Irish Left Archive
@ila@leftarchive.ieDigital collection of political material from the Irish Left.
#Ireland #Politics #History #Activism #IrishLeftArchive #SnapshotsOfPoliticalAction
Irish Left Archive shared 2 years ago
@ILAPodcast@podcast.leftarchive.ieDiary of An Activist, by Orla Egan and Megan Luddy O'Leary
In December, we spoke to Orla Egan and Megan Luddy O’Leary about their book, Diary of An Activist, an illustrated memoir of social activism in the 1980s and 90s in Cork.
Irish Left Archive shared 2 years ago
@CaitRua@mastodon.ieTá mé ag iarraidh rud éigin cosúil leis an zín seo a chruthú right ach TRÍ GHAEILGE
New document:
An Phoblacht Republican News, Imleabhar 2, Uimhir 5
An Phoblacht Republican News, Iml. 2, Uimh. 5 (1980) — Sinn Féin
Irish Left Archive
New organisation added:
Irish Anarchist Network – a network of anarchists formed in 2022.
Irish Anarchist Network
Irish Left Archive
An account of a 1977 Irish Women United action to buy and distribute the UK second wave feminist magazine, Spare Rib, in response to the Irish censor banning it as 'obscene'.
From the Irish Women United magazine, Banshee: https://www.leftarchive.ie/document/1894/
#IrishWomenUnited #SpareRib #Banshee #Censorship #Feminism #Activism #IrishLeftArchive
Banshee, No. 7 (1977) — Irish Women United
Irish Left Archive
![Scanned article headlined "Spare Rib" and reading:
A WEEK AGO THE CENSORSHIP BOARD BANNED SPARE RIB ON THE GROUNDS THAT IT IS OBSCENE AND INDECENT. ON SAT, THE 12th MEMBERS OF 1W.U. WENT TO BELFAST TO PICK UP 22 COPIES OF THE MAGAZINE, WITH THE INTENTION OF DEFYING THE BAN BY SELLING THEM OPENLY IN DUBLIN.
There we were, all 20 of us, bright and bleary eyed, aboard the 8.30 shoppers special to Belfast. Two and and a half hours later, we arrived in Belfast where a sister from the Northern Women's movement was waiting or us to lead us through check points and back streets to a pub where we settled down to a lunch of sandwiches and Guinness at 33p a pint. A couple of hours later more women Joined us with placards condemning the banning of Spare Rib, and we all s out o form a picket outside Board Failte [sic] which was conveniently situated right next door to the pub.
At 5.30 we were back on the train heading for Dublin with our precious booty of 200 Spare Rib. This time we commandeered the entire first compartment of the train and waited impatiently for customs officers to make their appearance at Dundalk. At Dundalk a custom officer walked straight through looking at his shoes; 3 of the women chased after hm, to inform him that they were bringing banned magazines through. The official turned his back, raised his hand and said "that's alright, go ahead." Next thing we were in Dublin station. We jumped out as soon as the train stopped, and linking arms formed lines of five and marched down the platform chanting "Lift the ban on Spare Rib" and “We'll read what we want not what we're told". At once, our sisters from the home team, awaiting us behind the ticket barrier, joined in the chanting and lifted placards for all to see.
The sisters from the train stopped at the barrier and let the other passengers through, with women both side of the barrier singing and chanting the whole time. We surged through the barrier and when a woman asked a guard if he would like to buy one of the copies he attempted to arrest her. We then began to chant "we are all selling Spare Rib". Totally unimpressed by this display of male legality we surrounded the Gardaí and our victimised sister and with sustained enthusiasm we linked arms and took him for a frantic dance across the platform chanting "one for all and all for one" and “would you like to buy Spare Rib". At this stage, police reinforcements arrived and one guard losing his cool together with his cap, seized a brief case from one of the women and tried to run away with it. Eventually he discovered that it contained none of the "obscene" material. He returned it to its owner. Then at last realizing that they were overpowered ideologically and physically, the gardaí gave up. As a sergeant later admitted to the press "An attempt was made to seize Spare Rib, the attempt failed".
And so we left, victorious in the first battle of the campaign.](https://posts.leftarchive.ie/attachments/thumbnails/19a3ea09fa646d5669ea03d2d9a6f07de78aff5bd348d1158bf34173cfa03ae3/irishwomen_united_spare_rib.jpeg)
Irish Left Archive shared 2 years ago
@IanMoore3000@mastodon.iePeople at the #IrelandForAll demonstration earlier today, at the Custom House.
Irish Left Archive shared 2 years ago@ILAPodcast@podcast.leftarchive.ieJess Spear: RISE
Jess Spear spoke to us about her political activism in the US; campaigning with Socialist Alternative in Seattle; moving to Ireland, the foundation of RISE, and decision to join PBP; and the development of Rupture magazine.
