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May 2017 Volume 3, No. 1 Irish Labour History News Editors: James Curry & Adrian Grant The FREE Bi-Annual Newsletter of the Irish Labour History Society

Contents 1. Saothar 41: Conference report 2016

2. Recent labour history events in the North

3. Launch of two new booklets by Charles Callan Saothar welcomes new editors

4. D.R. O’Connor Lysaght, Fionnuala Richardson, and The ILHS in Glasgow Paul Ennis. (Photograph: Jack McGinley) Gralton monument unveiled CONFERENCE: LEAVING 1916 & ENTERING 1917 SAOTHAR 41 The 2016 annual conference of the In the final session, Padraig Yeates ILHS took place at Beggars Bush on outlined the contents of the National STILL AVAILABLE Saturday 22nd October. Entitled Archives of Ireland’s online archive of ‘Leaving 1916 & Entering 1917’, the Irish Trade Union Congress & Labour event was opened by society pres- Party annual reports from 1901-25, ident Jack McGinley and featured Donal Fallon discussed the life of three panel sessions. trade unionist and Irish Volunteer Richard O’Carroll, and Joe Mooney of In the first session, Charles Callan dis- the East Wall History Group told the cussed the life of trade union activist story of how men from his Dublin 3 and 1916 casualty Peadar Macken, community resisted the British Army with Mick Halpenny then presenting in 1916. on the Welsh internment camp of Frongoch after the . The A notable feature of the day was the second session saw Saothar co-ed- positive reaction of speakers and itor Sarah-Anne Buckley discuss audience members to the 1916 exhi- child welfare and childhood in 1917, bition currently on display at Beggars before Paul Ennis and D. R. O’Connor Bush, which is open to members of Lysaght talked about the subjects the public during the society’s office of their recent ILHS booklets (Peter hours (Mon-Thurs 10-4, Fri 10-1). You can still purchase copies Ennis: The man who kept Liberty of Saothar 41 online at www. Hall, and From the GPO to the Winter The next ILHS Annual Conference will irishlabourhistorysociety.com. Palace: How a Workers’ Revolution was take place on Saturday 21st October The ILHS online shop also Lost and How a Workers’ Revolution 2017. The ILHS will mark the centena- was Won). ry of Bray & District Council of Trade includes back issues of Saothar Unions on 4th November 2017. and other society publications.

ILHS Newsletter May 2017 1 ILHS: Latest News & Events Recent Events of Labour History Interest in the North West

A number of notable events of Fair was held on Saturday 28th labour history interest took place in January as part of the annual pro- the north west recently, including gramme of events to mark Bloody book fairs, book launches and talks Sunday. Stall holders and book and lectures on various themes. buyers from across Derry, Donegal, Tyrone, and beyond attended the Helga Woggon, author of books fair, which was held at the Pilot’s on and Winifred Row Centre on Rossville Street. A Carney, delivered a lecture on spokesperson for the Radical Book- the latter at an event in Derry on fair Collective stated: Friday, 16th September 2016. The event was held at the Cultúrlann “The day itself was a brilliant suc- Above: Daisey Mules (INTO) launches Emmet Uí Chanáin on Great James’ Street, cess judging by the numbers it at- O’Connor’s latest book. Below: Helga Woggon where the launch of Emmet O’Con- tracted...There really was a fantastic after her lecture on the life of Winifred Carney. nor’s latest installment of his labour mix of books and independent (Photographs: Eddie Soye) history of the city was also held on publications for every type of inter- Bottom: Derry Radical Book Fair. the evening. est from books relating to political theories such as titles on socialism Winnie Carney played an important to republicanism, feminism to role during the events of Easter anarchism, queer or gender politics Week, 1916, and was a close con- right through to a wide range of fidant of Connolly’s at that time. both local and national social and She entered the GPO armed with a political history.” typewriter and a revolver. She was given the rank of adjutant, despite Talks were delivered by local au- her non-combatant status and thors Emmet O’Connor and Dave remained with Connolly until the fi- Duggan. The organisers hope to nal retreat. Her political and activist continue the event into the future. career extended beyond nation- alist activities. She was an active Finally, the Charlie Donnelly Winter trade unionist and was a founder School was held in Dungannon member of the Irish Women Work- over the weekend of 24-25 Feb- ers’ Union in 1912. She was also ruary. The events of the weekend involved in the suffrage movement were focused on and inspired by and was later active in Sinn Féin, the life and works of the revolu- the and the tionary socialist poet and Spanish Socialist Party. Civil War veteran, who was born in Dungannon in 1914. An exten- The second volume of Emmet sive programme of events saw O’Connor’s Derry Labour in the Age contributions from historians and of Agitation was launched on the political activists from Ireland and same evening. This installment of Spain including Fearghal McClus- the local labour history traces the key, Brian Hanley, Manus O’Rior- advent and impact of Larkin and dan, Bernadette McAliskey, Tommy Larkinism on the city’s workers, and McKearney, Declan Bree, and highlights the role of labour during George Galloway, amongst many a time of great upheaval in the city. others. The roles of James McCarron and Peadar O’Donnell - two pivotal, If you have news of labour history but very different figures in the events in your area please get in city’s history - are traced through touch with the society by emailing the events of the 1910s and early secretary@irishlabourhistorysociety. 1920s. The book launch and Helga com. The editors will endeavour to Woggon’s talk were both hosted by include news of upcoming events the Derry Trades Union Council. and reports of past events where space permits. The inaugural Derry Radical Book

