Memories of MICHAEL

t the memorial ser- postcard". vice for Michael We were also greatly influenced by Mclnerney, held in By Malachy Gray the writings and speeches of Peader January 1980, in O'Donnell and Sean Murray, who were Trinity College, ped to listen, as the speaker gave trying to apply the essence of Con- Dublin, it was testimony. nolly's teachings to current problems. stated that he was We decided there and then to shout We had welcomed the short ap- a saint. The the odds as well as the Salvation Army. pearance of the magazine To- speaker was Conor Cruise O'Brien. I After all, if we could not save sinners day and the trenchant anti-fascism ex- could not restrain a smile at that were we not trying to save Ireland? pressed by young men like Charlie description. If Mick could have heard, Away we went and in no time at all Donnelly and Donat O'Donnell. he would have let loose a gale of there was a crowd of several hundred. We were young men in a hurry to laughter at the very idea. He was a man The local lads bring about political and social change, who could see the humour of things. had leafleted the pubs, clubs and trade though I had to advise Mick that great But the first socialist saint - the very union branches in the district to some care was essential in advocating Con- idea of an lrish St. Michael! purpose. We had a good reception, nolly's ideas in Belfast. It had been a During a serious illness some years sold all our literature and got a fair salutary experience for me to speak in ago, the woman from next door called collection. We also recruited some new public at the Custom House steps and to see flick. She told him that the members. Mick was delighted, and he to learn how to deal with a deeply neighbours had arranged for a mass to insisted on we going back to his flat in divided community. be said for a speedy recovery or a Islington, North London, where we Both Protestant Action and Catholic happy death. "Well", said Mick, talked and laughed and argued all night Action were blunt to the point of ex- "please concentrate on the first and long. Michael Mclnerney was never a treme rudeness in questioning the forget about the second wish". drinking man, so much to my regret, legality of my parentage, along with He was a man who expressed a we drank only tea, but we got to know the advice that I should take the shor- passionate indignation against all that each other. test possible route to Moscow. And was wrong and unjust in the lreland of We found out how much we had in these were only some of the milder his day. In short, he was a warm and common. Limerick and the Falls Road suggestions l generous person - too inclined in Belfast were then about the most London and England were a dif- sometimes to overpraise. Maybe that is Catholic strongholds in Ireland. Both ferent type of experience and not a bad fault, for we have always had places were strongly influenced by the challenge. In the Connolly Association an abundance of begrudgers in this Redemptorist confraternities. Well it was a question of volunteering to do country. That is the worst I could say organised annual missions and regula~ the work. Mick was general secretary, about Mick. public processions were held, tc treasurer, editor of the monthly paper I first met Michael Mclnerney in demonstrate devotion to their concep- lrish Freedom (later to become the London towards the end of the 1930s. tion of Christianity. We had both reac- lrish Democrat) and the main public We had corresponded before I left ted strongly to sermons on hell fire and speaker. I moved into the flat and took Belfast and, shortly after I arrived at the damnation, coupled with denunciations over the runninj of the paper and so centre of the Empire, he wrote inviting of communism, and free love, gave Mick a chance to breathe. We me to speak at a Connolly Association at a time of mass unemployment, mis- were joined by Jim Prendergast from meeting in Wealdstone in West Lon- ery, poverty and emigration in both Dublin. The sparks began to fly as Jim, don. The meeting was held at a street parts of Ireland. in so many ways like , corner on a cold damp Saturday night. The writings of had added a new dimension to our digs in At the appointed time there was a fired our minds with new ideas and Islington. vacant platform, the chairman, Mick ideals. Our guiding thought was Con- lrish boys and girls, who came and myself to open the proceedings - nolly's dictum, "Ireland without her mainly from the rural areas, were and no one else, not a supporter, or people means nothing to me". For a cruelly exploited on the building sites, even a heckler in sight. Mick generation after 19 1 6, Connolly was and in the bars, hotels and restaurants. apologised profusely - he was nervous, praised as a great patriot, while his The invasion of the lrish nurses was yet as he had just had all his teeth extrac- life's work for socialism and trade un- to come. Long hours and low wages ted, and he whispered: "If anyone ionism was conveniently forgotten or were the constant complaints we shouts gummy at me I'll collapse". Just played down - even by people in the received. We began to campaign, par- then, we noticed the Salvation Army at labour movement. As our good friend ticularly through the Transport and a street corner, further down the