From 1977: "Church Launches New Attack on Women"
Socialist Republic on the establishment of "Cura" by the catholic church, and the campaign for abortion, contraception and reproductive rights.
https://www.leftarchive.ie/document/view/2261/?page=8
Socialist Republic was the paper of the Movement for a Socialist Republic, and later of People's Democracy when the two organisations merged in 1978.
Cura closed in 2018 when new regulations and accreditation requirements were brought in.
#IrishPolitics #CatholicChurch #SocialistRepublic #MovementForASocialistRepublic #IrishLeftArchive
View Document: Socialist Republic, April-May 1977 - Movement for a Socialist Republic
Irish Left Archive
Irish Left Archive shared 2 years ago@ILAPodcast@podcast.leftarchive.ieJohn Goodwillie: Young Socialists, Socialist Labour Alliance, SWM, Socialist Labour Party, Gralton magazine and the Green Party
In our first series, we spoke to John Goodwillie, who has been active on the left since the Young Socialists in the 1960s. We discussed his involvement in left organising with the SWM, the Socialist Labour Party and subsequently the Green Party.
The first issue of The Starry Plough, newspaper of the Irish Republican Socialist Party (IRSP), from April 1975.
The Starry Plough, Vol. 1, No. 1 (1975) — Irish Republican Socialist Party
Irish Left Archive
"Ag Foghlaimh na Gaeilge: Leabhrán Eolais agus Díospóireachta"
"Learning Irish: A Discussion and Information Booklet"
Sinn Féin, 1980 c.
Learning Irish: A Discussion and Information Booklet / Ag Foghlaimh na Gaeilge: Leabhrán Eolais agus Díospóireachta (1980 c.) — Sinn Féin
Irish Left Archive
Irish Workers' Road to Freedom — Manifesto of the Irish Workers' League
From 1949. The IWL was active in the Republic of Ireland, and took the place of the dissolved Communist Party of Ireland (CPI).
Later called the Irish Workers' Party, it merged with the Communist Party of Northern Ireland to re-found the CPI in 1970.
https://www.leftarchive.ie/document/1850/
#IrishWorkersLeague #IrishWorkersParty #CommunistPartyOfIreland #IrishLeftArchive
Irish Workers' Road to Freedom (1949) — Irish Workers' League
Irish Left Archive
Irish Left Archive shared 2 years ago@ILAPodcast@podcast.leftarchive.iePádraig Mannion: Official Sinn Féin and The Workers' Party
Last year, Pádraig Mannion talked to us about his political experience since joining Official Sinn Féin in the 1970s and continued activism with The Workers' Party.
Irish Left Archive shared 2 years ago@ILAPodcast@podcast.leftarchive.ieVincent Doherty: Offical Sinn Féin, International Marxist Group, Troops Out, People's Democracy, H-Block Committee, Sinn Féin
We recently spoke to Vincent Doherty about his political experience since the early 1970s, through the Official Republicans, International Marxist Group (IMG), Peoples' Democracy, the National H-Block/Armagh Committee during the Hunger Strikes, Sinn Féin and independent activism.
Irish Left Archive shared 2 years ago@ILAPodcast@podcast.leftarchive.ieRoger Cole: Peace and Neutrality Alliance
It is 20 years today since 100,000 people marched in Dublin in opposition to the invasion of Iraq.
In episode 28, we spoke to Roger Cole of the Peace and Neutrality Alliance who was involved in organising the march.
#OnThisDay 15th February 2003, 100,000 people marched in Dublin in opposition to the invasion of Iraq, as part of a global, co-ordinated day of action.
https://www.leftarchive.ie/on-this-day/02/15/#event-6155
#OTD #Iraq #Protest #AntiWar #Ireland #SnapshotsOfPoliticalAction
On This Day, 15th February
Irish Left Archive
"For a Prosperous Ulster: An Explanation of the Communist Party’s Policy for Northern Ireland"
From the Communist Party of Northern Ireland (CPNI) in 1944.
The CPNI existed was extant between 1941 and 1970 at which point it merged with the Irish Workers' Party to refound the Communist Party of Ireland (CPI).
For a Prosperous Ulster (1944) — Communist Party of Northern Ireland
Irish Left Archive
Irish Left Archive shared 2 years ago@ILAPodcast@podcast.leftarchive.ieBer Grogan: Abortion Rights Campaign, Repeal, and Communities Against Racism
Ber Grogan talked to us about the Abortion Rights Campaign, Together for Yes and the successful campaign to repeal the eighth amendment.
"Hands Off Ireland!"
From the Revolutionary Communist Group, November 1979.
Hands Off Ireland!, No. 9 (1979) — Revolutionary Communist Group
Irish Left Archive
Irish Left Archive shared 2 years ago@ILAPodcast@podcast.leftarchive.ieCatherine Stocker: Social Democrats
Catherine Stocker of the Social Democrats spoke to us about joining and building a new political party, policy formation, working with other parties in the repeal referendum campaign, and her experience as a local councillor.