Living Rent screens THE RENT STRIKE (2024)

Please note this is a PAY WHAT YOU CAN fundraiser for Living Rent and CATU - please donate according to your circumstances as outlined below. Tickets can only be purchased one per transaction, e.g 2x tickets will require two seperate transactions**
THE RENT STRIKE / 45 mins / Prod. Azzy O’Connor, Dr Fiadh Tubridy & Declan Mallon
Between 1970 and 1973 over 350,000 tenants throughout Ireland withheld rent in protest against rent increases, poor housing conditions and a lack of facilities. The story of this national movement, which ended in success in August 1973, is told for the first time in a new documentary, THE RENT STRIKE, using RTÉ archive footage and interviews with surviving strikers and their families.
From the late 60’s, anger over these housing issues led to an upsurge of rent strikes beginning in Ballyphehane in Cork and Ballymun in Dublin in March 1970. Over the next two years the tenants’ campaign, coordinated by the National Association of Tenants Organisations (NATO), spread throughout the country. The strength of the movement led to a deal being negotiated between NATO and the Fine Gael – Labour coalition government in August 1973, who capitulated to all the tenants’ demands.
THE RENT STRIKE celebrates the inspiring story of this working-class campaign, with a particular spotlight on the women who led the pickets and protests every day across the country. It documents the migration from the country’s collapsing tenement housing, life in Ireland’s first mass suburbs, and the harm caused by faulty constructions through the National Building Agency (where one pregnant woman in Cork lost her child due to a boiler explosion). The documentary chronicles the day-to-day work needed to sustain the strikes, how strikers found unlikely allies in council staff, where the IRA played an unofficial part and how organised communities fought the councils, the Gardaí and the government, and won.
The screening will be followed by a discussion between researcher and producer Fiadh Tubridy (CATU) and Ruth Gilbert and Neil Gray (Living Rent), and an audience Q+A.
Rent Strike pamphlets will be for sale (£5).
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**This event is a Pay What You Can fundraiser, with proceeds funding the travel costs of the filmmakers, and all remaining monies split equally between CATU and Living Rent to support each union's organising work.
This ticketing model is built on soundness - no proof of income is required, but please refer to the guide below and choose your price category according to your circumstances before making your donation on the next page. All additional donations greatly received.
The suggested donations are:
£0-3
I frequently stress about meeting basic* needs and don’t always achieve them.
I have debt and it sometimes prohibits me from meeting my basic needs.
I my rental contract is insecure and/or I have unstable housing.
I sometimes can’t afford public or private transport. If I own a car/have access to a car, I am not always able to afford petrol.
I am unemployed or underemployed.
I qualify for government and/or voluntary assistance, for example, food banks and benefits.
I have no access to savings.
I have no or very limited expendable** income.
I rarely buy new items because I am unable to afford them.
I can’t afford a holiday or don’t have the ability to take time off without financial burden.
£5-7
I may stress about meeting my basic needs but still regularly achieve them.
I may have some debt but it does not prohibit attainment of basic needs.
I can afford public transport and often private transport. If I have a car/access to a car I can afford petrol.
I am employed.
I might have access to financial savings.
I have some expendable income.
I am able to buy some new items and I buy others second-hand.
I can take a holiday annually or every few years without financial burden.
£10 -15
I am comfortably able to meet all of my basic needs.
I may have some debt but it doesn’t prohibit attainment of basic needs.
I own my home or property or I rent a higher-end property.
I can afford public and private transport. If I have a car/access to a car I can afford petrol.
I have access to financial savings.
I have an expendable income.
I can always buy new items.
I can afford an annual holiday or take time off.
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Accessibility note from GMAC

Before choosing to visit GMAC, please be aware of the following information:

Our space has capacity for one wheelchair user at any given time. If this applies to you, please let us know when you plan on visiting so that we can ensure you are able to access the space comfortably and safely. Our email is .

There are two lifts to gain access to GMAC on 5th floor.

In the unlikely event of a fire, both lifts will be out of use, and everyone will exit the building via five flights of stairs. If a disabled person is in the building and cannot evacuate using the stairs, the fire rescue team will be called immediately to recover them.

You can use our and to let us know what adjustments or support we can provide to ensure you can take part.

We recognise that our space is not as accessible as we would like it to be. With this in mind, please know that we are reviewing our next steps towards a more accessible experience for all.

Host or Publisher Living Rent