The Communist Party of Ireland (CPI; ga, Páirtí Cumannach na hÉireann) is an
all-Ireland
All-Ireland (sometimes All-Island) refers to all of Ireland, as opposed to the separate jurisdictions of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. "All-Ireland" is most frequently used to refer to sporting teams or events for the entire islan ...
Marxist–Leninist
Marxism is a left-wing to far-left method of socioeconomic analysis that uses a materialist interpretation of historical development, better known as historical materialism, to understand class relations and social conflict and a dialect ...
communist party
A communist party is a political party that seeks to realize the socio-economic goals of communism. The term ''communist party'' was popularized by the title of ''The Manifesto of the Communist Party'' (1848) by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. A ...
, founded in 1933 and re-founded in 1970. It rarely contests elections and has never had electoral success. The party is a member of the
International Meeting of Communist and Workers' Parties
The International Meeting of Communist and Workers' Parties (IMCWP) is an annual conference attended by communist and workers' parties from several countries. It originated in 1998 when the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) invited communist a ...
.
Originating as multiple
Revolutionary Workers' Groups
Revolutionary Workers' Groups (RWG) were left wing groups in Ireland officially founded in 1930 with the objective of creating a Revolutionary Workers' Party. Formed initially as the ''Preparatory Committee for the Formation of a Workers’ Rev ...
, located at Connolly House in
Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...
, the most prominent early member was
James Larkin Jnr
James Larkin Jnr (20 August 1904 – 18 February 1969) was an Irish Labour Party politician and trade union official.
He was born in Liverpool, England, the eldest of four sons of James Larkin, trade union leader, and Elizabeth Larkin (née ...
(son of
James Larkin
James Larkin (28 January 1874 – 30 January 1947), sometimes known as Jim Larkin or Big Jim, was an Irish republican, socialist and trade union leader. He was one of the founders of the Irish Labour Party along with James Connolly and Willia ...
). After being outlawed under the government of
W. T. Cosgrave
William Thomas Cosgrave (5 June 1880 – 16 November 1965) was an Irish Fine Gael politician who served as the president of the Executive Council of the Irish Free State from 1922 to 1932, leader of the Opposition in both the Free State and Ir ...
in 1931 (as part of a wider crackdown on
Peadar O'Donnell
Peadar O'Donnell ( ga, Peadar Ó Domhnaill; 22 February 1893 – 13 May 1986) was one of the foremost radicals of 20th-century Ireland. O'Donnell became prominent as an Irish republican, socialist activist, politician and writer.
Early life
Pe ...
's
Saor Éire
Saor Éire (; meaning 'Free Ireland') was a far-left political organisation established in September 1931 by communist-leaning members of the Irish Republican Army, with the backing of the IRA leadership. Notable among its founders was Peadar ...
and the
IRA
Ira or IRA may refer to:
*Ira (name), a Hebrew, Sanskrit, Russian or Finnish language personal name
*Ira (surname), a rare Estonian and some other language family name
*Iran, UNDP code IRA
Law
*Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, US, on status of ...
), it was legalised in 1932 under
Éamon de Valera
Éamon de Valera (, ; first registered as George de Valero; changed some time before 1901 to Edward de Valera; 14 October 1882 – 29 August 1975) was a prominent Irish statesman and political leader. He served several terms as head of governm ...
's government and subsequently changed its name to the Communist Party of Ireland in 1933 under
Seán Murray, who had attended the
Lenin School
The International Lenin School (ILS) was an official training school operated in Moscow, Soviet Union, by the Communist International from May 1926 to 1938. It was resumed after the Second World War and run by the Communist Party of the Soviet Unio ...
in Moscow.
A strong anti-communist public backlash in Ireland occurred around the time of the
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, lin ...
due to the perception that the
Popular Front
A popular front is "any coalition of working-class and middle-class parties", including liberal and social democratic ones, "united for the defense of democratic forms" against "a presumed Fascist assault".
