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On His Death Bed He Was Asked to Rejoin Labour

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On His Death Bed He Was Asked to Rejoin Labour 10 NEWS SPECIAL SLIGO CHAMPION I Tuesday, February 2, 2021 SLIGO CHAMPION I Tuesday, February 2, 2021 NEWS SPECIAL 11 A MAJOR INFLUENCE IN THE LABOUR PARTY Brendan Scott was a native of Easkey, County Sligo. A short but UCD honours BA graduation photo, 1955 of Brendan Scott. ON HIS DEATH BED HE WAS ASKED TO lasting legacy REJOIN LABOUR MUCH like the comments from prominent role in Irish politics. Dr Noel Browne, the esteem in Mr Swift says it is clear Scott which Brendan Scott was held had ‘no real interest’ in being by his peers active in politics a councillor or TD, but rather of the left was clear for all to preferred to stay in the back- THE SHORT BUT INFLUENTIAL LIFE OF A WEST SLIGO see right up until his death in ground, immersed in campaigns September of 1973. and activism. Although he had official- He also puts forward another SOCIALIST IS THE SUBJECT OF A NEW BOOK WHOSE ly resigned from the Labour train of thought on the subject. Party, he still retained strong “Another reason why he may- links to those involved. Indeed, be had to be a bit cautious was AUTHOR, JOHN P. SWIFT TALKS TO CATHAL MULLANEY Brendan Scott pictured in 1969, four years before his death (Pic - RTÉ Photographic Archive). after Scott fell ill, some of the the parents at the Sutton school (Inset) The new book about his life. most senior Labour officials where he taught were very and politicians visited him on middle class people, and mainly his deathbed to ask him if he business people, and they might HE WAS ACTIVE AT A would consider rejoining the not have been too impressed if party officially. he was running on a left wing E may never have held elected branch secretary of the ITGWU and SIPTU, told not much of that to be absolutely honest,” Mr so they went to London for two years in 1957. He he could probably take classes in everything, which was anti-semitic and the Labour Party PRETTY HIGH LEVEL This underlined the high re- or secular ticket for the Dail or office, but an Easkey native who is The Sligo Champion. Swift explains. got a job teaching and supplemented his income in fact one year he did take a Leaving Certifi- wouldn’t expel him and Scott resigned over OTHER THAN BEING gard in which he was held, but even the council. considered by many to have been “But he died at 40 of cancer of the stomach. “The main influence on him was his mother, by working as a bar man. cate class in five subjects, honours.” that. A few did but he was the first to resign. also showed his commitment “That was never said by any- the most influential left wing figure It was a shocking loss, particularly for the left.” she was a school teacher in another village near- “He was further politically educated in Politically, the Irish scene in the 1960s was But he was still on the Dublin district com- A TD OR to his ideals. one, but maybe it was a factor. of his generation is the subject of an Detailing Scott’s attraction to left-wing poli- by, Clooneenmore, she was a huge influence on England because he came across a number of dominated by Fianna Fáil. The transition mittee, so he was active at a pretty high level “Technically he wasn’t in it Although he was generally very intriguing new book detailing his tics, Mr Swift says the former Minister for Health him, his father was a postman and he had been progressive bodies and people over there, and of leader from party founder Eamonn De other than being a TD or councillor, which he COUNCILLOR, WHICH [the party], but he acted as if courageous, I’m not sure that life of activism. in the first inter-party government, Dr Noel involved in the War of Independence and had he was particularly influenced by Aneurin Bevan Valera, to Sean Lemass, and subsequently to had no interest in being. All his efforts were HE HAD NO INTEREST he was,” Swift says. would stop him.” Brendan Scott, born in the west Browne, was a particular inspiration. Dr Browne to flee to America either for that reason or to who was a Labour Party Minister for Housing, Jack Lynch, saw the party break new ground, to help Noel Browne and people of that kind.” “When he was on his death- In his younger days, while a HSligo village in 1933, had his life tragically cut had the unique distinction of being elected a do with the Civil War, and then came back and and brought in the welfare state after the war. He while the Irish economy was also beginning Given his radical outlook, it is detailed in IN BEING. bed, he was visited by