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'''James Connolly''' (5 June 1868 – 12 May 1916) was an Irish | '''James Connolly''' (5 June 1868 – 12 May 1916) was an [[Irish Republicanism|Irish Republican]], socialist, and trade union leader. Although mainly known for his position in Irish socialist and republican politics he also took a role in Scottish and [[United States of America|Statesian politics]]. He was a member of the [[Industrial Workers of the World]] and founder of the Irish Socialist Republican Party and the Irish Citizens Army. | ||
== Early Life == | |||
He was born on June 5, 1868 in Edinburgh to Irish immigrant parents. His uncle was an Irish revolutionary and he read Marx and Engels at an early age. At 14 he joined the British army in an attempt to escape poverty and was deployed to Ireland. He married Lillie Reynolds in 1890 and deserted the army in 1891.<ref name=":0">{{Web citation|newspaper=Multitext Project in Irish History|title=James Connolly|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110611014410/http://multitext.ucc.ie/d/James_Connolly}}</ref> | |||
== Political Organizing == | |||
He became involved in several Socialist groups in the 1890s and early 1900s including the Scottish Socialist Federation, for which he served as secretary after his brother. He was a founding member of the Irish Socialist Republican party in 1896.<ref name=":0" /> <ref>{{Web citation|author=D'Arcy, Fergus A.|newspaper=Dictionary of Irish Biography|title=Connolly, James|url=https://www.dib.ie/biography/connolly-james-a1953}}</ref> | |||
Connolly was executed | In 1903 he immigrated to the United States. There he joined the Socialist Labor Party of America and the Socialist Party of America, as well as the [[Industrial Workers of the World]], which he was a member of until his death.<ref>{{Web citation|author=CONOR MCCARTHY|newspaper=Jacobin|title=James Connolly in America|date=2016-12-5|url=https://jacobin.com/2016/05/james-connolly-easter-rising-ireland-dublin-lockout}}</ref> | ||
He returned to Ireland in 2010 and joined the Irish Transport and General Workers Union. In 1913 he played a leading role in the Dublin Lockout. During the 6 month long strike against William Martin Murphy's corporations the Irish Citizens Army was founded by James Connolly along with fellow Irish Socialist James Larkin. The Irish Citizens army was a militant republican and Socialist group.<ref>{{Web citation|newspaper=History Ireland|title=The Dublin 1913 Lockout|url=https://www.historyireland.com/the-dublin-1913-lockout/}}</ref> | |||
== Easter Rising == | |||
James Connolly played a leading role in the 1916 Easter Rising from April 24-29. He signed the Proclamation of the Irish Republic which declared the start of the rising and was declared vice-president of the Irish Republic. The Irish Citizens Army, which Connolly led, was one of the groups participating in the rising. On April 27 he was seriously injured while commanding a garrison. | |||
Along with most leaders of the rising Connolly was executed in the aftermath of the Easter Rising. Shortly before his death he reconverted to Catholicism, which he had abandoned as a young man. On May 12th he was taken from a military hospital in Dublin Castle, where he was being treated for his wounds, to Kilmainham Gaol. Here, as he was unable to stand, he was tied to a chair in the prison yard and shot by British soldiers, the final leader of the rising to be executed.<ref>{{Web citation|newspaper=BBC|title=James Connolly|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/easterrising/profiles/po04.shtml}}</ref> His last statement read in part, | |||
"We went out to break the connection between this country and the British Empire, and to establish an Irish Republic. We believed that the call we then issued to the people of Ireland, was a nobler call, in a holier cause, than any call issued to them during this war, having any connection with the war. We succeeded in proving that Irishmen are ready to die endeavouring to win for Ireland those national rights which the British Government has been asking them to die to win for Belgium. As long as that remains the case, the cause of Irish freedom is safe. | |||
Believing that the British Government has no right in Ireland, never had any right in Ireland, and never can have any right in Ireland, the presence, in any one generation of Irishmen, of even a respectable minority, ready to die to affirm that truth, makes that Government for ever a usurpation and a crime against human progress. | |||
I personally thank God that I have lived to see the day when thousands of Irish men and boys, and hundreds of Irish women and girls, were ready to affirm that truth, and to attest it with their lives if need be."<ref>{{Web citation|newspaper=Sinn Fein|title=Last Statement of James Connolly|url=https://www.sinnfein.ie/files/2020/Last_Statement_Connolly.pdf}}</ref> | |||
== Beliefs == | |||
In addition to being a Socialist Irish Republican, James Connolly held many strong beliefs. He was a staunch trade-unionist,<ref>{{Citation|author=James Connolly|year=1910|title=Industrialism and the Trade Unions|title-url=https://www.marxists.org/archive/connolly/1910/02/intrunin.htm|publisher=International Socialist Review|mia=https://www.marxists.org/archive/connolly/1910/02/intrunin.htm}}</ref> a supporter of the universal language Esperanto,<ref>{{Web citation|author=KEN KEABLE|newspaper=An Poblacht|title=James Connolly and Esperanto|date=2001-6-28|url=https://www.anphoblacht.com/contents/7600}}</ref> and a Feminist.<ref>{{Web citation|author=BERNADETTE KELLY|newspaper=Freedom Socialist Party|title=James Connolly: Irish rebel and feminist firebrand|date=2003-7|url=https://socialism.com/fs-article/james-connolly-irish-rebel-and-feminist-firebrand/}}</ref> | |||
== Legacy == | == Legacy == | ||
Posthumously James Connolly has become a symbol of [[Irish Socialist Republicanism]], often being included in the [[Five Heads of Communism|Heads of Marxism-Leninism]] in Irish propaganda alongside [[Karl Marx]], [[Friedrich Engels]] and [[Vladimir Lenin]] (and depending on ideological leanings [[Joseph Stalin]] and [[Mao Zedong]]). Images of James Connolly are used in this vain by several [[Communist]] and [[Socialist]] groups, most notably the [[Communist Party of Ireland]] and its youth wing the [[Connolly Youth Movement]] which is named in his | Posthumously James Connolly has become a symbol of [[Irish Socialist Republicanism]], often being included in the [[Five Heads of Communism|Heads of Marxism-Leninism]] in Irish propaganda alongside [[Karl Marx]], [[Friedrich Engels]] and [[Vladimir Lenin]] (and depending on ideological leanings [[Joseph Stalin]] and [[Mao Zedong]]). Images of James Connolly are used in this vain by several [[Communist]] and [[Socialist]] groups, most notably the [[Communist Party of Ireland]] and its youth wing the [[Connolly Youth Movement]] which is named in his honor. | ||
Revision as of 02:15, 26 March 2024
James Connolly Séamas Ó Conghaile | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 5 June 1868 Cowgate, Edinburgh, Scotland |
| Died | 12 May 1916 (aged 47) Kilmainham Gaol, Dublin, Ireland |
| Nationality | Irish |
James Connolly (5 June 1868 – 12 May 1916) was an Irish Republican, socialist, and trade union leader. Although mainly known for his position in Irish socialist and republican politics he also took a role in Scottish and Statesian politics. He was a member of the Industrial Workers of the World and founder of the Irish Socialist Republican Party and the Irish Citizens Army.