More generally, it is "a coalition ...
cause was anti-Catholic. The already small CPI found it very difficult to organise. Nevertheless, some CPI members fought in the conflict, alongside
Republican Congress
The Republican Congress ( ga, An Chomhdháil Phoblachtach) was an Irish republican and Marxist-Leninist political organisation founded in 1934, when pro-communist republicans left the Anti-Treaty Irish Republican Army. The Congress was led by ...
members, under the
XV International Brigade
The Abraham Lincoln Brigade ( es, Brigada Abraham Lincoln), officially the XV International Brigade (''XV Brigada Internacional''), was a mixed brigade that fought for the Spanish Republic in the Spanish Civil War as a part of the Internation ...
.
Some Irish communists opposed Ireland being brought into the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
and particularly opposed conscription into the
British Armed Forces
The British Armed Forces, also known as His Majesty's Armed Forces, are the military forces responsible for the defence of the United Kingdom, its Overseas Territories and the Crown Dependencies. They also promote the UK's wider interests, s ...
being applied to
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
in the conflict. Some members were held in
Curragh Camp
The Curragh Camp ( ga, Campa an Churraigh) is an army base and military college in The Curragh, County Kildare, Ireland. It is the main training centre for the Irish Defence Forces and is home to 2,000 military personnel.
History
Longstanding ...
by the government during
the Emergency, including the CPI's future General Secretary,
Michael O'Riordan
Michael O'Riordan ( ga, Mícheál Ó Ríordáin; 12 November 1917 – 18 May 2006) was the founder of the Communist Party of Ireland (3rd) and also fought with the Connolly Column in the International Brigades during the Spanish Civil War.
Ea ...
. Following the entry of the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
into
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
in 1941, the party dissolved itself and instructed members to join the
Irish Labour Party
The Labour Party ( ga, Páirtí an Lucht Oibre, literally "Party of the Working People") is a centre-left and social-democratic political party in the Republic of Ireland. Founded on 28 May 1912 in Clonmel, County Tipperary, by James Connolly, ...
.
In 1970, the
Irish Workers' Party and the
Communist Party of Northern Ireland
The Communist Party of Northern Ireland was a small communist party operating in Northern Ireland. The party merged with the Irish Workers' Party in 1970 to form the reunited Communist Party of Ireland.
Formation
The party originated in the 1 ...
merged into a reunited Communist Party of Ireland. Throughout the period of the
Cold War
The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...
, the CPI openly aligned with the Soviet Union. During
the Troubles
The Troubles ( ga, Na Trioblóidí) were an ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland that lasted about 30 years from the late 1960s to 1998. Also known internationally as the Northern Ireland conflict, it is sometimes described as an " ...
, the party procured some arms for the faction which became the
Official IRA
The Official Irish Republican Army or Official IRA (OIRA; ) was an Irish republican paramilitary group whose goal was to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and create a "workers' republic" encompassing all of Ireland. It emerged ...
. The party closely supported the
Cuban Revolution
The Cuban Revolution ( es, Revolución Cubana) was carried out after the 1952 Cuban coup d'état which placed Fulgencio Batista as head of state and the failed mass strike in opposition that followed. After failing to contest Batista in cou ...
and campaigns such as the
Birmingham Six
The Birmingham Six were six Irishmen who were each sentenced to life imprisonment in 1975 following their false convictions for the 1974 Birmingham pub bombings. Their convictions were declared unsafe and unsatisfactory and quashed by the C ...
. Minor splits from the CPI included the Eurocommunist-inspired
Irish Marxist Society.
History
Background
The earliest attempt to form a
communist
Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a s ...
political party in Ireland was a result of the
Socialist Party of Ireland, founded by
James Connolly
James Connolly ( ga, Séamas Ó Conghaile; 5 June 1868 – 12 May 1916) was an Irish republican, socialist and trade union leader. Born to Irish parents in the Cowgate area of Edinburgh, Scotland, Connolly left school for working life at the a ...
, changing its name to the Communist Party of Ireland and affiliating with the
Communist International
The Communist International (Comintern), also known as the Third International, was a Soviet-controlled international organization founded in 1919 that advocated world communism. The Comintern resolved at its Second Congress to "struggle by a ...
in 1921. This organisation was relatively small and included among its ranks figures such as
Roddy Connolly
Roderick James Connolly (11 February 1901 – 16 December 1980) was a socialist politician in Ireland. He was also known as "Roddy Connolly" and "Rory Connolly".
