Graduation Year
2025
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree
Ph.D.
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
Degree Granting Department
History
Major Professor
Fraser Ottanelli, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Julia Irwin, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Jennifer Knight, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Philip Levy, Ph.D.
Keywords
Anglophobia, assimilation, Catholic, isolationism, propaganda
Abstract
This dissertation examines the complex narratives surrounding Irish neutrality during World War II within the Irish American community. It focuses on two key organizations, the American Friends of Irish Neutrality (AFIN) and the American Irish Defense Association (AIDA), arguing that the conflict over neutrality was a pivotal moment in the assimilation of Irish American identity. The study explores how Irish Americans balanced their connection to their ancestral homeland with their desire for full acceptance in the United States.
The research reveals a fervent propaganda war between the AFIN, a grassroots organization defending Ireland’s right to remain neutral, and the AIDA, a pro-interventionist group seeking to undermine that position. The study uncovers the covert influence of British Special Operations Executive (SOE) propaganda, which funded and guided the AIDA. A key AIDA tactic was to reframe Irish neutrality as a threat to American security and to use the fear of being labeled “un-American” against Irish Americans.
This analysis also highlights the decline of traditional Irish American committees that struggled to adapt to modern media and compete with well-resourced, foreign-backed propaganda efforts. The AFIN’s dissolution after Pearl Harbor marked the end of an era for Irish American groups directly influencing Irish government policy. The debate over neutrality was ultimately a struggle for the soul of Irish American identity, and by the war’s end, Irish Americans had largely shed the lingering reputation that they were a disloyal or hyphenated group, solidifying their place in the American fabric through their wartime commitment.
Scholar Commons Citation
Horan, Patrick J., "The American Friends of Irish Neutrality and the American Irish Defense Association: The Last Irish American Committees" (2025). USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/etd/11056
