Left Archive: James Connolly – Memorial unveiling brochure, Dublin, May 1996 October 17, 2011
Posted by WorldbyStorm in Irish History, Irish Left Online Document Archive.trackback
To download the above file please use following link: JCONNOLLY
This is, perhaps, an unusual document for the Archive, and many thanks to Joe Mooney for donating it. It is also timely given the news that the Memorial might have been attacked and vandalised this last week or so. Thankfully this was not the case and in fact it was being maintained.
The brochure of the unveiling of the Connolly Memorial in Dublin in May 1996, this is an handsome production with a cover image by Robert Ballagh. Edited by Brian Trench it contains a brief history of the Memorial and of Connolly himself. There’s a piece by Ruairi Quinn, then leader of the Labour Party. There’s also an essay by Aindrias Ó Cathasaigh. Terry Eagleton contributes another essay, as does Proinsias MacAonghusa, in Irish.
A brief profile of the artist, Eamonn O’Doherty and a reprint of The Watchword of Labour complete the publication.
The Cedar Lounge Revolution 
Great to have that readily to hand. I have an original hard copy, but it’s buried like everything else. A great production in style and content.
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An interesting publication, thanks for that.
Although I did have to go and spit some bile into the sink after stumbling across Ruairi Quinn’s contribution.
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Much more bile can be spat at this line up: (bar the excellent John Gray) Jack O’Connor, Jackie McDonald, Carál Ní Chuilín
http://siptunorth.blogspot.com/2011/10/centenary-of-james-connollys-belfast.html
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Thanks for publishing the above document. The proposal to erect a memorial to James Connolly was mooted at one of the first meetings of “Reclaim the Spirit of 1916” grouping in the old Clarence Hotel. With everything else going on at the time it never happened.
Awhile after those celebrations the CPI decided at an Area Conference to revive its initial proposal and a number of comrades where given the task of bring together a broad committee to ensure that the proposal had some chance of success.
The Secretary was Michael Quinn – a member of the CPI – and the broad committee came into being and proved very successful. Good political networking and timing secured the support of Ruairi Quinn then Minister for Finance securing the necessary funding.
The committee also reached out to the Irish-American Labour Coalition and small but never the less important monies came from USA trade unions. The whole story of the memorial is worthy of a much longer article.
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