Iris an Chumainn le Stair Lucht Saothair na hEireann Journal of the ...

REVIEWS
that John took any side before 1922, let him reassure you
himself. I quote from his section of the book.
'I was there (working in 10hnston
Mooneys in Ballsbridge) until the
Rebellion of April 1916, when of course I
had to cease work. The rebellion was quite
a surprise to me. My own strongest feeling
was one of disbelief that this could
happen. I had not expected a minority to
persist in their idea of an insurrection. It
did not seem credible'. (p. 61)
Of the Black and Tan War, John says:
Things were very bad economically, and
showed no signs of improving. We had the
Black and Tans here, the War of
Independence was in full spate. But these
events largely passed me by. The Treaty
period came and went and the Civil War
then struck us. My sympathies were with
Eamon de Valera and what they called the
Irregulars. I was not greatly touched by
this struggle however; I had matured more
in my political views and had become
definitely a Socialist'. (pp. 71-2)
The events that brought about the change from
happy, middle class schoolboy to mature socialist are
described by John: the failure of his father's business in
Drogheda, poverty in a tenement house in.Clanbrassil
Street in nublin, living on Larkin's food parcels and St
Vincent de Paul vouchers. There was unemployment or
part time work for himself and his father, a journey to
England where he was eventually conscripted as a noncombatant,
service at the Front as a cook, a shrapnel
wound and eventual discharge and return to Dublin.
There is much more of course, and this is the best section
of the book.
The section on, or by, Frank Edwards is fine also,
particularly where he relates his experience of the
Spanish Civil War. It is not quite clear whether this was
written by Frank Edwards or by Mr. MacEoin, but it is
certainly important. So also is the section by Peadar
O'Donnell. His description of the execution of Liam
Mellowes, Rory O'Connor, Dick McKelvey and Joe
Barret is poignant indeed, and it is good to see'him clear
up the question of the Cabinet meeting at which the
executions were decided on. Both Sean MacBride and
Nora Connolly O'Brien make contributions of
importance and great interest. A pity Nora Connolly did
not write even more about her mother and their family
life after 1916. .
This is an important book. All of the 'Survivors' who
were, or became, political have important things to tell
us. The others, the seekers after the 'Dream', have no
message for us today. Their dream has become for many
of us a nightmare.
Paddy Bergin
Note
1. John Swift, General Secretary of the Irish Bakers,
Confectioners and Allied Workers' Union from
1942 to 1967; President of the Irish Trade Union
Congress, 1946-7; President of the International
foodworkers' Union at Stockholm in 1964; founder
member and President of the ILHS,' 1973-8, and
since then its Honorary President.
Short Notices
D. Bleakley, Saidie Patterson: Irish Peacemaker,
(BlackstaffPress, Belfast, 1980) pp.118, £3.95.
This book attempts to chart Saidie Patterson's
contribution to various causes throughout her life, and
to convey her dedication to peacemaking which remains
undiluted even to-day. It is of interest to students of the
labour movement chiefly for its accounts' of such
episodes in Belfast working class history as the 1940
strike at Ewart's linen mill, and also for the description
offered of life in a working class community, in this case
the Shankill Road, during the early years of this century.
The book cannot really be called a biography. It is
more 'of an . autobiography and an exercise in oral
history, relying as it does on Saidie's personal
reminiscences. Much space is afforded to Saidie to tell
her own story with linking passages of narrative supplied
by Bleakley who is arguably too non-critical an admirer
for his subject's good. In the early chapters which deal
with life on the Shankill and the working conditions in
Ewart's mill, the formula works tolerably well, but as the
book progresses to topics such as the 1940 strike and the
fortunes of the Northern Ireland Labour Party (NILP)
after the war, it suffers from a dearth of critical comment
and analysis.
Bleakley's treatment of the Ewart's strike is very
sketchy and is too narrowly-focussed to allow the reader
to assess for himself or herself the role played by Saidie
and the scale of her achievement in organising the
women workers of the mill. Similarly, her activities in
the NILP after 1945 are highlighted to such a degree that
the events in which she probably played an important
part are badly distorted. In addition, Bleakley is
sometimes glib to the point of being misleading. In
regard to NILP strategy during the 1950s he sums up the
whole approach of the party in the term 'bridgebuilding',
with no acknowledgement that the NILP had
opted for a unionist stance on the constitution and that
Catholic support was drifting to Republican Labour
candidates as a consequence. In short, there is no
examination of the intricacies ofthe party's position and
tactics.
Saidie Patterson is a worthy subject of study for labour
historians but it has to be said that this book does her and
labour history something of a disservice.
Grabam Walker,
Mary Corbally, Diamond Memories, (Inner Ward
Pub.lications, North Centre City Community Action
Project, 20 Summerhill, Dublin 1, 1980), pp.36, £0.50.
Anyone interested in local history will enjoy Mary
Corbally's account of life as she remembers it in the
Dublin of her youth. She tells her story with warmth and
wit. Particularly funny are her descriptions of some of
the old Dublin cures and the uses to which they were put.
But in spite of its lighthearted tone there is a great deal of
sadness and regret expressed towards the end at the
changes which have taken place in her area. Not
everyone will agree with her assessment that these were
the 'good, good days' and that people were 'never
hungry' but perhaps in doing what she has done she will
encourage others to pass on what they have
experienced.
All credit is due to the NCCCAP and to the ITGWU
for their combined efforts in getting the pamphlet
printed.
Mairfn Mooney.
73