The Limerick Soviet

Manchester communist Richard Mackey tells us about an almost forgotten slice of history: the Limerick Soviet; the two weeks in April 1919 when 15,000 workers seized control of the city, drawing inspiration from the recent events in the Soviet Union, and the formation of Soviets with Germany following the Great War.

Early in April 2019, the IRA had made an attempt to free a hunger striker Robert Byrne, who had lost his job as a telegraph operator because of his trade union activities. Byrne was being held by the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC). During the liberation attempt, an RIC Constable was wounded and later died, as did Byrne himself.

Protests about the treatment of Byrne happened around the city on 9th April, and as a result, the British Army announced that the city would undergo a lock down, imposing martial law, and requiring permits for anyone wanting to enter or leave. In response to this, on 11th April, several workers unions met and proposed to take control of the Town Hall, to have meetings there. On 12th April, a strike was called in a factory in Lansdowne, a district in Limerick. Following this, on Sunday 13th April, a general strike was called by the United Trades and Labour Council. The strikers declared themselves a Soviet on the 14th April.

Committees were set up to organise food and other supplies, and they even created their own banknotes, containing the words ‘General Strike against British Militarism 1919’. In justifying the strike, one of the leaders, John Cronin, said that as workers, they refused to consent to the need for ‘permits to earn our daily bread’.

Press coverage of the Soviet was helped by an early Transatlantic Flight being attempted from the city, with the striking workers agreeing to allow the passage fuel for the attempt.

The workers continued to their jobs in factories processing meat and to bakeries, with permits being issued to buy other essential supplies such as coal and butter. Food prices were strictly controlled, and severe measures were put in place to prevent profiteering.

After two weeks, the committee passed a resolution that called for a return to work. Early in May, the proclamation of the special military area was withdrawn by the British Army, which resulted in their withdrawal of permits for travel into and out of the city.

Join the Manchester Communists on Sunday 28th March at 4.30 for a talk by Donal Fallon, a Radical Dublin Historian, which promises to be a fascinating insight into this revolutionary part of Irish history.

Keep an eye on our social media pages for details of how to sign up.