\ 2 1 NOV 1983 FOUNDED 1939 /j * CONTENTS * Organ ®f the CoMotiy AwociatKMi -s kV> 50 Years of the CA P.6-7 OBITUARY WE regret to have to announce the Desmond Greaves s sudden death of Desmond Greaves. He died while travelling back from Table Talk P.2 a Connolly Association meeting in Glasgow. Celtic Nations P.2 Desmond Greaves has been editor of the Irish Democrat since 1948. Before that his publications were confined to verse, "T is The Songs P.IO Clock By Day," and such matters as patent specifications and scientific translations. Before he No. 535 SEPTEMBER 1988 50p Donall MacAmhlaigh P.12 "went into" politics Desmond was chief chemist for a large chemical firm. Since becoming editor he has produced a steady stream of articles and pamphlets on Irish affairs and Anglo-Irish relations. - ORGANISE His name is particularly associated with the production of mamma the first civil rights bill which was THIS WAS JOE HILL'S MESSAGE introduced into the House of Lords by Lord Fenner Brockway. This 40 YEARS AN EDITOR - A was before the Civil Rights - IMPLICIT IN THE LIFE AND movement got going in Northern UNIQUE ACHIEVEMENT Ireland. THE cause of Irish independence remember rightly, as a scientist in WORK OF DESMOND GREAVES His best known book was "The and democracy over the centuries South Wales. He regularly came to AS anyone who has read his Greaves felt strongly the most Life and Times of James has been served by individuals in club meetings and took a lively books and articles Desmond favourable institution for Connolly." By patient research many different ways. There have part in discussions. Pat Dooley Greaves had a deep knowledge of advancement to socialism in Desmond made the discovery that been charismatic leaders of was then editor of Irish Freedom Irish history and pre-history. either Britain or Ireland was the James Connolly had been born in constitutional movements who (or, as it became, the Irish Edinburgh, Scotland and not in His books also show a thorough Nation State. He called the left a permanent mark on their Democrat). Desmond had a strong Monaghan, as was previously knowledge of economics and Common Market a new form of country's history, and there have personality and penetrating thought. Through his work on philosophy. In the epilogue to economic feudalism. He scoffed at been famous rebels who died for intellect, and these combined with Connolly, Greaves helped to Ireland Her Own he showed an those "socialists" who thought their beliefs. John Mitchel is his unwavering political popularise the works and ideas of appreciation of the problems they could gain social ownership commemorated as the most commitment, made him a James Connolly. In all his works he facing a small partitioned country of the means of production and eloquent spokesman for Young dominant figure among his peers. did not rely on documents alone but which had been starved of capital distribution through the Ireland, and James Larkin The Marxist philosophy which he sought out the people still alive who by Britain. feudalistic common market. transformed the Dublin trade had acquired as a student gave knew Connolly, Liam Mellowes unions within a year. 0ti hito a shrewd insight into the role In the paperback "The Irish Being a trained scientist and Sean O'Casev. occasions unknown xwbicti Ireland played in world Crisis" Greaves expresses with Greaves did not have much time affair^ It wtrin tJrose war-time great clarity the antagonistic-, for sociology. He believed young His name was also associated figure has emerged Fro'fnr claims to sovereignty^ Ireland. people should acquire a scientific obscurity, because of the special days,4 with the bombs falling with development of the demand for aroudti us, that he developed the The claim of the Irish government education. He was himself a a declaration from the British historical circumstances in which supported by ail political parties biochemist. He encouraged Irish he or she lived, and blazed briefly conviction — which never left him Government that they intended to — thatlreland unfree would never was to rule over the w&le thirty people to get away from the idea work for the unity and and brightly in the political two counties. It was ^however they were only a nation of poets firmament. be at peace, and that it was only independence of Ireland. He impossible to put this rule into and dreamers. He pointed out that advocated that talks with Dublin But there have been other men the combined movement of Irish effect due to the claira'^f British Robert Boyle, a Corkman, laid the should be started to this effect. He and women, no less idealistic or nationalists and socialists imperialism of sovereignty over basis for chemistry. He explained felt it was the duty of the British committed, who because they did working together with the