The Irish Republican Congress by George Gilmore

[C. Flower]

Nice intro from Peadar O'Donnell: to "Labour and the Republican Movement"

The Republican Movement, within which the I.R.A. lives and moves, is the highest concentrate of selfless, courageous dedication to national service in the country. In practice, however, it often bewilders the Ireland it would serve, and so loses the mass backing which alone could make it effective.
The Republican Movement is rich in principle but disastrously short in policy. It is a poor leadership that rests itself entirely on principles and neglects sorting out, in all their concreteness, the actual conditions within which the struggle must develop, for it is only in this sorting out that policy can properly be based.
I consider George Gilmore the best possible counsellor on the early, difficult first steps for republican leaders to reach themselves from a rigid pose before history to enable them to relate themselves to life.
In this short study, "Labour and the Republican Movement", Gilmore writes a footnote to Connolly's "Labour in Irish History".
I congratulate the publishers and "The United Irishman" on securing this manuscript and on making it available to the youth of Ireland.

PEADAR O'DONNELL

[Cloghogue Rogue]

The Republican Congress Student Society at QUB would like to reproduce this for our stall at the re-freshers fair on Wed. Will it be OK to credit Cass and Jim at the start?

[Dr. FIVE]

The Republican Congress Student Society at QUB would like to reproduce this for our stall at the re-freshers fair on Wed. Will it be OK to credit Cass and Jim at the start?

hard copies are available too

[C. Flower]

The Republican Congress Student Society at QUB would like to reproduce this for our stall at the re-freshers fair on Wed. Will it be OK to credit Cass and Jim at the start?

I'd be delighted for it to be used: I thought it well worth the time of typing it up.

I've sent you a message about it Cloghogue Rogue

[Donal Og]

Was there a strong C of I membership of Congress?

[C. Flower]

Was there a strong C of I membership of Congress?

I've never heard it mentioned. Is there any particular reason why there would have been?

From post 32 -

The call was signed by Mrs. Nora Connolly O'Brien, Belfast; Michael Price, Dublin; Sean McGuinness, Offally; Patrick Lynch, Offally; Tom McGuire, Collinstown, Westmeath; Frank Ryan, Dublin; Sheila Humphries, Dublin; Maire Laverty, Belfast; Brian Corrigan, Mulranny, Co. Mayo; Eithne Coyle, Tir Chonaill; Patrick Norton, Athlone; Seamus McCann, Derry; Joseph Doyle, Dublin; Robert Emmett, Dublin; Patrick Gralton, Leitrim; John Joe Hooey, Leitrim; Michael Feely, Kiltoom, Co. Roscommon; George Gilmore, Dublin; Sean Mulgrew, Mulranney Co. Mayo; Peadar O'Donnell, Tir Chonaill; Liam Kelly, Dublin; James Cahill, Galway; Peter Doolan, Offally.

The intention is clear enough, but the call was the product of a variety of minds, and the result was to show that beneath the obvious agreement as to the objective lay concealed a serious disagreement as to the method of approach to the objective.

The immediate response to the call was encouraging, and the work of organising for the Congress began at once. An organising bureau was established in Dublin, and organising committees sprang into being all around the country around active republican workers. A weekly organ, the Republican Congress, was published.

[Jolly Red Giant]

Was there a strong C of I membership of Congress?

There was reputed to be 200 members in the Shankill Road branch of Republican Congress. While the figure may be disputed there certain was a branch on the Shankill Road. In all likelihood the Belfast foods riots in 1932 impacted on support for the Republican Congress in Protestant working class areas.

The front page of Gilmore's pamphlet on the Republican Congress has a picture of the banner of the Shankill Road branch at the Wole Tone Commemoration in Bodenstown in 1934.

There is a copy uploaded at cedarlounge

[C. Flower]

There was reputed to be 200 members in the Shankill Road branch of Republican Congress. While the figure may be disputed there certain was a branch on the Shankill Road. In all likelihood the Belfast foods riots in 1932 impacted on support for the Republican Congress in Protestant working class areas.

