Irish Left Archive Podcast Irish Left Archive

In this episode we talk to anarchist activist Gregor Kerr about the Dublin Anarchist Bookfair.

The bookfair was first held in 2006 and organised by the Workers Solidarity Movement (WSM) and continued for a number of years. After a hiatus of a few years, the Irish Anarchist Network (IAN) and independent anarchists have come together to organise the fair for 2023, which will take place in the Teachers’ Club on Saturday 20th May.

Gregor Kerr is an anarchist activist and trade unionist who was involved with the WSM when the original anarchist bookfair started and is part of the group organising this years’ event. We discuss the panels and workshops taking place this year and the organisations and campaigns that will be taking part. We also discuss the history of the Dublin Anarchist Bookfair, how it helps to bring campaigns together and its role in campaigning and organising, and the orientation towards international anarchists and other parts of the broader left.

The bookfair is on Saturday 20th May 2023. You can find more details on the IAN website or follow on Instagram @anarchist_bookfair_dublin.

If you’re interested in anarchism in Ireland, we previously spoke to Aileen O’Carroll of the Workers Solidarity Movement in episode 31,Jason Brannigan of Organise! in episode 38, and to members of the Irish Anarchist Network a couple of months ago in episode 47.

In this episode we talk to Dublin City Council historian-in-residence Mary Muldowney about left approaches to history. Mary discusses her research and public dissemination of history; her advocacy of oral history and its particular utility in bringing out working class histories and history ‘from below’; attitudes to history in Irish academia and how they have changed; and some of the events of the left and trade union movements that merit greater analysis and recognition.

We previously spoke to Mary about her own political background and experience as an activist and trade unionist in episode 7 of the podcast.

Mary mentioned the Robert Tressell Festival, which is taking place in Liberty Hall on 6th May, and includes panels and talks on Tressell, his novel The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, and on contemporary organising, as well as music and drama. You can find out more on the website at tressellfestival.ie.

In this episode we speak to two members of the Irish Anarchist Network, Nestor and Saornil. The Irish Anarchist Network was formed in 2022 by a number of independent anarchists.

We discuss the formation and growth of the network and how they went about organising and structuring it; their orientation towards direct action and the balance between practical activism and theoretical discussion; their own individual backgrounds and attraction to anarchism; and contemporary issues in Irish society and approaches to the far-right.

You can find out more about the Irish Anarchist Network on their Instagram @irish_anarchist_network or Twitter @acrataireland.

Our guests also mentioned a trans squat in Dublin, which you can support by getting in touch on Instagram :@macabratz.

In this episode we talk to Mickey Moran. Mickey is a member of Éirígí and is the party’s representative for the midlands. He has been politically involved since his late teens, initially in activism in Limerick and Cork with animal rights, anti-war, anti-fascist and anti-globalisation campaigns. Moving to London in 2008, he was involved with the anti-fascist movement and then joined the Revolutionary Communist Group (RCG). He subsequently joined Éirígí and returned to Ireland where he has been active with the party since.

We discuss Mickey’s background and the left political scene in Limerick and Cork in the early 2000s; experiencing the European anti-fascist movement when playing gigs with a punk band in various countries; working with anti-fascists in London and countering the EDL; joining the RCG and what drew him to party organising; joining Éirígí and the politics and campaigns the party focuses on; and how Republicanism informs his politics.

This interview was recorded in November 2022.

In this episode we talk to academic and author Michael Flavin about his novel, One Small Step. Published by Vulpine Press, the novel tells the story of a young boy from a Northern Irish catholic background growing up in Birmingham in the 1970s and the impact of the 1974 Birmingham bombings. We discuss Michael’s own background, coming from an Irish family in Birmingham, which he drew on for the novel, and his research into the Troubles, which also led to publishing the academic article, “Four Typologies of Leadership Applied to a Survey of the Provisional IRA and Sinn Féin in the Troubles”.
Michael Flavin is a Senior Lecturer in Global Education at Kings College London. As well as his novel, his academic publications include two books on technology enhanced learning and two on nineteenth-century literature, as well as several articles, with a focus on Disruptive Innovation theory and the study of leadership.
One Small Step is available from Vulpine Press.
The article from Terrorism and Political Violence discussed in the episode is an open access publication and available to read here: “Four Typologies of Leadership Applied to a Survey of the Provisional IRA and Sinn Féin in the Troubles”

The Irish Left Archive Podcast looks at Left politics in Ireland, talking to activists, writers, historians, politicians and others involved in Left organisations and movements about their experiences of participating in Left parties and campaigns. The podcast is hosted by Ciarán Swan and Aonghus Storey.

View this episode on our website: #45: One Small Step, by Michael Flavin.

In this episode we talk to Vincent Doherty. Vincent has been politically active since the early 1970s, having grown up in Derry during the Civil Rights marches and outbreak of the Troubles. He joined the Official Republican movement in 1972 and was involved in Derry until moving to England in 1973. There he was briefly involved in the Socialist Labour League (SLL) before joining the International Marxist Group (IMG), and was centrally involved in the Troops Out Movement.
Returning to Ireland in 1979, he joined People’s Democracy (PD), which by that time was the fraternal organisation of the IMG through the Fourth International. As a PD member, he was heavily involved in the National H-Block/Armagh Committee. He stood as a general election candidate on the H-Block issue in 1981 in Dublin North Central. Having worked with Sinn Féin (SF) in the campaign, he argued PD should orientate towards SF, and eventually joined SF in 1982. Leaving SF in the late 1980s, he has subsequently been involved independently in campaigns and in Trade Unionism, for example as co-ordinator of Trade Union Friends of Palestine.
We discuss Vincent’s background in Derry and the events which led to his politicisation, his role in the Derry Republican movement and perspective on the Officials and the divisions which led to the formation of the IRSP; his work with the IMG and Troops Out Movement in England; his central role in the H-Blocks campaign during the 1981 hunger strikes; his move towards Sinn Féin and the influence of People’s Democracy; and his perspective on the contemporary left in Ireland.
This episode was recorded in October 2022.
Many thanks to Vincent for taking the time to talk to us, and for kindly providing some images of his political experience, which we have reproduced below.
An IRA Colour Party in Derry, Easter 1972. (Image reproduced with kind permission of Vincent Doherty).A Press Conference in Belfast the day after Bobby Sands funeral. (Image reproduced with kind permission of Vincent Doherty).
Vincent Doherty leaving Haughey's office with Liz O'Hara the day before Patsy O'Hara died during the Hunger Strikes. (Image reproduced with kind permission of Vincent Doherty).Vincent Doherty in Coyoacán, Mexico, where Trotsky was assassinated. (Image reproduced with kind permission of Vincent Doherty).
Vincent Doherty marching in opposition to the invasion of Iraq with Sinn Féin. (Image reproduced with kind permission of Vincent Doherty).Vincent Doherty on stage at the 50th Anniversary of Bloody Sunday. (Image reproduced with kind permission of Vincent Doherty).

The Irish Left Archive Podcast looks at Left politics in Ireland, talking to activists, writers, historians, politicians and others involved in Left organisations and movements about their experiences of participating in Left parties and campaigns. The podcast is hosted by Ciarán Swan and Aonghus Storey.

View this episode on our website: #44: Vincent Doherty: Offical Sinn Féin, International Marxist Group, Troops Out, People's Democracy, H-Block Committee, Sinn Féin.