• T is because the Connolly Associ- i ation was founded at a meeting in the Engineers'' Hall, Bloomsbury exactly forty years ago on Septem- ber 4th, 1938. To have kept going all that time and kept a paper going month by LET THEM GO month is not a bad record for any association. TO IRELAND One thing we can claim. The Headers of the Connolly Association CPEAKING in Hyde Park on have more experience In handling the complexities of what lit called the "Irish question" than any other Association speakereurtttj . committee in England. GWrernment should reootntse tM isnt that Just one of the reasons nw. who are In prison ae a n«tt why you, who aiw. reading this of politically motivated offences as paper, shoufct decide to to«Boin* • a special ^ . member and so make. t*s oelotorat^ a bit more? 1*m was not We want the Irish •rganised in the right they can act as a powerful poHUeal O FIAICH. CathoUc Primate^of Ireland, has called on the British Lobby In this oountry as- tjngr to do something abottt the appalling conditions of republican prisoners fa In the U.S.A. .» antftHere / ii I'tii.'Wiwy^il mini There are nearly 3,000 prison- the Holy See at the situation "The prisoners' cell* ojrd wftiwut ers in JWorttoecn Ireland today, which has arisen in the prison ^ chaii* or laMes. They sleep on MANY $&s must beacause^oi grave " .'- anxiety to ^ spirttLl iSder * ' L SHOCKED ^ caws I noticed M^Mfe*; jfr* CONSIDERING all the other ap- Nearfy 2fl0 frolhSe Archdiocese "Having ^^ the-l^-oC Sun- no - peals we have beenputttng out, gf S^wS 4ay In. the pr^on I was shocked at » * the Irish Democrat support {void „t, has held up reasonably wflfc W6 JV^ze^lft^^at m ~ . in H-blocks 3, « aiul «Ci<Wtae*f'-.»¥er ,...... 300 prisons 'are incarcerated. One juiuoyie *», A; JBSieraon 4», 1— . Ti . • , wwuu luxnuy uuvw nmuMU wj re- _ T,„ ^ J. Guiifoyle m, grtrwuft, i^^^ of aU the h ll(lM London OA SHMSO,tfa. c fX*m young men ofsimflar age groups mai^SS^tii^SS^^n in such wmditian&, lefikntttot alone ^ SSStiSS^SSE B. Crowley ' a ' 'SffiSSSiS South in their cells for £1.35, Of every day and some of i M- Taylor £2, - as many lieen in this condi h.,n £1, T. Bamm asp, 3, Stephen- iMtxmr™ eon £3.68, C. Sullivan £3, per H. a<! ^^ M&i'mw" SI to «§»* to tfcem and their £15.77, in Central Londtm £7.26, in famines .. On this, my second, East London £2.52,tn3^txtfdon - vfeit to I/mfcfcesh, 1 walfalso £4.03. Total Mmf&f-^ffiH"- afip T»E editorial St fe*>' Mirror" - -ffl^fiMfoij called for English troops j counties, shows ci (4 public opinion in "tMe -. try. |j it is a sign that Goviftnimeni policy has «s well i; At the santg editorial shows says that the must decide to live united: leave it to the***., But that <«; Britain S Now things t>ut to let <h«y are THIS division,; county with co t'sh money ..-.-•I.- ... imtiM: M^mmm^ I THE IRISH DEMOCRAT September 1978 September 1*7* THE HUSH DEMOCRAT ALL IS NOT WELL IN DUBLIN CATCHING OUR A sober black shawl hides her femaie > and represent TRAM UNIONISM IN IRELAND body entirely one-third of those emplo; Touched by the sun and the salt IT HE Irish trade union movement spray of the sea, has a proud heritage of work- Problems, present and future The Trades Councils which have And safe in the darkness her ing-class struggle dating back to gone from strength to strength in (Noted Dublin Architect) the 18th century. Not surprisingly, slim hand so lovely recent years, have a vital role to ;r,e development of the movement Carries a rich bunch of red as seen by play in this regard. Greater efforts the qualifying Leaving Certificate, is inextricably bound up with the roses for me. at organising must be made, parti- essential for all white-collar posts .political life of the country and in cularly among women workers. and many trades. This compares particular with the fight < for na- Changes in technology and infla- with around 35 per cent from iitaial independence. better circumstanced areas (edu- tion have hit many of the smaller The best of its leaders, men like entry and the relatively low level craft unions hard and reduced their cational survey quoted in An Dail, Protestant workforce which was the February 1977) Mxhael Davitt, Jamie Hope, James of industrial development. effectiveness. Rationalisation, -al- Connolly and Jim Larkin, all recog- Much thought has been given to decisive factor will have access to ways a complicated process, Lr tivade his factory., in Twinbrook his only • 73% of people over the age of 51 nised the need to look beyond the these problems in the movement at even more difficult because of the workforce