Irish Socialist Lives

galway | history and heritage | event notice Friday January 16, 2009 17:23 by John Cunningham - Irish Labour History Society john.cunningham at nuigalway dot ie 086-834-36-67

2nd day of Galway event

The manifest deficiencies of the economic system that has dominated the world in recent decades make this an opportune time to consider alternatives. Where better to start than with an examination of the unconventional ideas espoused by radical Irish men and women of the past? An ‘Irish Socialist Lives’ symposium offers an opportunity to do just that.

A range of contributors, including leading historians, will describe the lives and consider the ideas of syndicalists, social democrats, trade unionists, agrarian radicals, Christian socialists, Marxists, Chartists, anarchists, and co-operators who worked in Ireland during the past few centuries, and many of whom had Galway connections. Some, like James Larkin, were world-famous; others, like Mary Galway the leader of the Belfast millworkers, had some prominence; others still, like the Árainn-born writer and founder of American Trotskyism, Tomás Ó Flatharta, laboured in relative obscurity.
The event will be held under the auspices of the History Dept, NUI Galway (Friday 13 February), and the Irish Labour History Society (Saturday 14 February).
There will be a concurrent exhibition of historic trade union banners.

Highlights will include:

Friday, 8 pm: Keynote Lecture,
Emmet O’Connor: ‘Big Jim Larkin Hero or Wrecker’

Saturday, 11 a.m: Chips off the old Block?
Niamh Puirseil on James Larkin Jnr and Charlie Maguire on Roddy Connolly

OTHER SUBJECTS WILL INCLUDE Bobby Burke, The King of the Claddagh, E.T. Craig, Sandy Crawford, Molly Davidson, Jack Dowling, William Paul Dowling, Mary Galway, Matt Harris, Luke Kelly, Gilbert Lynch, Michael McKeown, Catherine Mahon, Constance Markiewicz, Peadar O’Donnell, Maureen O’Carroll, Thomas O’Flaherty, Shane O’Neill, Palladius, William Thompson, Helena Molony, Capt Jack White,

OTHER CONTRIBUTORS WILL INCLUDE Tony Varley, Gearóid Ó Tuathaigh, Dáibhí Ó Cróinín, Aindrias Ó Cathasaigh, John Moulden, Theresa Moriarty, Gerard Moran, James Monaghan, Laurence Marley, Christopher Maginn, Alf MacLochlainn, Fintan Lane, Leo Keohane, Michael D. Higgins, Des Geraghty, Dominic Haugh, Penny Duggan, James S. Donnelly Jr, Barry Desmond, John Cunningham, Síle Chuinneagáin, Charles Callan, Mick Brennan, John Arden, Margetta D’Arcy
All are welcome and admission is free.