road. Desmond Ryan wrote at the time, General Workers Union, for the Not a solitary sinner ~aused,or stop- "James Connolly was embalmed on a organisation of these thousands of P C young people. Domhnall Mac Amhlaigh ments and controversies at that time, bers in . During this has written elsewhere of the relatively we attracted some distinguished con- period Mick was appointed editor of high wages earned by the lrish during tributors to our paper. Liam O'Flaherty, the weekly paper Unity and industrial the war and post-war years. But in the Sean O'Casey, Jim Phelan, Ben organiser of the party. I served as chair- 'thirties, low wages were the order of Farrington, Peader O'Donnell, and John man of the industrial committee. the day. de Courcy Ireland all wrote articles and Week after week, the paper stressed We had to overcohe the hesitations gave us financial assistance. It was that the ending of the war through the and suspicions of young people who Desmond Ryan, above all, who made a defeat of fascism would bring greater had been warned repeatedly by the lot of this possible. To have Patrick democratic rights for the ordinary peo- bishops to beware of communist and Pearse's secretary and historian, and a ple, and that the building of a strong socialist agitators. However, we per- man who was also the historian of trade union movement would be the sisted in our encouragement of the Connolly, as our mentor and regular essential element in safeguarding the lrish immigrants to join the trade union featuie writer, was a filip to our rights of the workers. But, given the movement. Many years later, Frank amateur journalism. There is no doubt political background of Northern Cousins, then general secretary of the that Mick developed then the skills that Ireland, it was a daunting task for the TGWU, remarked to me how much he was later to display in the lrish labour movement to try to work pleasure 'and interest he took in the Times. towards these objectives. large numbers of delegates from all We made a serious political mistake The courageous actions of the un- parts of Britian with lrish names and in having our paper printed on the employed workers, known as the Out- accents, who spoke at union con- premises of the British Communist door Relief Workers' Strike, in 1932, ferences. Party's Daily Worker. Despite our had created a great degree of unity Michael Mclnerney was prominent best efforts to attract the exiled Irish, among hungry Protestants and in the Railway Clerks' Association, and we found it difficult to overcome the Catholics. The Unionist Government was able to make contact with many taunts of being a received a real scare. But by 1935, af- trade union leaders in London, the organisation. There was a crying need ter consistent sectarian propaganda a Midlands, Lancashire and . It for our type of activity, but the CPGB pogrom atmosphere was created in was work that took a long time to bring was the only political party to give any Northern Ireland. The old slogans results, but the benefits obtained practical support. It is important to triumphed as workers fought workers. proved to have lasting value. Mick was record that individual members and Trade union organisation, weakened by the inspiration and driving force in our branches of the British Labour Party mass unemployment, was further crip- quest for trade union organisation. were also of great assistance, par- pled. This was indeed the sorry Political action, however, was our ticularly Dr Lena Jeger, who later background in which we had to main concern. The IRA bombing cam- became M.P. for St. Pancras. operate and where Mick showed his paign in Britain commenced. In our The Connolly Association, and Mick originality. monthly paper, and at the public personally, were closely identified with In the pre-war period, left wing ac- meetings, we condemned the bomb- the main anti-fascist and anti- tivity in the trade unions meant that ings as counter-productive and against imperalist organisations in Britain and small groups met together to plan con- the interests 6f lrish people at home Ireland. The covert support for the ac- certed action in the workshops and the and in Britain. If we had met opposition tions of the German nazis in Spain, union branches. Now all of that before among the different republican Austria and Czechoslovakia by the changed. Masses of workers, men and groups, it was nothing to the animosity Chamberlain government outraged women, poured into war industries and we had to face then. Mick's generous and sympathetic trade union membership soared. The We never budged in our insistence nature. We took part in all the protests unofficial shop stewards' movement, that the British people, and particularly, and demonstrations but war did come which had been initiated by two out- the British labour movement, had to be to Britain, even if at first it was the standing communists, Tom Crothers, convinced of the need to understand period of the phoney war. and John Higgins, grew rapidly in the problems of the lrish people. They I returned shortly afterwards to strength and influence. In a very short had to be won over in support of our Belfast, and in just one year Mick and time, there were shop stewards com- objectives. Our theme was: You cannot Jim Prendergast were back in Dublin. mittees in all