Communist Party of Ireland
Communist Party of Ireland | |
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Abbreviation | CPI |
Chairperson | Ciara Ní Mhaoilfhinn |
General Secretary | Jimmy Corcoran |
Founded |
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Preceded by | Revolutionary Workers' Groups |
Headquarters | 43 East Essex Street, Dublin 2, Ireland |
Newspaper | Socialist Voice |
Ideology | |
International affiliation | IMCWP |
Party flag | |
Website | |
communistparty | |
Part of a series on |
Communist parties |
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The Communist Party of Ireland (CPI) is an
Originating as multiple
A strong anti-communist public backlash in Ireland occurred around the time of the Spanish Civil War due to the perception that the Popular Front cause was anti-Catholic. The already small CPI found it very difficult to organise. Nevertheless, some CPI members fought in the conflict, alongside Republican Congress members, under the XV International Brigade.
Some Irish communists opposed Ireland being brought into the
In 1970, the
History
Background
The earliest attempt to form a
This earlier group disbanded in 1923 and joined the
Early years
The original CPI was founded in 1933 by the Revolutionary Workers' Groups. As the Soviet Union switched to the side of the Allies in the war after the German invasion in 1941, this proved even more difficult, and the party split; the Protestant-dominated Communist Party of Northern Ireland became a separate body, and the party in the Irish Republic suspended its activities and entered the Irish Labour Party (before being expelled and forming the Irish Workers' League).
In the first half of the 20th century, the Communist Party failed to gain any traction. The party provided most of the Irish volunteers on the government side[1] in the 1936–39 Spanish Civil War, losing members who were killed in action. The Communist Party of Ireland was involved in establishing the Republican Congress in 1934, bringing communists, republicans, trade unionists and tenants' organisations together.[2]
Following the entry of the
The party was revived in one form in the Republic in 1948 under the name
1970s and 1980s
The Communist Party of Ireland re-formed in 1970.
Historically, the party belonged to the wing of international communism that looked to the Soviet Union for inspiration. In the late 1960s, some IWP members (notably Michael O'Riordan) became active in the Dublin Housing Action Committee. The IWP also condemned the Soviet Invasion of Czechoslovakia, although O'Riordan was opposed to this position.[5] In March 1970, following the CPNI/IWP merger, the new Communist Party of Ireland issued a manifesto called For Unity and Socialism, advocating the election of left-wing governments in both parts of Ireland, and, eventually, the creation of a United Ireland.[6]
One notable split from the CPI was the
The CPI strongly criticised the
Autobiographical accounts of the party in this period have been written by Mick O'Reilly,[13] Helena Sheehan[14] and Kevin McMahon.[15]
2010s and 2020s
The party stood two candidates in the 2014 local elections, neither was elected.[16] The CPI fielded one candidate for the 2016 Dáil Éireann election for the Cork North-West constituency.[17]
In January 2021, the Connolly Youth Movement dropped its support for the programme of the CPI.[18] In February, the CPI issued a statement stating that several dual (CPI-CYM) members had been expelled for severe breaches of discipline and factional behaviour within the CPI prior to the CYM's decision to drop its support for the programme of the CPI.[19]
On 2 June 2021, the CPI released a statement distancing itself from its former Belfast branch due to the actions of former party members in the city. The statement also announced the founding of a new
After
Organisation and activity
The general secretary of the party is Jimmy Corcoran. The CPI publishes a monthly magazine called .
While it is a registered party, the CPI has rarely run candidates in elections and has never had electoral success. The CPI operates a bookshop in Dublin called Connolly Books, which is named after the Irish socialist James Connolly.
The party and its members are prominent in a number of campaigns such as advocating a "No" vote in the
In November 2017, the Standards in Public Office Commission stated that some statements of accounts had been received from the CPI, but they were found not to be compliant because the accounts were not audited. It decided against appointing a public auditor as the CPI did not receive any funding from the exchequer.[29]
General secretaries
- 1933–1941: Sean Murray
- 1941: Tommy Watters
- 1970–1983: Michael O'Riordan
- 1984–2001: Jimmy Stewart
- 2002–2023: Eugene McCartan
- 2023–present: Jimmy Corcoran
Chairpersons
- 1970–1983: Andy Barr
- 1983–1989: Michael O'Riordan
- 1989–2001: Eugene McCartan
- 2001–2004: Jimmy Stewart
- 2004–2017: Lynda Walker
- 2018–2021: John Pinkerton
- 2021–2022: Janelle McAteer
- 2023–present: Ciara Ní Mhaoilfhinn
Timeline
- 1933 – Revolutionary Workers' Groups are disbanded and Communist Party of Ireland created
- 1941 – National Committee suspends independent activity and urges members to join the labour and trade union movements, members in Northern Ireland form the Communist Party of Northern Ireland[30]
- 1948 – Irish Workers' Leagueestablished
- 1962 – Irish Worker's League renamed Irish Workers' Party
- 1970 – Irish Workers' Party and Communist Party of Northern Ireland merge to form the Communist Party of Ireland.
