Irish Left Archive

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Digital collection of political material from and about the left in Ireland. 🔗 Website: 🎙️ Podcast: 💬 Fediverse:

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Irish Left Archive@leftarchive· 3d

New in the archive: A poster for an Irish Citizen Army Commemoration, 2025, from the Connolly Youth Movement. www.leftarchive.ie/document/8504/

A poster, reading: Irish Citizen Army Commemoration / Saturday 22nd November 2025 / 1:00pm · Croydon Park, Marino, Dublin 3

Followed by: Panel discussion on the worker’s movement today. Organised by Connolly Youth Movement Dublin.

A green-tinted background image shows ICA volunteers with weapons behind a barricade.

Irish Left Archive@leftarchive· 10d

"Ireland: A Question for us all" From 1983, a report from a Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB) delegation to Belfast. The report reiterates the CPGB policy of withdrawal from the North. www.leftarchive.ie/document/402/

Cover of "Ireland: A Question for us all – Report of a London District Communist Party Delegation to Belfast".

The cover image shows a young boy on a Belfast street behind a barbed-wire barrier.

Image of text, reading: In Britain, Communists see their task as developing a clear ideological and political break between the working class movement and British imperialism which continues to rule in Northern Ireland with the tacit consent of the British people. We must fight to remove that consent and to demand a declaration of intent by the British government to withdraw from Northern Ireland, coupled with a broad programme for ending repression and instituting democratic reforms within the six counties that would create, in the shortest possible time, the political, social and economic conditions for the re-unification of Ireland.

Irish Left Archive@leftarchive· Jul 20

New in our collection: Badges from the Belfast branch of Community Action Tenants Union (@catubelfast.bsky.social). www.leftarchive.ie/document/8467/ www.leftarchive.ie/document/8466/ www.leftarchive.ie/document/8465/ www.leftarchive.ie/document/8464/ www.leftarchive.ie/document/8463/

Irish Left Archive@leftarchive· Jul 18

#OnThisDay 18th July 1981: A march in support of Hunger Strikers is baton-charged outside the US Embassy in Dublin. www.leftarchive.ie/calendar/on-...

Website screenshot, reading:
1981: Serious clashes between Republican demonstrators and Gardaí outside the British Embassy took place

On 18th of July 1981, a march in support of the Hunger Strikers campaign, ongoing since March of that year, ended with violent clashes outside the British Embassy after a Garda baton-charge, in which more than 200 people were hurt.

A document from Revolutionary Struggle after the event, ‘Organise Against State Repression’, states:

On the 18th. July thousands of people from all over the country mobilised in Dublin for a march on the British Embassy in support of the Hunger [Strikers]. Before reaching the Embassy however, the marchers were stopped at Merrion Rd. by a wall of cops in riot gear, [several] rows deep. This strategy of confrontation and intimidation, meant to frighten people off the streets and deny them expression, was resisted by many brave comrades who tried to fight their way through. The cops held rank for fifteen minutes and then charged. Their violence and brutality as they ran riot, beating everyone in their path was [psychotic].

Related Pages:
Hunger Strikes, 1980/81
Organise Against State Repression

Irish Left Archive@leftarchive· Jun 26

The first divorce referendum took place #OnThisDay 26th June 1986. The referendum failed and divorce remained prohibited in Ireland until 1995. www.leftarchive.ie/subject/2225/

A green and red poster reading: Civil divorce is a civil right; vote Yes; The Workers Party.

Irish Left Archive@leftarchive· Jun 8

#OnThisDay 8th June 1975, Irish Women United was founded. www.leftarchive.ie/calendar/on-...

Image of text, reading:

What is Irish Women United?

We are a group of Women's liberationists who believe that the best perspective for struggle against women's oppression in Ireland lies in an ongoing fight around the charter of demands printed here.

We came together originally in April 1975 as a few individual women interested in the idea of building a conference to discuss a charter; what its demands should be and how a campaign should be built.

At this conference on June 8th, attended by approximately 100 women, we constituted ourselves as a separate group, Irish Women United -- the only criteria for joining to be agreement on the demands of the Charter.

Irish Women United works on the basis of general meetings (discussions and action planning, at present every week in Dublin), join actions (e.g. pickets, public meetings, workshops, at present on women in trade unions, contraception, social welfare and political theory) and consciousness-raising groups.

Irish Left Archive@leftarchive· Jun 1

#OnThisDay 1st June 1984, Ronald Reagan arrived in Ireland on a state visit that was met with widespread protests. www.leftarchive.ie/calendar/on-...