the main industries in win people to a point of view by blow- The whole nature of my association Northern Ireland. ing them up. History has given an opi- with Mick was about to change for an The old traditions whereby trade un- nion on the results of that bombing entirely unexpected reason. Mick, on ion officials negotiated and took most campaign. holiday in Dublin, was prevented from of the decisions on wages and condi- Jim Prendergast, former sergeant in returning to London under wartime tions were changed in a radical fashion. the International Brigade, was appoin- legislation. Despite appeals to Herbert More and more the ordinary members ted organiser of the campaign in Britain Morrison, then in the became involved in decision-making for the release of Frank Ryan from Westminister coalition government, he through the holding of work-shop Burgos Prison in Franco's Spain. had had to stay in Ireland. It was no meetings. The shop stewards then Michael Mclnerney pitched in with all surprise to find out that Morrison reported these decisions to officials his great energies on behalf of his developed close ties with the Ulster and district committees for ratification. fellow Limerick man. Frank Ryan had Unionist leaders in the post-war period On one occasion I was threatened with been sentenced to death after capture, - they had a similar mentality. arrest for breaking the ban on holding a but, under pressure, this sentence was Mick came to ~elfastand received mass meeting on Belfast harbour later commuted. After considerable employment as a railway clerk. It was property, inside Harland and WolfY's publicity, through public meetings and characteristic of him that he never ex- shipyard. That threat was only used agitation in Ireland and Britain, the de pressed bitterness or recrimination once as the shop stewards organisa- Valera government used diplomatic about the shabby treatment he tion ensured that their leaders would contacts to safeguard Ryan. The lrish received at that time. be protected. High Commissioner in London, John The entry of the Soviet Union into Mick had the foresight to emphasise Dulanty, was of great assistance. At his the war following the invasion by the that much of our activity should be office he told us of the preliminary Germans galvanised the whole Labour linked to the future. He wrote a steps that were being taken to get movement into greater activity in pamphlet on the future of the ship- Ryan out of Spain. 1941. For example, by 1943 the Com- building industry in Northern Ireland. Despite, or because of#ur argu- munist Party had about 2000 mem- Many of the ideas and proposals he put forward were put into effect, par- funds and this led to a financial crisis in least part of the cycle - his work in ticularly on the amalgamation of the 1946. This, allied to a split inside the Belfast had not been in vain. skilled craft unions. He was of enor- party, meant that drastic decisions had The last time I saw Mick was the mous assistance to me when I drafted to be taken. There was overwhelming weekend on which I appeared on the a memorandum on the future of the bitterness at the return of a Unionist Late Late Show in a confrontation aircraft industry for the joint production Government, despite the tremendous with Sir Donald Mosley. Mick relished committees. , activity of the war years, and the party the fact that the old fascist leader was We were 'inseparable during those became depleted in membership. exposed in a T.V. show in Dublin. It war years in Belfast in our polttical and Acting on the advice of , brought back memories of the period industrial activities and our limited a leading member of the British Com- when the British Union of Fascists tried social life was spent together on the munist Party, the four full-time officials to break up our meetings in Londorf By rare occasions we could escape from of the party, including Mick, were paid this time, Mick had become something meetings. It was during that time we off. He received two weeks' wages, and of a political pundit because of his confided to each other our aspirations left for Dublin. So much for the services regular television and radio work. for the future of our country. Above all, of the main fund-raiser. In fact, the We exchanged some happy we hoped that the defeat of fascism local Communist Party had beheaded memories of our halcyon days - it was would weld together all the democratic its own leadership, as no one was in a not all politics and trade union work. forces,of Northern Ireland and assist in position to carry on the day-to-day The memory is etched in my mind as breaking down the divisions that had organisational work. Despite Mick's we recalled how much we had enjoyed been cultivated between unionist and bitter disappointment at this arbitrary and appreciated the role of the Young nationalist sections of the people. treatment, he never publicly com- Covey in Sean O'Casey's The Plough plained, but he confided his private and the Stars. We both had had our There were to be many disappoint- feelings to me. fair share of arguments with doctrinaire ments and setbacks. During 1944, a It was a blessing in disguise for socialists. serious division1 in the trade union Mick. There was little chance of a job in I was forcibly reminded of our last movement took