Early Life
He was born on June 5, 1868 in Edinburgh to Irish immigrant parents. His uncle was an Irish revolutionary and he read Marx and Engels at an early age. At 14 he joined the British army in an attempt to escape poverty and was deployed to Ireland. He married Lillie Reynolds in 1890 and deserted the army in 1891.[1]
Political Organizing
He became involved in several Socialist groups in the 1890s and early 1900s including the Scottish Socialist Federation, for which he served as secretary after his brother. He was a founding member of the Irish Socialist Republican party in 1896.[1] [2]
In 1903 he immigrated to the United States. There he joined the Socialist Labor Party of America and the Socialist Party of America, as well as the Industrial Workers of the World, which he was a member of until his death.[3]
He returned to Ireland in 2010 and joined the Irish Transport and General Workers Union. In 1913 he played a leading role in the Dublin Lockout. During the 6 month long strike against William Martin Murphy's corporations the Irish Citizens Army was founded by James Connolly along with fellow Irish Socialist James Larkin. The Irish Citizens army was a militant republican and Socialist group.[4]
Easter Rising
James Connolly played a leading role in the 1916 Easter Rising from April 24-29. He signed the Proclamation of the Irish Republic which declared the start of the rising and was declared vice-president of the Irish Republic. The Irish Citizens Army, which Connolly led, was one of the groups participating in the rising. On April 27 he was seriously injured while commanding a garrison.
Along with most leaders of the rising Connolly was executed in the aftermath of the Easter Rising. Shortly before his death he reconverted to Catholicism, which he had abandoned as a young man. On May 12th he was taken from a military hospital in Dublin Castle, where he was being treated for his wounds, to Kilmainham Gaol. Here, as he was unable to stand, he was tied to a chair in the prison yard and shot by British soldiers, the final leader of the rising to be executed.[5] His last statement read in part,
"We went out to break the connection between this country and the British Empire, and to establish an Irish Republic. We believed that the call we then issued to the people of Ireland, was a nobler call, in a holier cause, than any call issued to them during this war, having any connection with the war. We succeeded in proving that Irishmen are ready to die endeavouring to win for Ireland those national rights which the British Government has been asking them to die to win for Belgium. As long as that remains the case, the cause of Irish freedom is safe.
Believing that the British Government has no right in Ireland, never had any right in Ireland, and never can have any right in Ireland, the presence, in any one generation of Irishmen, of even a respectable minority, ready to die to affirm that truth, makes that Government for ever a usurpation and a crime against human progress.
I personally thank God that I have lived to see the day when thousands of Irish men and boys, and hundreds of Irish women and girls, were ready to affirm that truth, and to attest it with their lives if need be."[6]
Beliefs
In addition to being a Socialist Irish Republican, James Connolly held many strong beliefs. He was a staunch trade-unionist,[7] a supporter of the universal language Esperanto,[8] and a Feminist.[9]
Legacy
Posthumously James Connolly has become a symbol of Irish Socialist Republicanism, often being included in the Heads of Marxism-Leninism in Irish propaganda alongside Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels and Vladimir Lenin (and depending on ideological leanings Joseph Stalin and Mao Zedong). Images of James Connolly are used in this vain by several Communist and Socialist groups, most notably the Communist Party of Ireland and its youth wing the Connolly Youth Movement which is named in his honor.
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "James Connolly". Multitext Project in Irish History.
- ↑ D'Arcy, Fergus A.. "Connolly, James" Dictionary of Irish Biography.
- ↑ CONOR MCCARTHY (2016-12-5). "James Connolly in America" Jacobin.
- ↑ "The Dublin 1913 Lockout". History Ireland.
- ↑ "James Connolly". BBC.
- ↑ "Last Statement of James Connolly". Sinn Fein.
- ↑ James Connolly (1910). Industrialism and the Trade Unions. International Socialist Review. [MIA]
- ↑ KEN KEABLE (2001-6-28). "James Connolly and Esperanto" An Poblacht.
- ↑ BERNADETTE KELLY (2003-7). "James Connolly: Irish rebel and feminist firebrand" Freedom Socialist Party.