James Connolly and the 1916 Easter Rising

Speaker: Patrick Murphy

James Connolly is one of the most famous and interesting figures in Irish history and in the history of the international working class movement.

Born in Edinburgh in 1868 of Irish parents, he joined the British Army at 14 and was a soldier for seven years. He may have had contact with physical-force republicans when stationed in Ireland as a British soldier.

Prior to World War One, he was seen as one of Ireland’s leading trade union leaders, and during the 1913 “Dublin Lock Out” he helped form the Irish Citizen Army. Later, he would be military commander of the Dublin insurgents in the 1916 Easter Rising. Connolly was central to the rising, and after the defeat of the Rising, his life was ended in front of a British firing squad.

In the last 100 years Connolly has been claimed as a hero by both the left and right in Irish politics. His controversial role in Irish history will be examined in this meeting, his legacy, his career as a socialist, trade union leader, and leading figure in the 1916 Easter Rising.

All welcome!

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