place. I was a delegate Belfast, as the whole political situation conversation on the day of the to the annual conference of the lrish had changed now that the Nazis were memorial service for Mick. When I Trades Union Congress at Drogheda in safely defeated. The first murmurs of arrived in Dublin, I contacted the that year, when the resolution to at- the Cold War began to be heard. When historian of the Communist Party of tend a proposed World Trade Union Mick went to Dublin, he began to do Ireland to see if he would join me in Conference was passed. The Irish- freelance reporting for the lrish paying his respects to our dead com- based unions objected strongly and af- Times. His contacts, experience and rade. But he had no intention of going if terwards withdrew from the lrish TUC knowledge of the trade union move- it meant listening to Conor Cruise and set up the Congress of lrish Un- ment were invaluable in writing about O'Brien - and that was that. ions. This action was a serious reversal industrial affairs. In a comparatively The lecture hall in T.C.D. was packed in the work of building a strong move- short time, he became industrial with representatives of the main ment, North and South. Mick pointed correspondent of the paper. streams of lrish political and cultural out in various articles that the real It was about this time we came to life -except from the Communist Party. issue gf the split was who was going to appreciate the vision and leadership of It seems to me that the grandchildren control the policies and organisation of Jim Larkin Junior. I was elected to the of the Young Covey are still alive in the Irish-based unions. He was bitterly National Executive of the lrish TUC and Dublin and in Belfast. disappointed at this development, as for a period of three years I met Mick in Mick died in Dublin in the city where he realised how badly it would damage Dublin every month. We exchanged his real political education began. As a the struggle for working class unity. views on how to heal the trade union young railway clerk, he had been Shortly after the end of the war in split and so create a united labour transferred from Limerick. He was soon Eucope, elections were held for the movement, with a strong political base, involved in political argument, when he Stormont Parliament. Mick acted as North and South. Young Jim, as a found lodgings with a strongly election agent for the communist can- Labour TD and leader of the Workers' republican socialist family. It was Chris didate in Cromac. The nationalist peo- Union of Ireland in succession to his O'Farrell who told me of Mick's early ple of the Markets' area, a Catholic en- father, was expressing similar ideas days. He prayed that Chris would clave, solidly voted on an anti-unionist with great force and eloquence. (For change his left wing views. Instead, it ticket. The traditionalist unionists did the student of lrish labour history it was the close friend of Peadar O'Don- not vote for change - the middle should be mentioned that his essential nell, and Eamon Martin, an uncle of classes from Malone and Stranmillis thoughts were stated to the 1949 An- Chris Farrell who set Mick on a new voted almost 100% for the Unionist nual Conference of lrish TUC, held in course in life. candidate. We thought wryly about Belfast). Ultimately these ideas So there was a life spent to great Churchill's comment about the dreary prevailed and a united body, the lrish purpose in three cities. These few spires and steeples of Tyrone and Fer- Congress of Trade Unions was formed. words have only scratched the surface managh, after the first World War. Mick's writings in the lrish Times had of his achievements. His life's work Mick worked like a trojan organising helped in preparing the around. was, and is, of great help in widening meetings, writing leading articles, and In the 1950s Mick came to the fore the vision of social awareness in the leaflets and helping to draft the elec- in the National Union of Journalists and present generation. It is a source of tion manifesto. It was in raising funds served as the union's lrish Executive great pride to me that we were close friends and comrades for so many that he was most successful, through Officer for many years. We continued years. his mass meetings, personal contacts to keep in touch and our Belfast and workshop collections. It is worth association was warmly renewed in Present at the memorial servlce, recalling that in Belfast a majority of 1969 when Mick, then political with Mick's widow Nancy, his votes were cast against the official Un- correspondent of the lrish Times, daughter Helen and his sister Nellie, ionist Party but the opposition was came to the city to write a series of ar- was a contingent of socialists from the split into a variety of groups. In the ticles (later reprinted as a booklet) on Mclnerney home city of Limerick. Mick rural areas the Unionists were able to the peace-keeping role of the unions. had been gratified that he had lived to win with little real opposition. Shop stewards and union officials see the emergence of a socialist move- In the election campaign, the Com- paid tribute to Mick's sympathetic ment in his native city, and had con- munist Party seriously overspent its reporting. The wheel had turned at tribute~!to its development.