William O'Brien (23 January 1881 – 31 October 1968) was a politician and trade unionist in

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. While rarely dominating the political spotlight, O'Brien was incredibly powerful and influential behind the scenes, maintaining a firm grip over Ireland's trade unions for many decades. Besides his leadership in the trade unions, O'Brien was a founder, alongside

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 ...

and

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 ...

, of the Labour Party of Ireland. In later years a rift formed between Larkin and O'Brien that would last the rest of their lives and often divide the labour movement in Ireland.

Early life

O'Brien was born in Ballygurteen,

Clonakilty Clonakilty (; ), sometimes shortened to Clon, is a town in County Cork, Ireland. The town is located at the head of the tidal Clonakilty Bay. The rural hinterland is used mainly for dairy farming. The town's population as of 2016 was 4,592. Th ...

County Cork County Cork ( ga, Contae Chorcaí) is the largest and the southernmost county of Ireland, named after the city of Cork, the state's second-largest city. It is in the province of Munster and the Southern Region. Its largest market towns are ...

on 23 January 1881, and was christened as 'John William'. He was the fourth child and third son of Daniel O'Brien of

County Tipperary County Tipperary ( ga, Contae Thiobraid Árann) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Munster and the Southern Region. The county is named after the town of Tipperary, and was established in the early 13th century, shortly after th ...

and Mary O'Brien (née Butler) of

County Kilkenny County Kilkenny ( gle, Contae Chill Chainnigh) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster and is part of the South-East Region. It is named after the city of Kilkenny. Kilkenny County Council is the local authority for the cou ...

. His father Daniel, an Irish nationalist, devout Catholic, and Irish-language revivalist had been a member of the

Royal Irish Constabulary The Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC, ga, Constáblacht Ríoga na hÉireann; simply called the Irish Constabulary 1836–67) was the police force in Ireland from 1822 until 1922, when all of the country was part of the United Kingdom. A separate ...

before retiring at the rank of Head Constable and moving the family to Dublin in 1886. Upon moving to Dublin, O'Brien sought an occupation that could accommodate the fact he suffered from

club foot Clubfoot is a birth defect where one or both feet are rotated inward and downward. Congenital clubfoot is the most common congenital malformation of the foot with an incidence of 1 per 1000 births. In approximately 50% of cases, clubfoot aff ...

and became a

tailor A tailor is a person who makes or alters clothing, particularly in men's clothing. The Oxford English Dictionary dates the term to the thirteenth century. History Although clothing construction goes back to prehistory, there is evidence of ...

Career

Constructing the Irish Labour movement

It was not long after becoming involved in the tailor profession that O'Brien, like two of his brothers, became a trade union member, and from there he became involved in the

Irish Socialist Republican Party The Irish Socialist Republican Party was a small, but pivotal Ireland, Irish political party founded in 1896 by James Connolly. Its aim was to establish an Irish workers' republic. The party split in 1904 following months of internal political ...

(ISRP). O'Brien is described as "a very significant figure in the ISRP" by the historian of the ISRP, David Lynch. He was a member of the Socialist Party of Ireland, serving on its executive. In 1908, believing in the importance of organising unskilled labourers, he supported the leadership of James Larkin in the formation of the

Irish Transport and General Workers' Union The Irish Transport and General Workers Union (ITGWU), was a trade union representing workers, initially mainly labourers, in Ireland. History The union was founded by James Larkin in January 1909 as a general union. Initially drawing its mem ...

. Together, O'Brien, Larkin and Connolly established the Labour Party of Ireland in 1912, in their minds as the "political wing" of the Irish Trade Union Congress. The three men's leadership would also be instrumental in the

Dublin Lock-out The Dublin lock-out was a major industrial dispute between approximately 20,000 workers and 300 employers that took place in Ireland's capital and largest city, Dublin. The dispute, lasting from 26 August 1913 to 18 January 1914, is often vi ...

strike in 1913, quite possibly the most significant trade union action of its era.

Easter Rising

O'Brien was not a direct participant in the 1916

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 ...

