The Fenians were an Irish nationalist movement in the mid-19th century that aimed for Irish independence from British rule. The name "Fenian" comes from the Fianna, legendary bands of Irish warriors. The movement had two main branches: the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB), founded in Ireland by James Stephens in 1858, and Clan na Gael in the United States, founded the same year by John O’Mahony and other Irish-American exiles. The Fenians were committed to establishing an independent democratic Irish Republic through revolutionary means. The Fenians organized armed uprisings in Ireland in 1867, which ultimately failed due to government resistance and other factors. They also attempted raids into British Canada from the United States in the 1860s, intending to pressure Britain. Although the Fenian rising was unsuccessful, their efforts helped to shift public opinion in favor of Irish independence and influenced later Irish nationalist movements. The British government responded with reforms including land acts and disestablishment of the Protestant Church of Ireland. The Fenian legacy continued to inspire political and cultural nationalism in Ireland. In summary, the Fenians were a secret revolutionary society active primarily in the 1860s that sought to end British rule in Ireland and establish an Irish Republic. They had significant impact on the trajectory of Irish nationalism despite their military failures.