British the six counties which w«s backed Robert Ball's contribution to Government to find ways of not live in revolutionary times, Labour movement which would up by superior armed forces. astronomy and Lord Kelvin's i persuading the Unionists to accept saw their personal role as being eventually win that freedom. He In the "Life and Timesrof James contribution to refridgeration. He the new situation. He expected that of long-term teachers and took his basic ideas from his hero Connolly" Greaves explained that personally knew Desmond Bernal them to use both persuasion and purveyors of ideas. Thinkers as James Connolly, and sought to Connolly decided just before the the scientist from Tipperary. financial inducements. well as propagandists, ideologists adapt those ideas to the 20th century. 1916 Rising that socialism would Bernal wrote the famous "Science as well as mobilisers of public Some colleagues found him only be achieved after a'national in History" which covered this opinion, they too have played a abrasive in argument, and he revolution. He decided 'the two subject from pre-history to significant part on the Irish stage. could provoke antagonism among revolutions would have to be modern times. In some respects, indeed, the those who differed from his views. achieved separately. Before his death Joe Hill told careers of such persons, though However, his dedication, and the C. Desmond Greaves, born his followers "Don't mourn, frequently neglected by the public growing appreciation of the Often Greaves referred to the 1913, editor of the Irish organise." and almost invariably ill- correctness of his opinions, won national struggle for democracy. Democrat since 1948, who The best contribution we can rewarded financially, have him many admirers on both sides He often criticised Labour make to Desmond Greaves's died suddenly while planning provled as heroic as any other of the;Irish Sea. As he grew older, movement leaders for neglecting memory is to carry on and the SOth anniversary of the more popularly recognised he mellowed and became more the struggle for democracy. Too intensify the work he did and was foundation of the Connolly patriot. By their perseverance tolerant of other peoples' often they concentrated entirely doing for fifty years. Association. against repeated setbacks and weaknesses, and his influence on the day-to-day economic struggle their willingness to confront steadily widened. Towards the Hi t extreme odds over decades of end of his life he was accepted as —mm disappointment they have shown the father figure of the Connolly their own special type of courage. Association. Desmond Greaves, whose Among his many other CHANGE IN death has just been announced, activities, he wrote definitive was one of the latter group. After biographies of James Connolly and Uam Mellows and a study of more than fifty years of dedicated SIX of the twelve pages of this special SOth struggle he died in harness, Wolfe Tone. These were widely anniversary issue of the Irtah Democrat fittingly on his way home from an circulated in Ireland, Britain and including the centre spread were sent to the organising tour on behalf of the America, and are still in print. printer by Desmond Greaves, its editor, Connolly Association in Delmond Greaves' most before his sudden death in thejjuffet-car of Scotland. At the age of 74 he was remarkable achievement, a train at Preston when coming back from still there in the forefront of the however, was his editing for more a meeting. The other six pages were put fight, planning, speaking, writing than 40 years without a break of together by Gerard Curran of London, and agitating as vigorously as he the Irish Democrat. With only who has edited occasional issues of the paper over the years while the editor was had been when a young man in limited help from a few devoted on holiday. Because of the rushed and Liverpool before the war. His half friends, invariably lacking money, difficult circumstances arising from century of devotion to the cause and constantly under attack from Desmond Greaves's death, we: trust our he believed in was as noble in its his opponent's, he carried on readers will make allowances for any own way as any other forms of unswervingly. When lssser men inadequacies. sacrifice. He truly could be said to might have oecome disheartened The Connolly Association expresses its have died on active service. and fallen way, he was always particular appreciation to our printers, I first met Desmond Greaves there at the centre of tilings, Messrs Ripley Printers Ltd, Deityshire, optimistic, positive and resdute. and to Mr Reynolds of that Arm. whose towards the end of 1943 when I normal printing schedule was thrown quite arrived as a newly-qualified For a labour journal to survive out of jointly these circumstances.