Left Archive: What is the Connolly Association? Constitution and Explanation – Connolly Association c.1963 March 8, 2010
Posted by irishonlineleftarchive in Connolly Association, Irish Left Online Document Archive.trackback
We’ll most of us know of the Connolly Association and Irish Self-Determination League. An organisation of considerable significance in the course of Irish Republicanism. Founded in 1938 as the Connolly Club, the Association was the product of the merger of a number of Irish groups based in London. The aim was to organise Irish men and women in Britain:
…for the defence of their interests, in the united struggle with the British working class movement and in particular – To win support for the struggle of the Irish people for a united independent Republic, and to fight for the removal of all obstacles placed in their way by British imperialism.
And also:
To stand for equitable treatment for all Irish people living in Ireland.
Luminaries of the Connolly Association included Roy Johnston, C. Desmond Greaves and Anthony Coughlan. It’s activities were not restricted to Britain. During the civil rights march of October 1968 members of the Connolly Association were in Derry. As indeed were they at most of the key points during the late 1960s and after. Many will be familiar with The Irish Democrat.
Needless to say it is still extant, its position one of support for the Good Friday Agreement while still lobbying for reunification. It regards itself as a left Republican organisation.
This Constitution and Explanation is an interesting document. Consider the section on party politics and affiliations to the Association. Note also the ‘Explanation’ which in a discursive fashion notes:
Sometimes somebody writes in to ask ‘is the Connolly Association Socialist’. They can get confused when they don’t get a simple answer. You do not have to sign a declaration that you support socialism in order to be a member – though you have to support an independent Irish republic of 32 counties.
The whole outlook policy and work of the Association is informed by Socialist ideas. But it is not dogmatic. Many good Irish Republicans agree with some socialist ideas and disagree with others.
These days socialism is fashionable. There are many people whose ideas are as different from Connolly’s as chalk from cheese who proclaim themselves socialists. The Association is not interested in people’s consciences. It is interested in what they do. No republican who agrees with what the Connolly Association is doing and wants to forward it is going to be refused admission because he isn’t a socialist and his family votes Fianna Fáil! And any real socialist will welcome him. And those who will not the Connolly Association does not want.
Well worth a read.
The Cedar Lounge Revolution 
Great find.
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Conor
Yes very interesting, an organisation that has influenced the outlook of the broad left in Britain towards Ireland. I like the comment about parents voting FF.
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[…] Connolly Association: What is the Connolly Association? Constitution and Explanation (~ 1963) * Der Index des Irish Left Online Document Archive wurde […]
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The various groups that came from the original Irish Workers Group and the Irish Communist groupcould be said to have eveloved from the CA.The Greaves archive is with Tony Coughlan, long time opponent of the EU. Given his longevity it must include a lot.
I wonder if those who were ex members of the CPGB who were later prominent in both the Officials and the Provos were also in the CA.
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According to Sean Matgamna, the Irish Communist Group
was intended to be a Maoist rival to the Connolly
Association, but went in its own direction before
splitting.
http://www.workersliberty.org/node/10205
The late Derry Kelleher, who wrote some interesting if
eccentric books on Republicanism, used to be a CA member,
as was the playwright Wilson John Haire.
Pádraig Ó Snodaigh occaisionally gave speeches to the
CA, but I don’t know if he was in the group as well.
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[…] Left Archive: What is the Connolly Association? Constitution and … […]
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Wonder what happened to the “Irish Democrat”‘s distribution?
You used to be able to get copies in Connolly Books, but I haven’t seen one there in years. Also some of the public libraries in Cork used to
keep IDs in the Reference section, but not anymore.
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“The CPGB ran an Irish front organisation, the Connolly Association. Instead of advocating socialism and secularism and working to organise as communists those being shaken loose from the dogmatic certainties we had learned in a society ruled by Catholic “fundamentalists”, the Connolly Association disguised themselves as simple Irish nationalists. They purveyed ideas not seriously different from those of the ruling party in Dublin, Fianna Fail, except for occasional words in favour of Russian foreign policy.”-Sean Matgamna
http://www.workersliberty.org/node/12464
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Ahhh, Sean Matgamna. The Glenn Beck of Irish Trotskyism.
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Wonder does the CA still have connections with any of the
CPGB’s descendant groups ?
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Ex members.Besides above.
O’Hagen, Official SF, then WP
Was Eoin O’Murchu a member.
At least one leading Provo who died in the last few years.Cannot remember name.
Daltun O’Ceallaigh, leading TUist.
The CA for better or worse played a leading role, influence way beyond it’s membership.In many ways it was the main factor in the evolution of Official SF from the late 50s on. It combatted simple militarism, but when the pupil dropped not only militarism but nationalism they parted ways.
