By December 1884, attempts were being made to form an Irish branch of the SDF by a local socialist club in Dublin, which on 18 January 1885 established the Dublin Democratic Association (DDA) "to promote and defend the rights of labour, and to restore the land to the people," although this did not affiliate with the SDF due to worries that it would alienate Catholic members of the Irish National League. Only about one quarter of the DDA's members were actually socialists, the rest being a mix of various different radical tendencies, the largest of which were nationalist Land Leaguers. Largely the organisation focused on promoting "the advancement of democratic principles", but after a foreign Marxist was invited to speak at the club, nationalist members protested, causing a split in the DDA that resulted in its disbandment by May 1885.
In December 1884, an Irish branch of the SDF was being considered by a Dublin socialist club. On January 18, 1885, this club established the Dublin Democratic Association (DDA) to advocate for labor rights and land redistribution. However, due to concerns about alienating Catholic members of the Irish National League, the DDA did not affiliate with the SDF. Only a quarter of DDA members were true socialists; the rest included various radical groups, primarily nationalist Land Leaguers. The organization mainly promoted democratic principles but split when a Marxist speaker was invited, leading to its dissolution by May 1885.