Interest grows for James Connolly Book Launch

national | history and heritage | press release Tuesday April 18, 2006 16:43 by Kevin Wingfield - SWP PO Box 1648 Dublin 8 01-872 2682

The Official launch of a short book on "James Connolly, Revolutionary Socialist" by Kieran Allen is attracting much interest

NEW BOOKLET ON JAMES CONNOLLY

Kieran Allen, the Head of Sociology in UCD, has written a new booklet on James Connolly.
Entitled, James Connolly: Revolutionary Socialist it seeks to uncover the Marxist politics which motivated Connolly throughout his life.
In a statement, Kieran Allen, said,
'Now the commemoration for the 1916 rising has been deemed a great success, we might consider what some of the leaders of the rising stood for.
'Traditionally James Connolly has been presented as a mainstream Irish nationalist who had some social concerns. At times, it almost appeared that he was simply a radical activist from the Vincent De Paul.
'This image of Connolly began soon after his death when Countess Markievicz wrote that 'his was the socialism of James Connolly and no one else'. It was continued by his own union, the ITGWU, who suppressed some of his more radical writings in the 1950s. And it has been taken up again by the modern day political elite who claim that the 1916 rebellion led to a culture of 'social inclusion' in the Celtic Tiger.
The reality, however, is very different. James Connolly was a profound Marxist who advocated 'the confiscation of capitalist property' and described parliamentary democracy as only a limited for of democracy which allowed one to choose one's masters.
'It is a source of great embarrassment to the modern day political establishment that a revolutionary socialist played a key role in the birth of their state and this has led to great dishonesty about his thought.
'This booklet tries to uncover the real legacy of James Connolly and argues that his ideas are profoundly relevant for today. .
The new booklet on James Connolly will be publicly launched at a public meeting on James Connolly and 1916 which will take place in Cassidy's Hotel on April 21st at 8pm. Speaking alongside Kieran Allen will be Lorcan Collins and Conor Kostick, the joint authors of a book on the 1916 rebellion, and Helena McNeill.

OTHER MEETINGS IN THIS TOUR

Galway: Tuesday 18th April: 8pm Western Hotel, Prospect Hill
Waterford: Thursday 20th April: ATGWU Hall, Keyser St 8pm
Cork: Thursday 20th April: Spailpin Fanach South Main St, 8pm
Dublin: Friday 21st April: Cassidy’s Hotel 8pm
Tralee: Saturday 22nd April: Grand Hotel 3pm
Derry: Saturday 22nd April: Sandino’s Bar (upstairs) 3pm
Athlone: Tuesday 25th April: Genoa Café 8pm