Irish Left Archive: Irish Socialist, Communist Party of Ireland, No. 123, January 1973

To download the above please click on the following link. irish-socialist-1973.pdf

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Many thanks to the person who forwarded this to the Archive.

An interesting edition of Irish Socialist from the Communist Party of Ireland. This published in January 1973 argues that after the vote to join the European Economic Community ‘the benefits are: Higher Prices, Profits and Unemployment’. And it argues that ‘the call must be made for the Labour movement to lead a crusade to defend the right of the people of Ireland, North and South to work in their own country’.

The Editorial argues, though, that 1973 is ‘A Year of Hope’ and this because ‘in spite of set-backs, the struggle for democracy, equality and the right of the people to control their own destiny is advancing everywhere. The hysteria of the ruling class, the introduction of anti-democratic legislation, the attempt to hamstring the trade unions, all these things are happening because the bosses see that a new spirit is sweeping the world’.

And it makes the interesting point that twenty years earlier ‘“Socialism” was a word no self-respecting person would use. Now even Fianna Fáil Ministers claim to be Socialists’.

There’s much more, not least an overview of the (Official) Sinn Féin Ard-Fheis, the issues within Unionism, South Africa and Nixon.