Biography
The son of Irish socialist James Connolly and Lillie Connolly. A lieuten ...
and
Nora Connolly O'Brien
Nora Connolly O'Brien (14 November 1893 – 17 June 1981) was an Irish politician, activist and writer. She was a member of Seanad Éireann from 1957 to 1969.
Early life
Nora Connolly was the daughter of Irish republican and socialist leader J ...
(children of James Connolly, who was killed in the aftermath of the
Easter Rising
The Easter Rising ( ga, Éirí Amach na Cásca), also known as the Easter Rebellion, was an armed insurrection in Ireland during Easter Week in April 1916. The Rising was launched by Irish republicans against British rule in Ireland with the a ...
), as well as writers
Liam O'Flaherty
Liam O'Flaherty ( ; 28 August 1896 – 7 September 1984) was an Irish novelist and short-story writer, and one of the foremost socialist writers in the first part of the 20th century, writing about the common people's experience and from their ...
and
Peadar O'Donnell
Peadar O'Donnell ( ga, Peadar Ó Domhnaill; 22 February 1893 – 13 May 1986) was one of the foremost radicals of 20th-century Ireland. O'Donnell became prominent as an Irish republican, socialist activist, politician and writer.
Early life
Pe ...
. In practice, this organisation was heavily allied to the
anti-Treaty IRA
The 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty ( ga , An Conradh Angla-Éireannach), commonly known in Ireland as The Treaty and officially the Articles of Agreement for a Treaty Between Great Britain and Ireland, was an agreement between the government of the ...
but distinguished itself by calling for a
workers' republic
A socialist state, socialist republic, or socialist country, sometimes referred to as a workers' state or workers' republic, is a sovereign state constitutionally dedicated to the establishment of socialism. The term ''communist state'' is oft ...
. It had one elected TD,
Patrick Gaffney, who switched from the
Irish Labour Party
The Labour Party ( ga, Páirtí an Lucht Oibre, literally "Party of the Working People") is a centre-left and social-democratic political party in the Republic of Ireland. Founded on 28 May 1912 in Clonmel, County Tipperary, by James Connolly, ...
.
This earlier group disbanded in 1923 and joined the
Irish Worker League
The Irish Worker League was an Irish communist party, established in September 1923 by Jim Larkin, following his return to Ireland. Larkin re-established the newspaper '' The Irish Worker''. The Irish Worker League (IWL) superseded the first ...
founded by
James Larkin
James Larkin (28 January 1874 – 30 January 1947), sometimes known as Jim Larkin or Big Jim, was an Irish republican, socialist and trade union leader. He was one of the founders of the Irish Labour Party along with James Connolly and Willia ...
as the Irish representative of Comintern (along with Larkin's
Workers' Union of Ireland
The Workers' Union of Ireland (WUI), later the Federated Workers' Union of Ireland, was an Irish trade union formed in 1924. In 1990, it merged with the Irish Transport and General Workers Union to form the Services, Industrial, Professional and ...
). Larkin broke off his affiliation with Comintern in 1928 after a period of private disillusionment with the Soviet Union. The Connolly siblings attempted to set up a replacement, the ''Revolutionary Workers' and Working Farmers' Party'', but this lasted barely a month. Activists associated with
James Larkin Jnr
James Larkin Jnr (20 August 1904 – 18 February 1969) was an Irish Labour Party politician and trade union official.
He was born in Liverpool, England, the eldest of four sons of James Larkin, trade union leader, and Elizabeth Larkin (née ...
(who had attended the
Lenin School
The International Lenin School (ILS) was an official training school operated in Moscow, Soviet Union, by the Communist International from May 1926 to 1938. It was resumed after the Second World War and run by the Communist Party of the Soviet Unio ...
in Moscow) founded the
Revolutionary Workers' Groups
Revolutionary Workers' Groups (RWG) were left wing groups in Ireland officially founded in 1930 with the objective of creating a Revolutionary Workers' Party. Formed initially as the ''Preparatory Committee for the Formation of a Workers’ Rev ...
in 1930 with their ''
The Irish Workers' Voice
''The Irish Worker's Voice'' is an official newspaper of the Communist Party of Ireland
The Communist Party of Ireland (CPI; ga, Páirtí Cumannach na hÉireann) is an all-Ireland Marxist–Leninist communist party, founded in 1933 and r ...
