Parties and the party system

This chapter outlines the key actors in the party system and the evolution of competition between them. First, the origins of the party system are examined from a comparative perspective, with a discussion of some of the debates about its formation. It examines the structure and workings of parties. It details how party organisations in Ireland function and where power lies within parties. The chapter provides an evaluation of the role of parties within the political system. Most approaches to explaining the origins of the Irish party system focus on the period 1916-1923. Fitting Irish parties into the categories generally employed in comparative analysis has proved challenging, as they lack features common to the European experience. For example, the party system has been dominated by two parties with almost incomprehensible names, Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, between whom the differences have often been almost indiscernible.