will be those BepUbhcaos living in the lower income areas immediate demands for better pay individual trade union and at Con- duplication of Irish-based an^ are living on diets that are nutri- gress ley el. Progressive policies whpsa desi«e t© wort has St431 to tish-based unions. It will require wad working conditions; to exa- be proved." tionally inadequate to some de- ejiie the nature of the society in which point the way forward have skill and leadership to otfry gree (National Prices Commission which they lived; who held control been fought for and adopted. In the South the jjpresolved n8r through the necessary rationalisa- Survery, Mar 1977) ar*d .in whose interest that control tional question remaps the main tion in a way which will strengthen The -Better Life for A!P pro- the movement without was exercised. gramme which combines economic fscUff in id^i^Tuwffiwg' ppl^jrul ail&- • 14.9 per cent of the working popu- giMl^e. Thoi^aads;.o£ trade ]xoi0r its unity. , " lation officially are unemployed and democratic demands and which This inevitably brought them into has the support of ag sections at ists, disenchanted with tftp l#tmr T ^JOKING ahead. ti»fe- TO^ist although it is known that the the political arena and into the Party, because of it« opportanteB> actual number is more than this. the working class, provides the 'f^ cpme when it is possiWe lo. dis- struggle for national independence in periodically allying itself to cuss the question <>f An official report of May 1977 m champions of working-class in- means of breaking the immediate impasse in Northern Ireland. As Right-wing Fine Gael, and because flcation inv the expects these figures to Increase, (4 terests. of its poor record on the naUoqpl iiatijin- and the chairman of the Central wett as seeking- jobs, housing, equal aUy and without And it was not in Ireland alone educational opportunity and im- question and demeeratie the most 1 Bank describes their prospects as t^m to FiawMk Faji o&m Wt "chilling". In terms of numbers that the influence of Irish labour proved social welfare services, it Irish politics leaders was felt. Forced emigration demands "the right to live free though It is iHdnStSEifilfy Strong and this probably means about 50,060 indee^-mlfitMit, M- j^stitte record unemployed adults Mid their and deportation spread the spirit frow vtoleaee, sectarianism, intimi- trade, union mosemeot to. jjerfom noutical aU«siance. families in Dublin. And in case c! rebellion and intolerance of d^m and jdiKfuoiiMliioB'' and "the will stow, tWs strengtti te not te- polittcai ta§)fs, wWle H»oi1ng. the eicial injustice far sod. wide, to right to associate freely and to flectee- in the pohttcal arena where need for political Dotfer. one thinks they have a cushy time it is very wesk and di»Wed A an official statement from the Britain, the U.S.A., and Ausfcralia. advocate political change by peace- v restraint, .in the for^R natipiud pphttoalartfta. ful means." cloeter examination will show the wage agreements or Social Contract, Director of the National Social reason® why this is so. • divergent views Service Council in January 1977 The British trade urtfon may^ is seen as tte^ means fer acWertog question, but ;<neni owes much to men litoj AS its answer to the terrible everything from tat reform to goes into considerable detail, to ^problem of unemployment the N the m^ se^^xmta and always, prided show that payments to the unem- . c-nn Doherty irom Dopegftl, who nationalisation of natoral [resources. throughout his life fought for an movement has outlined how the vast I aide ta loafe i ployed err upon the tow side; he The single most importwMb ppobr ally, to staate sff' stated in fact that they were end to sectionalism and for a single hsturaf resources of Ireland, its ^ have been lem for the trade uniM spdraMcait trade union centre; Fergus QfCon- «Sneral wealth, off^ie^ ^ ^sed^ .^We "clearly inadequate", and that to the period ahead is, bop to be^tiatwt xK»r, the Corkman who led the agriculteral and maritime re- ^ J^^frW^ in housing fHknMn^ ' * ' - A • ' some 13 per cent received no pay- sources, could hfe ijsed to «rea|^ all ment at all -Chartist movement and worked tirelessly for the alliance of Chart- ths: necessary Jobs, it has called ists and Repealers; and Jim CohneB ftr the state to fie t^e Abet- the deported Fenian. «he • role by - it&ii?** on a m^ntt iN the other side of the.Att»n*ic, , in the mines of Peqmyftmfe 't* Molly Maguires, exited Bltonar iuas and RifcbMunen, b&t tiRfft * «ark on the- Q& labour movement Others were to follow in toehrpftth, nm.