'' (distinguished from Larkin Snr's ''
The Irish Worker
''The Irish Worker'' was a newspaper produced by James Larkin, initially edited by Larkin and published in 1911 as ''The Irish Worker and Peoples' Advocate'', it was suppressed in August 1914. James Connolly edited the paper when Larkin was in ja ...
'') to fully replace the first Communist Party of Ireland.
Early years
The original CPI was founded in 1933 by the
Revolutionary Workers' Groups
Revolutionary Workers' Groups (RWG) were left wing groups in Ireland officially founded in 1930 with the objective of creating a Revolutionary Workers' Party. Formed initially as the ''Preparatory Committee for the Formation of a Workers’ Rev ...
. As the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
switched to the side of
the Allies in the war after the
German invasion in 1941, this proved even more difficult, and the party split; the Protestant-dominated
Communist Party of Northern Ireland
The Communist Party of Northern Ireland was a small communist party operating in Northern Ireland. The party merged with the Irish Workers' Party in 1970 to form the reunited Communist Party of Ireland.
Formation
The party originated in the 1 ...
became a separate body, and the party in the Irish Republic suspended its activities and entered the
Irish Labour Party
The Labour Party ( ga, Páirtí an Lucht Oibre, literally "Party of the Working People") is a centre-left and social-democratic political party in the Republic of Ireland. Founded on 28 May 1912 in Clonmel, County Tipperary, by James Connolly, ...
(before being expelled and forming the
Irish Workers' League
The Irish Workers' League (1948–1962) and Irish Workers' Party (1962–1970) were names used by the communist party in the Republic of Ireland.
Background
The Southern section of the Communist Party of Ireland had suspended its activities from ...
).
In the first half of the 20th century, the Communist Party failed to gain any traction. The party provided most of the Irish volunteers on the government side in the 1936–39
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, lin ...
, losing members who were killed in action. The Communist Party of Ireland was involved in establishing the
Republican Congress
The Republican Congress ( ga, An Chomhdháil Phoblachtach) was an Irish republican and Marxist-Leninist political organisation founded in 1934, when pro-communist republicans left the Anti-Treaty Irish Republican Army. The Congress was led by ...
in 1934, bringing communists, republicans, trade unionists and tenants' organisations together.
Following the entry of the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
into
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, the Communist Party of Ireland in the Republic of Ireland disbanded, with its member instructed to join the Labour Party en masse, with
Jim Larkin
James Larkin (28 January 1874 – 30 January 1947), sometimes known as Jim Larkin or Big Jim, was an Irish republican, socialist and trade union leader. He was one of the founders of the Irish Labour Party along with James Connolly and Willia ...
mostly notably taking the lead.
The party was revived in one form in the Republic in 1948 under the name
Irish Workers' League
The Irish Workers' League (1948–1962) and Irish Workers' Party (1962–1970) were names used by the communist party in the Republic of Ireland.
Background
The Southern section of the Communist Party of Ireland had suspended its activities from ...
, which changed its name in 1962 to the
Irish Workers' Party. In the mid-1960s, the
U.S. State Department estimated the party membership to be approximately 100.
1970s and 1980s
The Communist Party of Ireland re-formed in 1970.
Historically, the party belonged to the wing of international communism that looked to the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
for inspiration. In the late 1960s, some IWP members (notably
Michael O'Riordan
Michael O'Riordan ( ga, Mícheál Ó Ríordáin; 12 November 1917 – 18 May 2006) was the founder of the Communist Party of Ireland (3rd) and also fought with the Connolly Column in the International Brigades during the Spanish Civil War.
Ea ...
) became active in the
Dublin Housing Action Committee
The Dublin Housing Action Committee (DHAC) was a 1960s protest group formed in response to housing shortages in Dublin, Ireland's capital city. It quickly moved to direct action and successfully squatted buildings to oppose redevelopment plans.