Screenshot of a web page section titled: 1984 – Ronald Reagan arrived in Ireland on a state visit that was met with widespread protests.

The text reads: U.S. President Ronald Reagan visited Ireland in 1984, arriving on the 1st June. The visit was met with widespread protests, with a march on Shannon airport on his arrival, a large “ring around Reagan” protest in Dublin city centre, and the Women’s Peace Camp in the Phoenix Park.

A number of campaign groups and Left parties organised in response to the visit.

Images of the front page of documents related to the visit are included below.

Irish Left Archive@leftarchive· May 1

Solidarity on International Workers' Day! www.leftarchive.ie/calendar/on-...

The 1st of May was first marked as International Workers’ Day in 1890, when the Second International called for demonstrations to commemorate the Haymarket massacre (in which violence at a rally in Chicago in support of an eight-hour working day resulted in the deaths of several workers and police). International Workers’ Day, or May Day, is celebrated around the world and is a public holiday in most countries.

Irish Left Archive@leftarchive· Apr 16

New documents in the archive: programmes and leaflets from the Socialist Workers' Party's Marxism conference, 1996-98. www.leftarchive.ie/document/8318/ www.leftarchive.ie/document/8319/ www.leftarchive.ie/document/8320/ www.leftarchive.ie/document/8321/

Irish Left Archive@leftarchive· Apr 2

#OnThisDay 2nd April 1989, Mikhail Gorbachev met then Taoiseach and Tánaiste, Charles Haughey and Brian Lenihan, at a stop-over at Shannon airport en route to Cuba. www.leftarchive.ie/calendar/on-...

Screenshot of a web page headlined "1989 Mikhail Gorbachev Visited Ireland" and showing an Irish Socialist article. (Full text on the page linked in this post).

Irish Left Archive@leftarchive· Mar 16

Newly added to the collection: A poster and leaflet from Dublin Food Not Bombs. www.leftarchive.ie/document/8267/ www.leftarchive.ie/document/8268/

Poster reading: Free Food 4 All / Always Vegan, Rich or Poor, Sober or Stoned / @ Broadstone Luas Stop Every Second Sunday

A leaflet headlined Bia Ní Buamaí: Food Not Bombs Dublin

Irish Left Archive@leftarchive· Mar 16

Policy documents from the Democratic Socialist Party (DSP), early 1980s. The DSP was formed in 1982 by a merger of the Socialist Party of Ireland (SPI), Jim Kemmy's Limerick Socialist Organisation and individuals including members of the British & Irish Communist Organisation (BICO).

Democratic Socialist Party / Outline Policy On Taxation

Democratic Socialist Party / Outline Policy On Northern Ireland

Democratic Socialist Party / Outline Policy On Full Employment

Democratic Socialist Party / Outline Policy On Church And State

Irish Left Archive@leftarchive· Mar 14

From 1998, an article from the Workers' Solidarity Movement paper, Anarchist News, on anti-Traveller racism. The issue is available on our website here: www.leftarchive.ie/document/2988/

Few groups or individuals on the left in Ireland understand that the situation of Travellers was until recently the most explicit form of racism in this country. Because Travellers are white, people have difficulty recognising discrimination against them as racism. Travellers are subjected to the most extreme forms of social exclusion and segregation which can only be described as apartheid.

They are refused service in pubs, cafes, many shops, launderettes, hairdressers, discos, hotels, cinemas and even some doctors refuse to serve them.

At school many Traveller children are taught in totally segregated classes which cater for Traveller children of all ages in the one class. Officially this is done to provide them with a service that respects their nomadic culture. In reality nothing could be further from the truth, which is that it is done in order to discriminate against them more efficiently.

Racism is a particular form of domination, exploitation and exclusion. Racism against Travellers and Gypsies is rooted in an ideology of sedentarist superiority. This is the belief that the settled person's way of life is the modern norm and that nomadism is a throwback to less civilised times.

Nomadic people also pose a threat to the values of property ownership and the accumulation of possessions. Racism involves power domination by one group over the other. Because Travellers are such a small minority of the population (0.5% approx) they are totally at the mercy of the settled population. The effects of this racism and exclusion can be graphically seen in the health statistics of the Traveller population.