, although he was highly active around Dublin as event unfolded. Possibly because of his club-foot, Connolly told O'Brien ''"go home now and stay there; you can be of no use now but may be of great service later on"''. Despite this, O'Brien visited the GPO on the second day of the fighting to converse with Connolly about the ongoing situation. It was at O'Brien's home that Connolly sent his son

Roddy Roddy is a surname and a masculine given name, often a short form of Roderick. People Given name * Roddy Beaubois (born 1988), French basketball player * Roddy Blackjack (c. 1927-2013), Canadian Chief of the Little Salmon/Carmacks First Nati ...

to stay. O'Brien also encountered and spoke to his friend Francis Sheehy-Skeffington during the events of the Rising, one day before the murder of Sheehy-Skeffington by British forces. Towards the end of Easter week, both O'Brien and Roddy were arrested by British forces, with O'Brien held under suspicion of being a "Sinn Féin leader". They were held in

Richmond Barracks Richmond Barracks was a British Army barracks in Inchicore, Dublin, Ireland. It is now a cultural centre. History The barracks, which were named after Charles Lennox, 4th Duke of Richmond, were completed in 1810 and first occupied by the Briti ...

Inchicore Inchicore () is a suburb of Dublin, Ireland. Located approximately west of the city centre, Inchicore was originally a small village separate from Dublin. The village developed around Richmond Barracks (built 1810) and Inchicore railway works (b ...

with most of the other captured rebel leaders such as

Thomas McDonagh Thomas Stanislaus MacDonagh ( ga, Tomás Anéislis Mac Donnchadha; 1 February 1878 – 3 May 1916) was an Irish political activist, poet, playwright, educationalist and revolutionary leader. He was one of the seven leaders of the Easter Rising ...

, Eamonn Ceannt and Major

John MacBride John MacBride (sometimes written John McBride; ga, Seán Mac Giolla Bhríde; 7 May 1868 – 5 May 1916) was an Irish republican and military leader. He was executed by the British government for his participation in the 1916 Easter R ...

. Eventually, O'Brien was sent to a prison in

Knutsford Knutsford () is a market town in the borough of Cheshire East, in Cheshire, England. Knutsford is south-west of Manchester, north-west of Macclesfield and 12.5 miles (20 km) south-east of Warrington. The population at the 2011 Census wa ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

while the other detainees were executed. He was not able to return to Ireland until July 1916 when a general amnesty was created. In the aftermath of the Rising, O'Brien was one of the few prominent labour leaders still remaining, with Connolly now dead and Larkin having departed for the United States in 1914 after the lockout.

Irish revolutionary period

A member of the Irish Neutrality League, and Anti-Conscription Committee, during the

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, O'Brien was interned on several occasions by the Dublin Castle government. During one of these instances, he stood in the 1920 Stockport by-election, but was refused a release to campaign in it. Upon the outbreak of the

Irish War of Independence The Irish War of Independence () or Anglo-Irish War was a guerrilla war fought in Ireland from 1919 to 1921 between the Irish Republican Army (IRA, the army of the Irish Republic) and British forces: the British Army, along with the quasi-mil ...

in 1920, ITGWU swole to its largest ever size and some considered the possibility that the Irish Revolution would take a similar path to the

Russian Revolution The Russian Revolution was a period of Political revolution (Trotskyism), political and social revolution that took place in the former Russian Empire which began during the First World War. This period saw Russia abolish its monarchy and ad ...

of 1917, with O'Brien playing the role of "an Irish

Lenin Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov. ( 1870 – 21 January 1924), better known as Vladimir Lenin,. was a Russian revolutionary, politician, and political theorist. He served as the first and founding head of government of Soviet Russia from 1917 to 19 ...

" but taking the revolution in a

Syndicalist Syndicalism is a revolutionary current within the left-wing of the labor movement that seeks to unionize workers according to industry and advance their demands through strikes with the eventual goal of gaining control over the means of pr ...

direction. O'Brien and the other leaders of the Labour Party came to believe that massive unionisation rather than electoral politics was where their focus should lay. They also did not wish to impede the Nationalists from establishing an Independent Ireland separate from the United Kingdom. Thus, O'Brien and the Labour Party did not contest the

1918 Irish general election The 1918 Irish general election was the part of the 1918 United Kingdom general election which took place in Ireland. It is now seen as a key moment in modern Irish history because it saw the overwhelming defeat of the moderate nationalist Iris ...

