely unrealistic, hopes of both replacing Fianna Fáil as the majority republican party and as the leading party of the state.

de Valera's tactic was successful ; Clann na Poblachta only won ten seats-far fewer than was expected.

De Valera may have saved his party's dominance, but the election did produce enough seats among the opposition groups for them to be able to form a non-Fianna Fáil government, the first time in sixteen years.

That First Inter-Party Government was made up of Fine Gael, Labour, National Labour, Clann na Talmhan, Clann na Poblachta, and some independents.