Traveller infants have three times the infant mortality rate of the settled population. Traveller women have a life expectancy that is fifteen years less than their settled counterparts and Traveller men's life expectancy is ten years less than settled men's. They don't fare any better educationally. Only a handful of Traveller children have made it through second l…

Irish Left Archive@leftarchive· Mar 13

From 1969, an article on opposition to the appointment of Charles as Prince of Wales, and the ongoing trial of nine members of the Free Wales Army. From United Irishman, newspaper of Sinn Féin.

Scanned newspaper article headlined "Wales Defiled!", with a caricature image of Charles, and reading:

On July 1 as we go to press a representative of the English Crown, the most vicious institution of murder the world has ever known, was installed as "prince" of Wales.

Surrounded by the largest force of police and troops ever mounted in peacetime the English "royals" imposed themselves on the people of Wales. The "royal" occasion did not pass without protest however: bombs exploded in Cardiff, the Welsh Capital, and in Abergele, forty miles from Caernarvon, two men were killed while placing explosives in a government office.

At the same time the marathon trial of members of the Free Wales Army was coming to an end and the verdicts were due to be announced on July 1. Referring to the trial, our Welsh correspondent writes:

Now as the Free Wales Army trial drags to its seemingly interminable close the moment of decision – the "crunch" – arrives. Not only for those patriots in the dock at Swansea. The hour of decision has arrived for the whole movement towards devolution of Government away from the Whitehall tyrannies of the Harold Wilson regime. Sadly, most sadly, one or two signs of the cracking of resolve are to be seen amongst those who took upon themselves the heavy responsibility of putting themselves forward as martyrs in the cause of the struggle to save the lifeblood of the Welsh nation.

The inspiration for the Welsh militant movement sprang – as it was bound to do – from the great examples of the Irish patriots of the time of Ireland's agony.

But from the example of the martyrs for Irish independence those who are now in doubt – and who can blame them after the ordeal they have undergone in English prisons over the past months? – they, these new martyrs in the cause of Wales, must draw fresh strength.

[Transcription continued in duplicated image]

Irish Left Archive@leftarchive· Mar 8

Among contemporary groups, the archive also includes leaflets from feminist campaign groups ROSA and Reclaim the Agenda (@reclaimtheagenda.bsky.social). We welcome any more documents to add to the collection! www.leftarchive.ie/organisation... www.leftarchive.ie/organisation...

Irish Left Archive@leftarchive· Mar 8

Moving North, we have one copy of Women's Action, produced by the Belfast Women's Collective. BWC emerged from the Socialist Women’s Group in 1977 which in turn had left the Northern Ireland Women’s Rights Movement (NIWRM). www.leftarchive.ie/document/629/

Front cover of Women's Action, Vol. 2, No. 3. The masthead includes an image of a woman in chains with the text: Women's Action, Belfast Women's Collective;

Irish Left Archive@leftarchive· Mar 8

Irishwomen United, founded in 1975, produced a journal called Banshee from 1975-77. The back cover reproduced the group's charter, shown in this image. It is notable for an explicit demand for free, legal abortion and contraception. www.leftarchive.ie/publication/...

A scan of the back cover of Banshee with the text of the Irishwomen United charter.

Irish Left Archive@leftarchive· Mar 8

On International Women's Day #IWD, readers might be interested in some of the publications from Irish feminist groups in our collection. First up, Fownes Street Journal, which was produced between 1972 and '74 by the Women's Liberation Movement. www.leftarchive.ie/document/2461/

Irish Left Archive@leftarchive· Mar 6

The "Protection of Human Life in Pregnancy" referendum was held #OnThiSDay, 6th March 2002. The bill sought to exclude risk of suicide as grounds for abortion and to further penalise assisting in or performing abortions. It was narrowly defeated, with 50.4% voting against.

A newspaper article headlined: Government's anti-abortion referendum defeated / For free abortion on demand!

Irish Left Archive@leftarchive· Mar 3

A cartoon on the Iran-Contra scandal, in which the US sold arms to Iran, despite an embargo, to use the proceeds to fund the right-wing Contras' attempt to overthrow the Nicaraguan government. From Ireland, the international magazine of the Workers' Party, 1987.

Cartoon labelled "Foreign Policy Refresher". The panels read: The US sold arms to Iran... Generating big profits... That were sent to the contras... Who are fighting the Nicaraguan government... Which the US wants to overthrow... On the grounds it's tied to anti-American states... Like Iran. Any questions?