. They did, however, work together to draft the

Democratic Programme The Democratic Programme was a declaration of economic and social principles adopted by the First Dáil at its first meeting on 21 January 1919. A text of the programme was first adopted in Irish and then in English. Its official Irish title was ''C ...

, a document which had been intended to guide how the newly formed Irish state would operate. O'Brien and the Labour Party did not oppose the

Anglo-Irish Treaty 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 ...

. During the ensuing

Irish Civil War The Irish Civil War ( ga, Cogadh Cathartha na hÉireann; 28 June 1922 – 24 May 1923) was a conflict that followed the Irish War of Independence and accompanied the establishment of the Irish Free State, an entity independent from the United ...

between pro and anti-treaty forces, the Labour movement campaigned for peace between both sides but could not halt the violence.

Post-revolutionary period

With the formation of the

Irish Free State The Irish Free State ( ga, Saorstát Éireann, , ; 6 December 192229 December 1937) was a state established in December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty of December 1921. The treaty ended the three-year Irish War of Independence between ...

, O'Brien was elected as

Teachta Dála A Teachta Dála ( , ; plural ), abbreviated as TD (plural ''TDanna'' in Irish, TDs in English), is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas (the Irish Parliament). It is the equivalent of terms such as ''Member of Parli ...

(TD) for Dublin South at the 1922 general election. He lost his seat at the 1923 general election. In 1923 Larkin returned from the United States and attempted to resume command of the entire Irish labour movement despite a decade's absence and not being present for the revolutionary period. In response, O'Brien sought to limit the powers of the ITWGU general secretary position. Larkin would not stand for this measure and generated a split by creating his own general worker's union, the

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 ...

. This was the start of a long and terrible feud between O'Brien and Larkin that would ultimately see a decline in the influence of both unions, and Larkin generally kept out of the Labour Party. O'Brien was elected for the

Tipperary Tipperary is the name of: Places *County Tipperary, a county in Ireland **North Tipperary, a former administrative county based in Nenagh **South Tipperary, a former administrative county based in Clonmel *Tipperary (town), County Tipperary's na ...

constituency in June 1927, losing his seat in September 1927. He was elected again for Tipperary at the 1937 general election, and lost his seat at the 1938 general election. In 1930, O'Brien sought to have

Leon Trotsky Lev Davidovich Bronstein. ( – 21 August 1940), better known as Leon Trotsky; uk, link= no, Лев Давидович Троцький; also transliterated ''Lyev'', ''Trotski'', ''Trotskij'', ''Trockij'' and ''Trotzky''. (), was a Russian ...

granted asylum in Ireland, but the head of the Free State government,

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 ...

, refused to allow it. In 1944, there was an attempt made by Labour branches in Dublin to welcome Larkin back into the party. This resulted in accusations that the Labour Party was "being taken over by Communists". In response, O'Brien,

James Everett James Everett (14 February 1890 – 18 December 1967) was an Irish Labour Party politician who served as Minister for Justice from 1954 to 1957, Minister for Posts and Telegraphs from 1948 to 1951 and Leader of the National Labour Party from ...

and a number of followers broke away from Labour and formed the National Labour Party. The party would contest two general elections before reuniting with the Labour party in 1950. Ideologically, O'Brien was a

Reformist Reformism is a political doctrine advocating the reform of an existing system or institution instead of its abolition and replacement. Within the socialist movement, reformism is the view that gradual changes through existing institutions can ...

and

Democratic Socialist Democratic socialism is a left-wing political philosophy that supports political democracy and some form of a socially owned economy, with a particular emphasis on economic democracy, workplace democracy, and workers' self-management within ...

, believing that Irish socialists should bring about socialism via the ballot box, not through violence or direct action. Despite his Easter Rising links, he consistently avoided endorsing militancy as a tool of the labour movement in Ireland. This viewpoint contrasted strongly to the beliefs of Larkin and was partially why the two could not agree to co-operate. Only once did O'Brien seriously consider militancy; during the dawn of the

and fearing the worst, O'Brien and other Labour leaders turned towards the

Irish Citizen Army The Irish Citizen Army (), or ICA, was a small paramilitary group of trained trade union volunteers from the Irish Transport and General Workers' Union (ITGWU) established in Dublin for the defence of workers' demonstrations from the Dublin M ...