I would regard the CPI and say the Peoples movement very much on the same wavelenght as the CA.
Interesting on FF. Greaves regarded FF in the same way as the South African CP regards the ANC.FF as sort of lost republican cousins that can still be saved.
Greaves is worth a biography.More significant than many who hve been biographed.
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A Greaves bio would indeed be a most worthy endeavour. Where would the memory of Liam Mellows be without him?
A word in favour of the old Irish Democrat as well. I used it a lot doing research on Irish republicanism in Britain in 1916-24, and it’s a terrific source for that, looking back from the 40s through the 60s. If memory serves, it also reported on a lot of Irish stories besides the North, esp. land and labour disputes, in considerable detail. I seem to recall a long series on Kerry, where a dynamite war had broken out, possibly over a farm labourers’ strike? I suspect it’s a neglected source for Irish social conflict in that period: one of the few long-running left-wing journals of its era perhaps – and protected by being published in Britain?
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That’s an interesting question you pose at the end… do you mean that an Irish based left-wing journal of its type would have been subject to pressures of one sort or another that would prevent it having any degree of longevity?
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The Republican Congress is famous but their paper lasted less than two years. The Connolly Association emerged partly from Congress in London.
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I’m trying though to think of other left wing journals during the same period produced on the island. One could point to the United Irishman, albeit I’m not sure many would term that in the 50s, or indeed even the early to mid 60s as ‘left-wing’ in that way (or some unkindly although not necessarily inaccurately might say it wasn’t left wing at all).
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As far as other Irish left-wing newspapers, The Torch springs to mind, especially its run under the editorship of Michael Price – 1939 to I think 1942? The paper itself runs until I think c.1944. It’s well worth a study. There’s The Plough from 1957-65, and of course Irish Socialist from 1961 onwards, under the editorship of Paddy Carmody.
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“A Greaves bio would indeed be a most worthy endeavour. Where would the memory of Liam Mellows be without him?”
In the hands of BICO, I expect.
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Thanks for that Jim. Useful list!
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Pouvez-vous comprendre la langue française ? I’ve just found a
big online article in the language of Proust about Irish Marxism,
that mentions the Connolly Association and other names familiar
to CDL readers:
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Just had a quick look – it was a masters’ thesis in the university of Reims. Judging by the preface, the author, Romain Ravel, went as an Erasmus student to NUI Galway. One intriguing thing – one of the (many) sources listed is ‘Entretien avec Angela et Brendan Clifford a Fere-en-Tardenois, Septembre 2006.’ (p.548) I would guess he invited them to his house.
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I was a member of the Connolly Association from 1957 to 1968 serving on its Executive most of this time. My brother Sean was also involved being a full time worker up till the mid 70’s. Sean has written a pamphlet on the history of the Association.
It indeed grew out of Republican Congress veterans in London and some International Brigade settling in London.
It was never a CPGB front but maintained its unity front or broad left approach.
The Irsh Democrat has indeed folded a year or two ago but maintains a web page on ciultural and current affairs and the Association still ticks over.
The ICO and the BICO did not grow out of the Connolly Association and I can not recall more than one of two leaving the later.
Dessie O hagan, Eoin O Murchu or Daltun O Ceallaigh were never in the CA. Desmond Greaves was the inspiration of the Assocation and as editor of the Irish Democart for decades was on close terms with the above and every one on the serious left North and South.
It is fitting that that inspiration keeps the best summer school in Irealnd going
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Tom would of course know. I am surprised that O’Hagen was not a member, back in the day. I suppose Smullen was not as well. Oh, Tom I am not scoring points guessing that they were members, their later political evolution has little to do with the CA.
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Of course the Connolly Association had strong links with the Communist Party of Great Britain. I was a member of both. I used to meet Desmond Greaves going into the the canteen of the the Daily Worker (later the Morning Star) when it was at Farringdon Road. when I myself was there to report on a bulding site strike at Bishopsgate when I was on the strike committee and in charge of PR. There is no point in denying it now when both organistaions are gone. In the end the CA didn’t addd up to much for no one in England cared about ireland very much, except for politicians courting it during election time in order to get the Irish vote.
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Eamonn Smullen and Dessie O’Hagen were never in the CA. I knew both of them. It was too pussyfoot an organisation for both of them. The B&ICO didn’t come out of the CA. It was set up in order to oppose it.
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O’Hagen was in the CPGB. As was I think Brian Keenan.
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Being in the CPGB and being Irish was not the same as being in the Connolly Association. Certainly E Ó Murchu was never in the CA or CPGB- he joined SF in London. O’Hagan did not join the rep mvt until 1970.
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