two youngster at Easkey National short at the age of 40 in 1973 when he passed TD for five different political parties during his married. He had a brother as well, Basil. Brendan was quite involved in London in the campaign to improve through a greater emphasis on the book that Scott was deeply unhappy with ministers, Conor Cruise O’Brien School, the book also unearths away after a battle with stomach cancer. career, including Labour. Often a controversial was the older.” for nuclear disarmement, and when he came industry and employment. Labour decision to form a coalition govern- ALL HIS EFFORTS and Michael O’Leary, and three another area where he excelled Although his life was relatively short, his figure, he is best remembered for his efforts to It was during his third level education that back to Ireland he was also involved in that here.” Labour, however, was holding its own and ment with conservative Fine Gael in 1973. WERE TO HELP NOEL other key officers of the Labour - the Irish language. efforts as an activist through his extensive in- introduce the Mother and Child Health Care Brendan Scott became politicised. He attended On his return to Ireland with his wife after two had carved out its own little niche area in “He fought that [coalition] tooth and nail, Party, including Halligan, Niall As part of the Gaelic Reviv- volvement with the Labour Party and a number scheme, which effectively resulted in the collapse UCD, having initially rejected the offer of a years in the UK, Scott further immersed himself Irish politics. Scott was the fore, particularly he was at the heart of it, but the fight was BROWNE AND Greene and Roddy Connolly to al Movement Feis in Easkey, of other organisations made him one of the most of John A Costello’s government. scholarship from All Hallows College. His schol- into activism on the left. as the 1960s turned to the 1970s and the party lost,” Swift says. try and get him to rejoin the a ten-year-old Scott claimed revered political minds for a period of 20 years Mr Swift says: “He selflessly served his life arship at UCD was from Sligo County Council. He devoted a considerable amount of time began to turn in a different direction. “Mainly because he wanted to retain a PEOPLE OF THAT party on his deathbed but he joint-second prize in a category up until his death. A teacher by profession, it’s supporting Noel Browne and those sort of people, At secondary level he attended the Patrician and energy to a number of organisations, as “He became involved in the Labour Party socialist agenda, and mainly because he KIND declined that politely.” which was designed for those understood that Mr Scott left Easkey after his but particularly Noel Browne, and that is based College in Ballyfin, having also benefitted from well as filling various roles within the Labour in the late 60s, and to everyone’s amazement, didn’t want to be in coalition with what he He was survived by his wife over the age of 14. years in primary school, and later spent time in on the socialist and the secular thing as well.” a scholarship which facilitated his enrolment at Party structure. Corish [Brendan, party leader] decided it was regarded as an anti-socialist party like Fianna - JOHN P. SWIFT ON Carol Ann and their three chil- He also developed an interest London where he was further entrenched in the The book details Scott’s 40 years across the county Laois school. Mr Swift continues: “He was involved in a going to take a very strong socialist position. Fáil or Fine Gael. dren, Eoin, Melanie and Ivan. in drama during his years at Labour movement. 200 pages. His father, Martin, was a native of “He was offered a scholarship in All Hallows huge range of organisations after that, like the The slogan was ‘The 70s will be socialist’. It A group was formed on the left in Labour, BRENDAN SCOTT’S Looking back now on Scott’s secondary school. In later life, On return to Ireland in the late 1950s, he Killeenduff, a townland outside Easkey village College, and he turned that down in favour of anti-apartheid movement, the USSR society, really transformed, at least in terms of policy, after the decision to coalesce in 1973, an POLITICAL ACTIVISM life of activism, it is curious a contemporary remarked he taught in Sutton, primarily in geography and itself, while his mother Sarah was from Easkey. a scholarship he got to UCD and his principal the Irish voice in Vietnam, the Dublin Housing probably from being the most conservative informal group, known as the Liason Com- that he never stood for election “had considerable potential as sometimes Latin.
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