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. ...

, 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 Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 c ...

, 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 Pea ...

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 govern ...

'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, link ...

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 opposi ...

and particularly opposed conscription into the British Armed Forces 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 List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

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 opposing ...

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 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 co ...

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 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 ...

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), as well as writers Liam O'Flaherty and

. 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

. 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

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 an ...

). 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

(who had attended the

in Moscow) founded the

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'') to fully replace the first Communist Party of Ireland.

Early years

The original CPI was founded in 1933 by the

. As the

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

became a separate body, and the party in the Irish Republic suspended its activities and entered the

(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

, losing members who were killed in action. The Communist Party of Ireland was involved in establishing the

in 1934, bringing communists, republicans, trade unionists and tenants' organisations together. Following the entry of the

into

, 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

, 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

for inspiration. In the late 1960s, some IWP members (notably

) 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 and this trend continued after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. 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 ideology, economic philosophy and Political movement, movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to Private prop ...

. 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 de ...

. 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. After Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, the party called for an immediate ceasefire and political solution to bring about a "demilitarised, neutral Ukraine", saying it was an "inter-imperialist war". The CPI opposes the Ukrainian Government, stating the 2014 Ukrainian Revolution was a US-backed " coup". The CPI blamed the war on "the

expansion of NATO NATO is a military alliance of twenty-eight European and two North American countries that constitutes a system of collective defense. The process of joining the alliance is governed by Article 10 of the North Atlantic Treaty, which allows ...

", stating it had built up "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 Jimmy Corcoran. The CPI publishes a monthly magazine called '' Socialist Voice''. 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 in the West of Ireland, in the province of Connacht, which is the county town of County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lough Corrib and Galway Bay, and is the sixth most populous city on ...

, Munster, 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 Kin ...

. 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

called Connolly Books, which is named after the Irish socialist

. 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

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:

*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 ...

*2002–2023: Eugene McCartan *2023–present: Jimmy Corcoran

Chairpersons

* 1970–1983: Andy Barr * 1983–1989:

* 1989–2001: Eugene McCartan * 2001–2004:

* 2004–2017: Lynda Walker * 2018–2021: John Pinkerton * 2021–2022: Janelle McAteer * 2023–present: Ciara Ní Mhaoilfhinn

Timeline

* 1933 – Revolutionary Workers' Groups are 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

form the

Matt Treacy, ''The Communist Party of Ireland 1921 - 2011'', pp.151-152 * 1948 –

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 Group
at

YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and 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 Google, and is the second mo ...

History of the Communist Movement in Ireland

Irish Left Online Document Archive
– Contains PDF documents of CPI material, with commentary
"Reds na hÉireann"
TV documentary exploring communism in Ireland until the fall of the Soviet Union. {{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