October 2013 ISSN 0791-458X 1913 LOCKOUT SPECIAL 2 Liberty • 1913 Lockout Special HE 1913 LOCKOUT SPECIAL has been published to coincide with the SIPTU Highlights Biennial National Delegate Conference T which takes place in the Round Room, Mansion House in Dublin from Monday 7th October, 2013. 7 The Lockout Special is dedicated to those who gave their lives and 8-9 My granddad liberty during the historic labour struggle in Dublin one hundred years Jim Larkin ago and to the courageous workers and their families who endured Connolly still such hardship as they fought for the right to be members of a trade inspires An interview with Stella Larkin McConnon union. In this special edition of Liberty we reproduce many images, includ- James Connolly Heron ing original photographs depicting the determination of the 20,000 recalls the ideals of his locked out workers during those months from August 1913 to January great –grandfather 1914 when employers, supported by a brutal police force and the main- 10-11 stream media, sought to starve them and their families into submis- sion. The women of 1913 The horrific social conditions in Dublin at the time, which 13 Women’s role in the Lockout and contributed greatly to the anger of the city’s exploited general workers, Rosie Hackett in her own words are also recalled while similar confrontations between labour and The unfinished capital in other towns and cities across the country during the period business of 1913 are recounted. The significant role of women during the Lockout is examined while Fintan O’Toole on why 14 the battle with the Catholic Church over the controversial effort to send the issues at stake in the The divine mission of discontent the hungry children of hard pressed families to supporters in England Lockout are still alive is also revisited. today TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady on laying the foundations for a trade union The solidarity and support of the trade union movement in Britain resurgence in providing massive food and financial aid to the workers of Dublin is illustrated in our cover image and coverage of the re-enactment on Saturday, 5th October of the arrival of the SS Hare and its cargo of sup- 15 16-17 plies on Dublin’s quays one hundred years ago last month. Liberty View The historic battle of that time was essentially about the right of A Tapestry workers to join, and be represented, by the Irish Transport and General Legacy of the Lockout of Hope Workers Union and it remains relevant today particularly as the right by SIPTU General President Jack to collective bargaining is still not recognised in Irish law. O’Connor The hand-stitched story of the Lockout We would like to thank all of our contributors including Stella Larkin Mc Connon and James Connolly Heron, relatives of the 1913 leaders, James Larkin and James Connolly respectively, TUC general secretary 18-19 Frances O’Grady, David Begg, Padraig Yeates, Caitriona Crowe, Fintan The hundred years war O’Toole, Paula Meehan, Ida Milne, Donal Fallon, John Cunningham, 20 Brian Hanley, Francis Devine and Michael Halpenny. The meaning of the Lockout and We are very grateful for the original photos from 1913 supplied by some of its main characters Dublin: death, disease Terry Fagan, UCC, NSAI, the National Library of Ireland and more recent and overcrowding images provided by Derek Speirs and Photocall Ireland. The horrific conditions endured by Dublin’s 22-23 working class 100 years ago A country arisen Editor: Frank Connolly, SIPTU Head of Communications The ITGWU led disputes Journalist: Scott Millar throughout Ireland prior to the 24 Design: Sonia Slevin (SIPTU), Joe Mitchell (Brazier Media) & William Hederman Lockout The East Wall evictions Publications Assistant: Deirdre Price A community remembers the day Administrative Assistant: Karen Hackett 60 families lost their homes Produced, designed, edited and printed by trade union labour. Printed by The Irish Times, City West, Dublin. Liberty is dedicated to providing a platform for progressive news and views. 30 If you have any ideas for articles or comments please contact: [email protected] Pitched battle Liberty is published by the Services, Industrial, Professional & Technical Union, Liberty Hall, Dublin 1 When politics and sport mixed in 1913 with explosive results SIPTU General President, Jack O’Connor • Vice President, Patricia King •General Secretary, Joe O’Flynn Production: SIPTU Communications Department, Liberty Hall, Dublin 1, Tel: 01 8588217 • Email: [email protected] Cover photo - Unloading food from SS Hare in September 1913: Re-enactment of food ship arrival in Dublin, 5th October, 2013. Picture: Photocall Ireland News Liberty • 1913 Lockout Special 3 Volunteers dressed in period costume collect food packages from the SS Hare on Saturday, 5th October. Picture: Photocall Ireland The arrival of the SS Hare ship were SIPTU General Pres- strong