...
. The IWP also condemned the
Soviet Invasion of Czechoslovakia
The Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia refers to the events of 20–21 August 1968, when the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic was jointly invaded by four Warsaw Pact countries: the Soviet Union, the Polish People's Republic, the People's Rep ...
, although O'Riordan was opposed to this position. In March 1970, following the CPNI/IWP merger, the new Communist Party of Ireland issued a manifesto called ''For Unity and Socialism'', advocating the election of left-wing governments in both parts of Ireland, and, eventually, the creation of a
United Ireland
United Ireland, also referred to as Irish reunification, is the proposition that all of Ireland should be a single sovereign state. At present, the island is divided politically; the sovereign Republic of Ireland has jurisdiction over the maj ...
.
One notable split from the CPI was the
Eurocommunist
Eurocommunism, also referred to as democratic communism or neocommunism, was a trend in the 1970s and 1980s within various Western European communist parties which said they had developed a theory and practice of social transformation more rele ...
group the
Irish Marxist Society, which left the CPI around 1976. The IMS was founded by Joe Deasy (1922–2013),
Sam Nolan
Sam Nolan (born 1930) is the secretary of the Dublin Council of Trade Unions and a political activist.
Biography
Born in Dublin, Nolan became active in the Irish Workers' League soon after World War II, and was a member of its executive commit ...
(1930-), Paddy Carmody, George Jeffares, Mick O'Reilly (1946-) and other former CPI members. The IMS advocated
Marxist feminism
Marxist feminism is a philosophical variant of feminism that incorporates and extends Marxist theory. Marxist feminism analyzes the ways in which women are exploited through capitalism and the individual ownership of private property. According ...
and was also outspoken in its rejection of the
Two Nations Theory of Northern Ireland. Most of the IMS's members later joined the Irish
Labour Party, where they played a leading role in the formation of Labour Left.
The CPI strongly criticised the
Anglo-Irish Agreement
The Anglo-Irish Agreement was a 1985 treaty between the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland which aimed to help bring an end to the Troubles in Northern Ireland. The treaty gave the Irish government an advisory role in Northern Irela ...
, claiming the AIA "underlined Partition and gave Britain a direct say in the affairs of the Republic". In the 1980s, its membership declined significantly during the electoral rise of the
Workers' Party of Ireland
The Workers' Party ( ga, Páirtí na nOibrithe) is a Marxist–Leninist political party active in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
It arose as the original Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, but took ...
and this trend continued after the
dissolution of the Soviet Union
The dissolution of the Soviet Union, also negatively connoted as rus, Разва́л Сове́тского Сою́за, r=Razvál Sovétskogo Soyúza, ''Ruining of the Soviet Union''. was the process of internal disintegration within the Sov ...
. The party's aim is to win the support of the majority of the Irish people for ending the
capitalist
Capitalism is an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and their operation for profit. Central characteristics of capitalism include capital accumulation, competitive markets, price system, priva ...
system and for building
socialism
Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the e ...
. It is actively opposed to
neo-liberalism
Neoliberalism (also neo-liberalism) is a term used to signify the late 20th century political reappearance of 19th-century ideas associated with free-market capitalism after it fell into decline following the Second World War. A prominent fa ...
and to the
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...
.
Autobiographical accounts of the party in this period have been written by Mick O'Reilly,
Helena Sheehan
Helena Sheehan is an academic philosopher, historian of science, philosophy, culture and politics. Sheehan is Professor Emeritus at Dublin City University, where she taught media studies and history of ideas in the School of Communications. She wa ...
and Kevin McMahon.
2010s and 2020s
The party stood two candidates in the
2014 local elections, neither was elected. The CPI fielded one candidate for the
2016 Dáil Éireann election for the
Cork North-West constituency.
In January 2021, the
Connolly Youth Movement dropped its support for the programme of the CPI. In February, the CPI issued a statement stating that several dual (CPI-CYM) members had been expelled for severe breaches of discipline and factional behaviour within the CPI prior to the CYM's decision to drop its support for the programme of the CPI.
