Mother Jones Festival, Cork, 31st July – 2nd August

The 175th anniversary of the birth of the legendary trade union activist and “Miner’s Angel”, Mary Harris Jones is being celebrated in Cork by the Mother Jones Festival, following a motion from Ted Tynan (WP) for a memorial to her to be erected being passed by the City Council. The website of the broad-based committee responsible for putting together the Festival is here. The Festival has a wide range of sponsors, including the City Council, SIPTU and UNITE.

Highlights from the very impressive programme include

31st July with Irish premier of film “Mother Jones, America’s Most Dangerous Woman” with talk by film producer and writer Rosemary Feurer (USA).

1st August Opening of the Mother Jones Exhibition on 1st August at 12.15pm at the Firkin Crane Centre

1st August, the Inaugural mother Jones lectures and discussion with Prof. Elliott J. Gorn (Brown University), whose books include Mother Jones: The Most Dangerous Woman in America and Marat Moore, herself a former coal miner, union activist and writer. She was a founder of the Daughters of Mother Jones who played a big role in the Pittston Mine Strike in 1989, and is the author of Women in the Mines.

1st August Official Unveiling of the Mother Jones plaque at John Redmond Street

1st August “Freedom Bells” concert with Andy Irvine

Full details of the various events and venues can be found in the programme.