- 1976 – A number of members left to form the Irish Marxist Society
- 2021 – CPI National Executive Committee votes to end CPI-CYM dual membership
References
- ^ [1][dead link]
- ^ "Communist Party of Ireland". Archived from the original on 23 February 2015. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
- ^ Alan Kinsella (8 June 2022). "Peadar Cowan and the Vanguard". The Others with Alan Kinsella (Podcast). Retrieved 14 June 2022.
- ^ Benjamin, Roger W.; Kautsky, John H. Communism and Economic Development, in the American Political Science Review, vol. 62, no. 1. (Mar. 1968), p. 122.
- ^ Communism in Modern Ireland: The Pursuit of the Workers' Republic since 1916, by Mike Milotte, Gill & Macmillan, Dublin 1984 (p. 241, 250-1).
- ^ Milotte, p. 281–282.
- ^ "With other former members he established the Irish Marxist Society. Eventually he returned to the Labour Party and remained a member until his death." Activist who made 'inspiring' contribution to Irish left Obituary of Joe Deasy, The Irish Times, 9 February 2013. Retrieved 4 March 2013.
- ^ What's on Today? Irish Times, 23 June 1976, (p. 19) advertises a speech by Naomi Wayne on "Marxist Feminism" on behalf of the IMS.
- ^ Encyclopedia of British and Irish Political Organizations by Peter Barberis, John McHugh and Mike Tyldesley. Continuum International Publishing Group, 2005 (p. 224–225).
- ^ Eagle or Cuckoo? The Story of the ATGWU in Ireland by Matt Merrigan. Matmer Publications, Ireland, 1989 (p. 316).
- ^ Kenny, Brian (2010). Sam Nolan: A Long March on the Left. Dublin: Personal History Publishing.
- ^ "Agreement attacked as imperialist", Jim Cusack, The Irish Times, 3 February 1986, p. 9
- ^ O'Reilly, Mick (2019). From Lucifer to Lazarus. Dublin: Lilliput Press.
- ^ Sheehan, Helena (2019). Navigating the Zeitgeist. New York: Monthly Review Press.
- ^ McMahon, Kevin (2017). Organiser. Dublin: SIPTU.
- ^ "Communist Party of Ireland / Páirtí Cumannach na hÉireann". www.communistpartyofireland.ie.
- ^ "ElectionsIreland.org: Party Candidates". electionsireland.org.
- ^ CYM Statement of Disaffiliation Connolly Youth Movement, www.cym.ie, January 18, 2021.
- ^ [2] Statement on CPI-CYM relations, February 9, 2021.
- ^ "Belfast Communist Party of Ireland Statement". 2 June 2021.
- ^ "LEFT SPLINTER GROUP SPLINTERS". The Phoenix. 16 December 2021. Retrieved 18 December 2021.
- ^ "End the war in Ukraine- Dismantle NATO". communistparty.ie.
- ^ a b "Irish communists say engagement in Ukraine threatens neutrality". Morning Star. 16 November 2022.
- ^ "Ireland set to provide training for Ukraine to clear Russian landmines". The Irish Times. 17 October 2022.
- ^ Conor McCabe, "Lisbon Treaty Referendum: A statement by the Communist Party of Ireland", 3 October 2009.
- ^ Communists call for referendum on non-payment of debt to 'foreign banksers', by Mary Minihan, Irish Times, Saturday, 5 March 2011
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 February 2015. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Communist Party of Ireland". Archived from the original on 23 February 2015. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
- ^ Burke, Ceimin (29 November 2017). "Nearly half of Ireland's political parties failed to submit accounts to watchdog". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 1 December 2017.
- ^ Matt Treacy, The Communist Party of Ireland 1921 - 2011, pp.151-152
External links
- Official website
- Connolly Media Group at YouTube
- History of the Communist Movement in Ireland
- The storming of CPI headquarters, Connolly House (1933)
- Irish Left Online Document Archive – Contains PDF documents of CPI material, with commentary
- "Reds na hÉireann" TV documentary exploring communism in Ireland until the fall of the Soviet Union.