JOURNAL OF THE IRISH LABOUR HISTORY SOCIETY

REMINISCENCE 119NotesThe above article is based on a series of interviews with Joe DeasyfromNovember, 1987 to May, 1988.I wish to thank Dee Guckianfor transcription and typing.1. See' Socialist Trade Unionist: Matt Merrigan's Political Fonnation', Saothar 12, 1987, pp. 95-6 for detailsof Dick Deasy.2. New Theatre Group was the only political, left wing group in Ireland in the 1940s and '50s. See I. Deasy,'Reviving the Memory: New Theatre' Movement', Labour HistoryNews. 3, Spring, 1987, pp. 3-5.3. The Communist Party in the Republic was dissolved in 1941. The IWL was fonned by old Party members in1948. SeeS.Nolan(ed),AnOutlineHistoryoftheCPI.(Dublin,1975)andM.Milotte,CommunisminModemIreland. (Dublin and New York, 1984).4. 'Clinkers' was an inferior fuel used as substitute for coal which was in short supply.5. The RCA was founded in Sheffield in May, 1897, affiliating to the TUC in 1903. It becatne the TSSA in 1951.For a brief outline see I. Eaton & C. Gill, The Trade Union Directory. (London. 1981), pp. 42-5. The RCAwas long an ITUC affiliate and was a founding member of the ICTU in 1959.6. See S. Cody, J. O'Dowd & P. Rigney, The Parliament of Labour. (Dublin, 1986), 'Rival Councils', pp. 194ff.7. Donal McGregor was a well known Labour Party activist in the 1940s. He was a member of the AdministrativeCouncil and, with people such as Sheila Greene, was an organiser for the Party's paper the Irish People.8. Clifford Odets was a celebrated American left wing playwright whose works included 'Waiting for Leftie'.9. McColum was manager of the Louis Dalton Players before becoming attached to the NTG.10. Esther McGregor was It well known communist activist in Inchicore. She ran as a candidate, to Deasy'smemory, on a Revolutionary Workers' Group ticket in 1930. She lost her son, Liatn, on the last day of theSpanish Civil War where he fought with the International Brigade.11. Dan Breen, Tipperary, had fought in the War of Independence, see his, My Fight for Irish Freedom, (Tralee,1964).12. Deasy was annoyed to find these public records unavailable. A TSSA colleague, Councillor Sean Kenny,Labour, was unable to track the source of the material despite official questions.13. IohnMcCann, FiannaFail, was later to become an Abbey playwright and is father of the actor, DonalMcCann.14. For discussion of the Wages Standstill Order see C. McCarthy, Trade Unions in Ireland, 1894-1960. (Dublin,1977) and Cody, O'Dowd, Rigney, op.cit .. pp. 190 ff.15. See Noel Browne, Against the Tide. (Dublin, 1986), p. 135.16. For reference to this sorry affair see S. Redmond, The Irish Municipal Employees' Trade Union. 1883 -1983,(Dublin, 1983), pp. 111-3.17. See S. Cody, 'May Day in Dublin, 1890 to the Present', Saothar 5. 1979, pp. 77-8.18. For what Deasy would not regard as a reliable source from a Labour Party perspective, see Noel Browne'srecent autobiography, op.cit.19. Tim Grahatn was Secretary, Inchicore Branch, Labour Party and associated with the Plough.20. Father Troy was Ballyfennot Parish Priest during the Co-op episode.21. Patrick GaJlagher, Paddy the Cope - My Story. (Tralee, 1979).COMMUNICATIONS UNION OF IRELANDAffiliated to Irish Congress of Trade Unions andPostal Telegraph & Telephone InternationalPRESIDENT: Con ScanIonGENERAL SECRETARY: Seamus de PaorHEAD OFFICE"Arus Ghaibreil"575-577 North Circular Riad, Dublin 1.