| Farmers' Freedom Force (FFF) | |
|---|---|
 A poster made to compare the FFF to that of the Blackshirts and KKK, made by labour activists. | |
| Leaders | Irish Farmers' Union |
| Dates of operation | 1922 – End of 1923 |
| Allegiance |  Irish Free State |
| Active regions | Ireland, particularly Munster and Leinster. |
| Size | ~600 |
| Opponents | ITGWU |
| Battles and wars | Irish Civil War (1922–1923) |
The Farmers' Freedom Force or White Guards[1] was a quasi-paramilitary active during the Irish Civil War. During the Irish War of Independence, the western rural parts of Ireland had been engulfed in semi-active conflicts over land, leading to various deaths during the period unrelated to the war.[2] As the Irish Civil War approached the island however, things began to become more complicated. Within the Irish Citizen Army, a portion of the group had grown disillusioned and joined the Communist Party of Ireland's armed wing, the Red Guards, which had formed early in 1922.[3] This Red Guards faction would fight in the Civil War, mainly in the Battle of Dublin, though some allegedly related parts of the group worked in support of the Irish soviets in the West.
- ^ "She is a Protestant as well" (PDF). aubanehistoricalsociety.org. 2020-08-08. Retrieved 2025-01-06.
- ^ "The Irish Working Class and the War of Independence" (PDF). marxists.org. 2015-11-01. Retrieved 2024-10-04.
- ^ "The Irish Citizen Army (ICA) in the Civil War: A MSPC Resource". Military Service Pensions Archive. 2017-02-17. Retrieved 2024-10-04.