today and had been into Dublin was reenacted ident, Jack O’Connor, SIPTU particularly evident during the on Saturday, 5th October, General Secretary, Joe British Miners Strike, when SS Hare O’Flynn, ICTU President, John Irish workers had raised funds on City Quay. Following its one-day voy- Douglas, ICTU Assistant Gen- to support strikers’ families. eral Secretary, Sally Anne Ki- The original SS Hare pro- age from Liverpool, the ship vided desperately needed re- was met on the Sir John Roger- nahan, Unite Regional docks in Secretary Jimmy Kelly and lief, which included “60,000 son Quay by volunteers reen- Unite General Secretary Len packages of butter, sugar, jam, acting the role of the workers potatoes, fish and biscuits”, to and their families to whom McCluskey. workers’ families during the the original SS Hare brought Douglas spoke of the “bond 1913 Lockout. It was the first Dublin of solidarity” between British of several British Trade Union food packages during the 1913 Lockout. and Irish workers that was Congress shipments, which Among those on board the represented by the ship. He arrived from September 1913 said this solidarity was still to January 1914. Belfast mural Remembering recalls the John Quinn workers’ A local history project is searching for rel- atives of leading Belfast trade unionist struggle John Quinn, who was a prominent figure in the city’s 1907 dockers and carters strike, A new trade union mural as it prepares to erect a headstone in his highlighting the links memory. between the workers’ The Belfast dockland-based Shared History Inter- movement north and south pretive Project (S.H.I.P.) is committed to archiving was unveiled on Wednesday, the history of the Belfast docks and its associated 25th September at the industries and workforce. Congress offices in Belfast. Chairman Liam McBrinn said: “John Quinn was Congress commissioned two a fervent trade unionist, a founder member of the leading muralists, Danny De- ITGWU in Belfast and a confidante of James Con- vanny and Mark Ervine, to nolly, Winifred Carney and James Larkin. He mark the centenary of the played a major role in the 1907 strike and we are Dublin Lockout by creating the planning to honour his memory with a headstone mural. The artwork tells the on his grave in Milltown Cemetery.” story of organised labour from Among John Quinn’s descendants is his great the Belfast Dockers and Carters grandson Jonny Quinn, the drummer in the band Strike of 1907 to the struggle of Snow Patrol. Pictured in front of the Belfast mural, ICTU President, John Douglas, Belfast Lord Mayor, women in the factories and Anyone with information on John Quinn is Councillor, Máirtín Ó Muilleoir, Chair of mills to the current campaigns asked to SHIP at 57 Pilot Street, Belfast or to e-mail NIC-ICTU, Pamela Dooley, and ICTU [email protected]. The group plans to unveil the Assistant General Secretary, Peter Bunting. against austerity and for social Larkin memorial stained glass new gravestone later this year. Picture: Kevin Cooper justice. window, Belfast City Hall. 4 Liberty • 1913 Lockout Special News President unveils Tapestry HE 1913 Lockout Tapestry was unveiled by President Michael D Higgins on Wednesday, T 18th September. A major community arts project, spon- sored by SIPTU and the National College of Art and Design, it was inspired by a similarly community based tapestry project in Scotland, the Prestonpans Tapestry. The Lockout Tapestry is the product of the work of nearly 300 volunteers over 18 1 months. Designed by artists Cathy Hender- son and Robert Ballagh, it tells the story 4 of the working people of Dublin during the 1913 Lockout in thirty panels which together comprise this unique commem- orative work of art. Volunteers who created the Tapestry came from the trade union movement and communities across the country, including primary and secondary school children. See pages 16-17 for a full display of the panels of the Lockout Tapestry. 2 5 3 6 7 Photos: 1) President Michael D Higgins at the unveiling of the 1913 Lockout Tapestry in Liberty Hall on Wednesday, 18th September. 2) SIPTU Vice President Patricia King (centre) discuses the Tapestry with President Higgins, SIPTU NEC member and Tapestry volunteer, Ann Ryan (left), artist Bobby Ballagh, SIPTU General President, Jack O’Connor and Sabina Higgins. 3) President Higgins and Sabina Higgins with, L to R , Artist Cathy Hender- son and Tapestry volunteers Friedhelm Arntz and Ann Marie Horan. 4) President Higgins unveils Tapestry with pupils from St Louis High School, Mater Dei primary school and Larkin Community College who were among the volunteers who created the 1913 Lockout Tapestry. 5) President Higgins and Sabina Higgins pictured with SIPTU officials, the Tapestry designers and the some of the volunteers who created the artwork. 6) President Higgins, Sabina Higgins, Stella Larkin McConnon and SIPTU General Secretary, Joe O’Flynn.