On 2 June 2021, the CPI released a statement distancing itself from its former Belfast branch due to the actions of former party members in the city. The statement also announced the founding of a new Greater Belfast branch to replace the Belfast branch and noted that the branch's social media pages and ''Unity'' newspaper were still in the hands of the former members of the Belfast branch.
The CPI took an anti-Ukrainian Government position during the
Russo-Ukrainian War
The Russo-Ukrainian War; uk, російсько-українська війна, rosiisko-ukrainska viina. has been ongoing between Russia (alongside Russian separatist forces in Donbas, Russian separatists in Ukraine) and Ukraine since Feb ...
. It said the 2014
Ukrainian Revolution was a US-backed "
coup", and also that the cause of the conflict was "the expansion of NATO by establishing large bases of troops and mass destructive weapons along
ussia’swestern and southern borders.”.
When it was announced the
Irish Defence Forces would train Ukraine's military in
mine clearing
Demining or mine clearance is the process of removing land mines from an area. In military operations, the object is to rapidly clear a path through a minefield, and this is often done with devices such as mine plows and blast waves. By contr ...
, the CPI condemned this as "collaboration of the Irish political establishment in the NATO-EU strategy to escalate and prolong the war in Ukraine".
Organisation and activity
The general secretary of the party is Eugene McCartan. The CPI publishes a monthly magazine called ''
Socialist Voice
''Socialist Voice'' is the official newspaper of the Communist Party of Ireland (CPI). The paper is published monthly and is also available online. It provides an analysis of political events as well as including historic pieces, book and fil ...
''. There are also branches in
Cork
Cork or CORK may refer to:
Materials
* Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product
** Cork (plug), a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container
***Wine cork
Places Ireland
* Cork (city)
** Metropolitan Cork, also known as G ...
,
Galway
Galway ( ; ga, Gaillimh, ) is a City status in Ireland, city in the West Region, Ireland, West of Ireland, in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht, which is the county town of County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lo ...
,
Munster
Munster ( gle, an Mhumhain or ) is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the south of Ireland. In early Ireland, the Kingdom of Munster was one of the kingdoms of Gaelic Ireland ruled by a "king of over-kings" ( ga, rí ruirech). Following the ...
, and Mid-
Ulster
Ulster (; ga, Ulaidh or ''Cúige Uladh'' ; sco, label= Ulster Scots, Ulstèr or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional Irish provinces. It is made up of nine counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United King ...
.
While it is a registered party, the CPI has rarely run candidates in elections and has never had electoral success. The CPI operates a bookshop in
Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...
called Connolly Books, which is named after the Irish socialist
James Connolly
James Connolly ( ga, Séamas Ó Conghaile; 5 June 1868 – 12 May 1916) was an Irish republican, socialist and trade union leader. Born to Irish parents in the Cowgate area of Edinburgh, Scotland, Connolly left school for working life at the a ...
.
The party and its members are prominent in a number of campaigns such as advocating a "No" vote in the
Lisbon Treaty
The Treaty of Lisbon (initially known as the Reform Treaty) is an international agreement that amends the two treaties which form the constitutional basis of the European Union (EU). The Treaty of Lisbon, which was signed by the EU member sta ...
referendums. The party has also advocated a referendum on the
Irish bailout of banks. It also continues to oppose the
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...
and membership of the
euro
The euro ( symbol: €; code: EUR) is the official currency of 19 out of the member states of the European Union (EU). This group of states is known as the eurozone or, officially, the euro area, and includes about 340 million citizens . ...
currency. The CPI set up the Repudiate The Debt campaign to further this objective. The CPI is active in
Right2Water Ireland
Right2Water Ireland is a peaceful protest movement campaigning against Irish Water's introduction of water charges in Ireland.
Support and Opposition
Right2Water Ireland is supported by trade unions Unite the Union, the Communication Workers ...
and has called for a constitutional amendment to enshrine ownership of water in the hands of the Irish people and not the state. The party also supported the anti-war movement in Ireland as part of the
Peace and Neutrality Alliance
, image = Pana logo.gif
, formation = 1996
, type = NGO
, headquarters = 17 Castle Street, Dalkey, Co. Dublin, Ireland
, leader_title = Chairman
, leader_name = Roger Cole
, website www.pana.ie
Peace and Neutrali ...