2 ILHS Newsletter May 2017 ILHS: Latest News & Recent Events NEW LABOUR HISTORY BOOKLETS BY ILHS MAINSTAY CHARLES CALLAN

The ILHS Archives was happy to Callan’s second booklet, Labour in recently receive donated copies of Kingstown 1890-1920, was print- privately published labour history ed in September 2016, and at 86 booklets written by Charles Callan. pages in length is almost three times the size of the author’s The first, printed in two batches in other volume. Containing a useful August and October 2014, marks index and some eye-catching the golden jubilee commemora- photographs and cartoons, the tion of the important 1964 building work features a series of essays by workers’ strike. Written from the Callan on ‘the general position of perspective of the Irish National workers and their organisations in Painters’ and Decorators’ Trade Kingstown (Dún Laoghaire) before Union, it is based by the author ‘on labour entered electoral politics on its records, (his) recollections as a an organised basis in 1920’. participant, and some other con- temporary sources’. In his foreword, As well as donating copies to the Callan describes the success of the ILHS Archives, the author has nine-week strike, which saw Irish privately circulated his two works workers receive various benefits to local libraries, as well as ‘labour in addition to the right to a for- movement and fraternal organi- ty-hour, five-day week, as ‘arguably sations and interested individuals’. the most significant achievement Callan is a former committee mem- of the Irish Trade Union Movement ber (1977-79, 1983, 2001, 2008-09), (not to say the Labour Movement) Vice-President (1980), President of the twentieth century’. (1981-2), Secretary (1987-2000) and Treasurer (2001-02) of the ILHS. SAOTHAR WELCOMES NEW EDITORS Bush or posted to all ing-class radicalism in Kerry during current members of the the era of the Irish Revolution. Also society. included in Saothar 42 is an essay by Emmet O’Connor on Ireland and the This year’s issue con- Russian Revolution, a biographical tains the usual blend entry on Irish-Scottish labour or- of articles, document ganiser Edward McHugh by Andrew studies, essays, cor- G. Newby, and a report by Francis respondence and Devine on the Military Archives of reviews. Articles include Ireland’s ‘Medal Series (1916-21)’ cur- Dr Martin Maguire (DKIT) and Dr Sarah Anne Buckley (NUIG) are Brian Hanley’s look at rently being made available online the editors of Saothar 42 popular responses to via www.militaryarchives.ie Bloody Sunday and the The Irish Labour History Society conflict in between Back issues of Saothar, including last is pleased to announce that this 1969-72, Mary Jones’ examination year’s landmark Saothar 41 Easter year’s issue of Saothar, its annual of labour and childhood in pre-Fam- Rising special co-edited by Sar- journal, will be co-edited by Dr ine Ireland, Ruairi Gallagher’s case ah-Anne Buckley, Brian Hanley and Sarah-Anne Buckley of NUI Galway study of inter-union rivalry in Watt’s Francis Devine, can be purchased and Dr Martin Maguire of Dundalk Distilleries Derry in 1920-21, Elaine at the Irish Labour History Society Institute of Technology. Saothar 42 Sugrue’s analysis of gender and the Archives in Beggars Bush, or online will be launched at the society’s Irish Drapers’ Assistants’ Union, and by clicking on the ‘Publications’ link AGM on 8th April 2017, and will be Kieran McNulty’s piece on work- on irishlabourhistorysociety.com available to collect from Beggars

ILHS Newsletter May 2017 3 Recent Labour History Events

The Irish Labour History Society was delighted to stage a Glasgow launch of Saothar 41, its bumper journal issue dedicated to the 1916 GLASGOW LAUNCH OF Easter Rising, at the Scottish Trades Union Congress headquarters of 333 Woodlands SAOTHAR AND JAMES Road on Saturday 5th November 2016. Coming on the back of successful Dublin and Belfast launches of the journal, this saw ILHS President FEARON PLAQUE UNVEILING Jack McGinley and Francis Devine, one of its three guest editors, speak about the society and issue contents respectively. The event was organised by the 1916 Rising Centenary Committee – Scotland, with their secretary Stevie Coyle and chair Maggie Chetty joining the panel.

Many discounted copies of Saothar 41 and other ILHS publications were purchased on the night, which also included a multimedia presentation about James Connolly and 1916 featuring songs, spoken word and images by Jimmy Ross and Finlay Allison. Additionally, there was the unveiling of a commemora- tive plaque to James Fearon (1874-1924), an unsung hero of the modern Irish and Scottish labour movements, by Phelim Jennings of SIPTU’s Newry Branch and Jennifer McCarey of Glasgow Trades Council. This plaque unveiling Above: Jack McGinley, Maggie Chetty, Francis Devine, and Stevie Coyle was a joint initiative between the Irish Con- (Photograph: Phelim Jennings) gress of Trade Unions, SIPTU and the STUC.

President Michael D. Higgins and his wife Sabina with members of the Gralton Commemorative Committee (including, third from left, ILHS committee member John UNVEILING OF GRALTON Feely) at the unveiling of the Jimmy Gralton Monument in the Leitrim town of Effrinagh, near Carrick-on-Shannon, MONUMENT on Saturday 3rd September 2016. In a moving ceremony held at the site of Gralton’s ‘Pearse Connolly Hall’, made famous by Ken Loach’s 2014 filmJimmy’s Hall, President Higgins acknowledged ‘the wrongful intimidation and ultimate deportation by an abuse of the law, of Jimmy Gralton, to whose memory, and whose family, an apology is due’. The ILHS was among those to made a financial donation towards the building of the monument.

NOTICE TO MEMBERS AND PROSPECTIVE MEMBERS You can now buy or renew your ILHS membership for 2017 at www.irishlabourhistorysociety.com

4 ILHS Newsletter May 2017