Statement to mark the centenary of the establishment of the Irish Labour Party
Date: Sun 3rd Jun, 2012 | 15:56
At the annual meeting of the Irish Trades Union Congress in Clonmel 100 years ago today, James Connolly tabled the motion that resulted in the establishment of the Irish Labour Party. The forthcoming decade will mark the centenary of a number of major events in the history of this island. Among these various centenaries, the foundation of the Irish Labour Party is indeed worthy of commemoration and celebration.
The party founded by James Connolly, James Larkin and William X. O’Brien has played a significant role in the history of Ireland – both in terms of its contribution to parliamentary democracy and the establishment and consolidation of the trade union movement. While the primacy of the struggle for independence and the sentiment that “Labour must wait” may have retarded its progress in the early years of the State, in more recent decades the party has made a substantial impact on Irish politics.
The founders established the Labour Party in anticipation of a Home Rule parliament in Dublin and conscious that Ireland was on the cusp of great change. A century later, Ireland is again traversing a period of great change, with all the daunting challenges and the potential for positive transformation that this brings. In facing up to these challenges and opportunities, the social idealism and practical patriotism that motivated Connolly, Larkin and O’Brien is needed now more than ever.
I salute the positive achievements of the Labour Party over the last century, commend its former and current members for their commitment to democratic politics and encourage them, as I do all members of all political parties, to maintain and renew their idealism and sense of public service in pursuit of the best interests of all our citizens.