. The CPI is heavily involved in campaigning groups such as the Trade Union Left Forum, Peadar O'Donnell Socialist Republican Forum, the Campaign For Public Housing and CATU Tenants Union. The party is recognised for its support of left wing and anti imperialist projects around the world. It has regular interaction with, and solidarity actions for countries such as Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Bolivia, Vietnam, and China.
In November 2017, the
Standards in Public Office Commission
The Standards in Public Office Commission (SIPO) ( ga, Coimisiún um Chaighdeáin in Oifigí Poiblí) is an independent body established in December 2001 by the Irish Government under the Standards in Public Office Act, 2001. It replaced the Public ...
stated that some statements of accounts had been received from the CPI, but they were found not to be compliant because the accounts were not audited. It decided against appointing a public auditor as the CPI did not receive any funding from the exchequer.
General secretaries
*1933–1941:
Sean Murray
*1941: Tommy Watters
*1970–1983:
Michael O'Riordan
Michael O'Riordan ( ga, Mícheál Ó Ríordáin; 12 November 1917 – 18 May 2006) was the founder of the Communist Party of Ireland (3rd) and also fought with the Connolly Column in the International Brigades during the Spanish Civil War.
Ea ...
*1984–2001:
Jimmy Stewart
James Maitland Stewart (May 20, 1908 – July 2, 1997) was an American actor and military pilot. Known for his distinctive drawl and everyman screen persona, Stewart's film career spanned 80 films from 1935 to 1991. With the strong morality h ...
*2002–present: Eugene McCartan
Chairpersons
* 1970–1983:
Andy Barr
* 1983–1989:
Michael O'Riordan
Michael O'Riordan ( ga, Mícheál Ó Ríordáin; 12 November 1917 – 18 May 2006) was the founder of the Communist Party of Ireland (3rd) and also fought with the Connolly Column in the International Brigades during the Spanish Civil War.
Ea ...
* 1989–2001: Eugene McCartan
* 2001–2004:
Jimmy Stewart
James Maitland Stewart (May 20, 1908 – July 2, 1997) was an American actor and military pilot. Known for his distinctive drawl and everyman screen persona, Stewart's film career spanned 80 films from 1935 to 1991. With the strong morality h ...
* 2004–2017: Lynda Walker
* 2018–2021: John Pinkerton
* 2021–present: Janelle McAteer
Timeline
* 1933 – Revolutionary Workers' Group disbanded and Communist Party of Ireland created
* 1941 – National Committee suspends independent activity and urges members to join the labour and trade union movements, members in
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
form the
Communist Party of Northern Ireland
The Communist Party of Northern Ireland was a small communist party operating in Northern Ireland. The party merged with the Irish Workers' Party in 1970 to form the reunited Communist Party of Ireland.
Formation
The party originated in the 1 ...
Matt Treacy
Matt Treacy is an Irish historian and writer. Treacy was a member of the Provisional IRA, and spent four years in Portlaoise Prison before being released under the Good Friday Agreement. He worked with a number of Sinn Féin politicians as an adv ...
, ''The Communist Party of Ireland 1921 - 2011'', pp.151-152
* 1948 –
Irish Workers' League
The Irish Workers' League (1948–1962) and Irish Workers' Party (1962–1970) were names used by the communist party in the Republic of Ireland.
Background
The Southern section of the Communist Party of Ireland had suspended its activities from ...
established
* 1962 – Irish Worker's League renamed
Irish Workers' Party
* 1970 – Irish Workers' Party and Communist Party of Northern Ireland merge to form the Communist Party of Ireland.
* 1976 – A number of members left to form the
Irish Marxist Society
* 2021 – CPI National Executive Committee votes to end CPI-
CYM dual membership
References
External links
*
Connolly Media Groupat
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
History of the Communist Movement in IrelandIrish Left Online Document Archive– Contains PDF documents of CPI material, with commentary
{{DEFAULTSORT:Communist Party of Ireland
All-Ireland political parties
Communist parties in Ireland
Communist parties in Northern Ireland
Far-left politics in Ireland
International Meeting of Communist and Workers Parties