, proposing the concept of a "Workers' Army", of which the ICA would form the nucleus. However, this idea was rebuffed. O'Brien was once asked if was disappointed that the Irish electorate hadn't used their new parliamentary democracy to push for a stronger socialist presence, O'Brien reaffirmed his view by stating: {{Cquote, quote=It is not for me or anybody else to determine how the people should exercise their democratic and constitutional rights. The main thing is that they should have these rights. How they use them is for them to decide.{{cite journal, last=Mitchell, A., date=2019, title=William O'Brien, 1881–1968, and the Irish Labour Movement, journal=Studies: An Irish Quarterly Review, volume=60 , issue=239/240 , pages=311–331 , jstor=30088733 , url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/30088733, access-date=12 January 2019 Despite their differences, in 1953 Larkin conceded that "William O'Brien was the only colleague of his who ever really worked". Active in politics and the trade union movement into his 60s, O'Brien retired in 1946 and died on 31 October 1968. He was buried in

Glasnevin cemetery Glasnevin Cemetery ( ga, Reilig Ghlas Naíon) is a large cemetery in Glasnevin, Dublin, Ireland which opened in 1832. It holds the graves and memorials of several notable figures, and has a museum. Location The cemetery is located in Glasne ...

, Dublin, on 3 November.

References

{{Reflist {{s-start {{s-off {{s-bef, before = Michael O'Lehane {{s-ttl, title = President of the

Irish Trades Union Congress The Irish Trades Union Congress (ITUC) was a union federation covering the island of Ireland. History Until 1894, representatives of Irish trade unions attended the British Trades Union Congress (TUC). However, many felt that they had little im ...

, years = 1913 {{s-aft, after =

{{s-bef, before = Thomas MacPartlin {{s-ttl, title = President of the Dublin Trades Council , years = 1914 {{s-aft, after = Thomas Farren {{s-bef, before = John Simmons {{s-ttl, title = Secretary of the Dublin Trades Council , years = 1913–1918 {{s-aft, after = Thomas Farren {{s-bef, before = Thomas MacPartlin {{s-ttl, title = President of the Irish Trades Union Congress , years = 1918 {{s-aft, after = Thomas Cassidy {{s-bef, before = P. T. Daly {{s-ttl, title = General Secretary of the Irish Trades Union Congress , years = 1918–1920 {{s-aft, after = Thomas Johnson {{s-bef, before = Thomas Johnson {{s-ttl, title = Treasurer of the Irish Trades Union Congress , years = 1921–1924 {{s-aft, after = Archie Heron {{s-bef, before =

{{s-ttl, title = General Secretary of the

, years = 1924–1946 {{s-aft, after = Thomas Kennedy? {{s-bef, before =

Luke Duffy Luke Joseph Duffy (1890 – 3 August 1961) was an Irish trades unionist and Labour Party politician, who served for five years as a Senator. Born in Gurteen, County Sligo in 1890, Duffy's first job was as a draper's apprentice in Moon's of Ga ...

{{s-ttl, title = President of the Irish Trades Union Congress , years = 1925 {{s-aft, after =

Denis Cullen Denis Cullen (19 August 1886 – 26 November 1971) was an Irish Labour Party politician and trade union official. A baker by trade, during the 1910s he emerged as a leading figure in the Dublin branch of the Irish Bakers' National Amalgamated ...

{{s-bef, before = Archie Heron {{s-ttl, title = Treasurer of the Irish Trades Union Congress , years = 1926–1929 {{s-aft, after =

{{s-bef, before = Sam Kyle {{s-ttl, title = President of the Irish Trades Union Congress , years = 1941 {{s-aft, after = Michael Colgan {{s-end {{Labour Party (Ireland) {{Authority control {{DEFAULTSORT:Obrien, William 1881 births 1968 deaths Burials at Glasnevin Cemetery Irish socialists Labour Party (Ireland) TDs Members of the 3rd Dáil Members of the 5th Dáil Members of the 9th Dáil Politicians from County Cork