Irish Left Archive@leftarchive· Mar 1

The 1981 hunger strikes began #OnThisDay, the 1st of March, when Bobby Sands began refusing food. A total of ten people died before the strike ended in October. www.leftarchive.ie/calendar/on-...

The 1981 hunger strike began

The 1981 hunger strikes began on the 1st of March, when Bobby Sands began refusing food. A total of ten people died before the strike ended in October.

A February 1981 document from the National H-Block / Armagh Committee states:

On Thursday 5th February seven weeks after the ending of a fifty-three day hunger-strike in the H-Blocks at Long Kesh, and a nineteen day hunger-strike by women prisoners at Armagh prison, a joint statement from both sets of prisoners was issued announcing another hunger-strike to begin on March 1st. The statement threatened that the prisoners would strike 'to death if necessary' to achieve recognition as political prisoners and a status in accord with that recognition.

The prisoners' statement ended weeks of speculation that a settlement to the four-and-a-half-year-long protest was posssible and confirmed for the prisoners and their supporters that the British reneged on the hunger-strike settlements of December 18th last.

Irish Left Archive@leftarchive· Feb 22

#OnThisDay, 22nd February 1992, Democratic Left was formed after a split in the Workers' Party. www.leftarchive.ie/calendar/on-...

Web page screenshot, reading:

At a Workers Party Ard Comhairle meeting on 22nd February 1992, several members and six of the party’s TDs left the party and formed a new party led by Proinsias de Rossa. Initially called New Agenda, it was renamed Democratic Left at its founding conference the following month.

Divisions in the party between more Marxist and social-democratic orientations had culminated in a special conference at which a motion for significant restructuring of the party — proposed by De Rossa (then party leader) and allies — was narrowly defeated.

The Workers’ Party analysis of the split is outlined in this document: Patterns of Betrayal: the flight from Socialism

Irish Left Archive@leftarchive· Feb 10

An account of a 1977 Irish Women United action to buy and distribute the UK second wave feminist magazine, Spare Rib, in response to the Irish censor banning it as 'obscene'. From the Irish Women United magazine, Banshee: www.leftarchive.ie/document/1894/

Scanned article headlined "Spare Rib" and reading:

A WEEK AGO THE CENSORSHIP BOARD BANNED SPARE RIB ON THE GROUNDS THAT IT IS OBSCENE AND INDECENT. ON SAT, THE 12th MEMBERS OF I.W.U. WENT TO BELFAST TO PICK UP 22 COPIES OF THE MAGAZINE, WITH THE INTENTION OF DEFYING THE BAN BY SELLING THEM OPENLY IN DUBLIN.

There we were, all 20 of us, bright and bleary eyed, aboard the 8.30 shoppers special to Belfast. Two and and a half hours later, we arrived in Belfast where a sister from the Northern Women's movement was waiting or us to lead us through check points and back streets to a pub where we settled down to a lunch of sandwiches and Guinness at 33p a pint. A couple of hours later more women Joined us with placards condemning the banning of Spare Rib, and we all set out to form a picket outside Board Failte [sic] which was conveniently situated right next door to the pub.

At 5.30 we were back on the train heading for Dublin with our precious booty of 200 Spare Rib. This time we commandeered the entire first compartment of the train and waited impatiently for customs officers to make their appearance at Dundalk. At Dundalk a custom officer walked straight through looking at his shoes; 3 of the women chased after hm, to inform him that they were bringing banned magazines through. The official turned his back, raised his hand and said "that's alright, go ahead." Next thing we were in Dublin station. We jumped out as soon as the train stopped, and linking arms formed lines of five and marched down the platform chanting "Lift the ban on Spare Rib" and "We'll read what we want not what we're told". At once, our sisters from the home team, awaiting us behind the ticket barrier, joined in the chanting and lifted placards for all to see.

The sisters from the train stopped at the barrier and let the other passengers through, with women both side of the barrier singing and chanting the whole time. We surged through the barrier and when a woman… [truncated by Bluesky]

Irish Left Archive@leftarchive· Feb 3

"In the final analysis whatever the hypocritical mouthings of our "pillars of society" about aid to people overseas, it is on their treatment of the poor, the [Travellers] and the working class at home that they must be judged." A 1976 article from The Bottom Dog.

