On the 7th of June, the North Dublin branch of the Revolutionary Communists of Ireland held a day school on the ideas and legacy of the great Marxist and revolutionary martyr James Connolly. The event was a massive success with 3 new members agreeing to join the Revolutionary Communists of Ireland off the back of it!
There were 30 attendees to the school – from Dublin, Derry, Wicklow, Wexford, Newry and Kildare – who made it a day filled with incredible contributions, discussions and questions. The day consisted of three political talks on Connolly’s stance on the national question, Connolly and neutrality, and finishing with the Easter Rising of 1916 and the lessons for revolutionaries today.
Talking to attendees after the school, everyone was incredibly impressed with the depth and quality of discussion. This materialised in over €110 being raised in the sale of materials, donations and tickets to the social after the day school to continue the political discussions.
The event was an incredible undertaking from the comrades with months of preparation, and it paid off immensely. Comrades spent days reading and discussing the writings and ideas of Connolly, as well as putting over 100 posters throughout the city. We reached thousands of people through posts on social media as well, showing the appetite for the ideas of Connolly and of Marxism in Ireland today.
The first session was an enlightening discussion on the national question from a Marxist perspective. Since their early days, the capitalist class in Ireland was weak and dependent on the British ruling class. At every decisive moment in our history they have betrayed the cause of independence. Connolly studied this history and concluded that Ireland’s freedom couldn’t rest on the capitalists. Instead he argued: “only the Irish working class remain as the incorruptible inheritors of the fight for freedom in Ireland”. It is only through the workers’ fight for socialism that the national question can be solved.
Next we discussed Connolly’s stance on the first world war. Connolly boldly defended Marxist internationalism at a time when most of the labour leaders were submitting to their ‘own’ ruling class. Connolly called for the workers to end the war by overthrowing capitalism, starting with their main enemy at home. In Ireland that meant striking a blow against British imperialism and capitalism.
Finally we discussed the legacy and lessons of the Easter Rising. While the political establishment claims this as a foundational moment in their history, the truth is that they came to power by the defeat of the movement the Rising sparked. The murder of Connolly buried the ideas of revolutionary Marxism along with him for a whole period in Ireland. The great sacrifices made in the rising paved the way for the Irish revolution, but without Connolly’s leadership despite the heroic efforts of the working class they were sidelined in the struggle.
For the working class to rise to its rightful place and to realise Connolly’s vision of a united workers’ republic, it is necessary to build a party of trained revolutionaries who understand the ideas and programme of Connolly and Marxism. This is the party we are building and we call on all revolutionaries who wish to carry Connolly’s legacy to join us!