The front page of Gilmore's pamphlet on the Republican Congress has a picture of the banner of the Shankill Road branch at the Wole Tone Commemoration in Bodenstown in 1934.

There is a copy uploaded at cedarlounge

Somehow, I wouldn't have thought the C of I would be big in the Shankhill Road, but would be interested to know, if I'm wrong.

[Starfire]

How many police informers participated?

[C. Flower]

There is a lot of detail in the document about who was there and what they said and did.

If you read the document, you will be able to make an educated guess.

[C. Flower]

How many police informers participated?

I think you can safely assume that there are police informers at every large political gathering and at many small ones.

[Dr. FIVE]

http://cedarlounge.wordpress.com/201...t-this-poster/

[C. Flower]

Just came across this article by Adrian Grant, from 6 months back - it takes an overview of the experience of splits on the left in Ireland, and the recurring debate of whether a united left party is needed, or a united front between different parties.

http://www.thejournal.ie/readme/left-wing-splits-ireland-640722-Oct2012/

He says that a good number of people went to fight in Spain after the break up of the Republican Congress, and many of those who came back did not find a "political home."

Personally it seems to me that there will always be distinct left tendencies that need their own parties, and a united front (or fronts) is what is feasible.

[Seán Ryan]

Just came across this article by Adrian Grant, from 6 months back - it takes an overview of the experience of splits on the left in Ireland, and the recurring debate of whether a united left party is needed, or a united front between different parties.

http://www.thejournal.ie/readme/left-wing-splits-ireland-640722-Oct2012/

He says that a good number of people went to fight in Spain after the break up of the Republican Congress, and many of those who came back did not find a "political home."

Personally it seems to me that there will always be distinct left tendencies that need their own parties, and a united front (or fronts) is what is feasible.

Hah! The impossible dream.

As opposed to the split being the first item on the agenda, the truth is always the first casualty. There is no trust whatsoever to be had between the various leftist factions. We have front groups who conceal unpopular groups and agendas and we have the subversion and takeovers of existing movements. That's where we're at. A constant state of denial and outright trickery to further narrow agendas.

What's needed is a loose network with no pre-set agenda. A network whose only purpose would be to facilitate groups or individuals in linking up to fight for common goals. Said network would have no policy that facilitated expelling members and it would have no policy for expelling members who exposed the duplicity of other members. It'd be a free for all and it'd be messy.

However, it cannot exist because the larger groups are full of dogma and fear. It is a case of their way or no way. Thus it will remain, no way.

[C. Flower]

Hah! The impossible dream.

As opposed to the split being the first item on the agenda, the truth is always the first casualty. There is no trust whatsoever to be had between the various leftist factions. We have front groups who conceal unpopular groups and agendas and we have the subversion and takeovers of existing movements. That's where we're at. A constant state of denial and outright trickery to further narrow agendas.

What's needed is a loose network with no pre-set agenda. A network whose only purpose would be to facilitate groups or individuals in linking up to fight for common goals. Said network would have no policy that facilitated expelling members and it would have no policy for expelling members who exposed the duplicity of other members. It'd be a free for all and it'd be messy.

However, it cannot exist because the larger groups are full of dogma and fear. It is a case of their way or no way. Thus it will remain, no way.

Picture a mass of people behind a dam. The dam has a crack in it, with water rushing through. The people run around, looking for people who have a similar idea to their own about how to stop it. They form a miriad of small groups, some of them full of very determined and self-sacrificing people who work all the ours on this problem. Some say evacuate. Others say plug it. Some people kneel and pray the tide will go out. Others devote time to blaming shoddy workmanship and engineering. Still others say do nothing, until we have overcome our differences and agree. The main idea in all of their heads is to be right while other people are wrong, and to win the maximum support.

All drown.

An alternative is to co-operate and to start from a shared determination to stop the ingress of water, and for all groups and individuals to agree where they can to use all the resources and skills available to them stop it, while deputising enough people to organise evacuating those who aren't needed on the ground.