History of Sinn Féin 218. De Valera resigned and formed a new party, Fianna Fáil, on a platform of republicanising the Free State from within. He took the great majority of Sinn Féin support with him along with most of Sinn Féin's financial support from America. The remains of Sinn Féin fielded only 15 candidates and won only six seats in the June election, sinking to a level support not seen since before 1916. In the August 1927 by-election following the death of Constance Markievicz, SF's Cathal Ó Murchadha gained just 2.5% of the vote. Shortly after Vice-President and de facto leader MacSwiney announced
Fianna Éireann until his return in 1933 to Ireland. Fianna Éireann survived the Civil war period intact, they had sided with the Republic. The organisation was decimated then, and further disintegration occurred in 1926 when Fianna Fáil was founded. Markievicz was a founder member of that party but she died in 1927. In 1930 Fianna got the use of the Hardwicke Hall in Dublin as a headquarters as George Plunkett was nominated by the IRA as Chief Scout. This was a nominal position and the organisation was run by the HQ staff. At this time, Fianna expanded in proportion to the rest