An article from The Bottom Dog headlined: O'Meara and Itinerants, and showing a cut out of a Nenagh Guardian article titled: Mr O'Meara hits at itinerants' sympathisrs [sic]

Irish Left Archive@leftarchive· Feb 1

"I'm not interested in politics because I don't eat, wear clothes, breathe air or live in a house. I'm incurable and when I die I'll bury myself." The first issue of People's Voice, produced by Saor Éire in Cork. www.leftarchive.ie/document/2405/

Front cover of People's Voice, No. 1, November 1968.

A meek cartoon character is pictured saying, "I'm not interested in politics because I don't eat, wear clothes, breathe air or live in a house. I'm incurable and when I die I'll bury myself."

Underneath is written, Workers: Awaken to your power!

Irish Left Archive@leftarchive· Jan 31

Here's an article from The Worker on the seizure of McCann's pamphlet.

Pamphlet Seized

Eamonn McCann, a supporter of the Socialist Workers Movement, had 500 pamphlets seized from him at the end of February. The pamphlet was his own account of "What Happened in Derry". It shows how the shooting of 13 innocent citizens in Derry on Bloody Sunday was not the result of a few paratroopers losing their heads. On the contrary, the events of 30 January were the result of a definite plan.

The British Army expected the IRA to retaliate for the shooting of two demonstrators standing apart from the main crowd. They were prepared for a big shoot-out in which the IRA would be discredited for using the crowd as "cover". To judge from their evidence to Widgery, some of them have actually convinced themselves that the shoot-out did occur.

Eamonn McCann's pamphlet is the only true account of the events of Bloody Sunday to have been published in Britain. Although several British newspapers had a full account of the massacre, they have not dared to publish it for fear of contradicting the inevitable Widgery white-wash.

"What Happened in Derry" is available in Ireland through the Socialist Workers Movement, Price 5p plus postage, from 30 Strandville Avenue, Dublin 3, and from "Worker" sellers.

Irish Left Archive@leftarchive· Jan 31

A 1972 poster from the Revolutionary Marxist Group (RMG), then Irish section of the Fourth International. #Ireland #BloodySunday

A poster with a photograph of Bloody Sunday victims lying on the street. The text reads: Ireland: Britain Out Now!; Bloody Sunday, Jan 30 1972; Fourth International.

Irish Left Archive@leftarchive· Jan 31

#OnThisDay 31st January 1971, the Cork Communist Organisation resigned from the ICO in response to their position on Republicanism. It later became the Cork Workers Club. CCO members included Jim Lane and others who had been involved in the Cork group, Saor Éire. www.leftarchive.ie/calendar/on-...

The Cork Communist Organisation was formed after resigning from the Irish Communist Organisation

The Cork Communist Organisation resigned from the ICO in response to their position on Republicanism. It later became the Cork Workers Club.

The introduction to "On the Resignation of the Cork Branch of the Irish Communist Organisation" notes the formation of the Cork Communist Organisation on 31st of January, 1971:

After an existence of 11 months the Cork Branch of the ICO on 31 January, 1971 seceded from the Irish Communist Organisation (ICO) and reconstituted itself as the Cork Communist Organisation (CCO). The decision to secede from the ICO was unanimous and followed several weeks discussion by the members of the Cork Branch. The following pamphlet outlines the circumstances which led to the split. The ICO statement on the split, ‘Nationalist Disruption of the Communist Movement’ (Irish Communist, May 1971) is also commented on in Part One, as are their statements ; ‘Nationalist Slander’ (Communist Comment, 21 August, 1971) and ‘Nationalist Disruption 2’ (Irish Communist, October 1971) in Part Two.

Irish Left Archive@leftarchive· Jan 29

Saor Éire was banned by Military Tribunal, along with other Republican and Communist groups, in October 1931. (The ban was lifted the following March). With the strength of reaction, the organisation never really got off the ground.

A newspaper clipping, reading:

The following associations have been declared by order of the Executive Council to be unlawful associations:

* Saor Eire.
* The association styling and calling itself the Irish Republican Army, sometimes known as the I.R.A. or Oglaigh na hEireann.
* Fianna Eireann.
* Cumann na mBan.
* Friends of Soviet Russia.
* The Irish Labour Defence League.
* The Workers' Defence Corps.
* The Women Prisoners' Defence League.
* The Workers' Revolutionary Party (Ireland).
* The Irish Tribute League.
* The Irish Working Farmers' Committee.
* The Workers' Research Bureau.

Irish Left Archive@leftarchive· Jan 29

From The Bottom Dog in 1976, an unequivocal cartoon accompanying an article listing allegations of police misconduct in the preceding few years. www.leftarchive.ie/document/vie...