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The Dublin Lockout was a major industrial dispute that raged between 300 employers and approximately 20.000 workers in the capital between August 1913 and 18 January 1914, provoked by demands for better labour conditions. The most severe industrial dispute in Irish history, the action was ultimately unsuccessful in achieving pay and conditions that were substantially better for workers – however, it succeeded in bringing employers to their knees and marked a watershed moment in Irish labour culture by firmly asserting worker solidarity.
This extract, from a new book on the dispute A Capital in Conflict: Dublin City and the 1913 Lockout, tells of the vicious in-fighting between strikers and ‘scabs’ during the dispute…
THE LOCKOUT BEGAN on 26 August 1913 at 10 am, trams stopped working all over Dublin as both drivers and conductors walked off the job. William Martin Murphy, owner of the Dublin United Tramway Company, also owned the Irish Independent and Evening Herald newspapers. Soon after the initial strike, a boycott of both papers commenced, encouraged by James Larkin, who asked vendors not to sell either publication. Many
younger newspaper vendors joined the strike in 1913, which is not surprising, because Desmond Greaves has shown that Larkin had unionised some of the vendors two years earlier.
Newsvendors appeared to be spilt on the issue of striking and in an interview in one of his newspapers, William Martin Murphy said that his newsboys had been attacked several times since the strike begun. The Weekly Irish Timer reported that Christopher Crosbie (aged 18) and four boys, one being Patrick Cleary (aged 13) had assaulted Evening Herald newsboy, Matthew Mahon. Mahon had been told by his attackers to put his papers down or they would keep beating him. This was not an isolated incident, on 6 September, James Quinn who was described as a ‘little boy’, was confronted at Nelson’s Pillar but managed to escape from his attackers.
The Lockout caused widespread distress as labourers everywhere began to get locked out of work. Though not all workers were locked out or striking, their work environment would have been heavily affected. In one case, Mary Murphy, a factory worker, aged 14, was charged with attacking another girl from her factory, Messrs. W. & R. Jacob’s, as she went into work.
Trying to continue working amidst the Lockout was made harder by the continuous update to their ‘scabs’ list, published in The Irish Worker. The scab list was a list of people still working for companies that had locked out employees. The 27 October issue gives an example of this, as the papers mention both companies and people who were ‘scabs’, giving full addresses for most. It is surprising with lists such as this that more beatings were not reported in the newspapers, like for instance, that of James Reilly, who was harassed at his home by locked-out workers of the same company for which he worked.
Working during this chaotic period was not the only way of getting hurt; the infamous large-scale riots had thousands of casualties and a number of deaths. On 2 September, The Freeman’s Journal reported that 400 people had been injured over two days of rioting in the city, these riots also led to the loss of two lives, James Nolan and James Byrne. Large numbers of people were arrested during the following days, and by 3 September several minors were facing charges for throwing missiles at police. James Doyle was arrested on Winetavern Street and had his head bandaged when he was arrested. James Brady was also in the same state when he was arrested on Mary Street for the same crime.
This was the first of many riots that took place throughout this period until December. Dublin Castle’s intelligence report gave an account of rioting in Finglas on 16 September, in which Patrick Daly was shot in the back by a police constable. Patrick Daly, who was 17 years old, was described as a quiet boy and employed in the local village. He recovered from his wound, as the bullet had hit his shoulder.
By 23 September the state of the city had become very dangerous for civilians and police and the commissioner of the police reported that he did not have enough uniformed police to perform all the necessary duties. Strangely, the intelligence report does not record if he received extra men to help with the situation, as he already had use of military stations in Dublin. The Dublin Scout Association, also known as the Baden Powell scouts, asked its members to stop wearing uniforms in the city until further notice, and this can be assumed to be for the boy scouts’ safety.
A martyr and victim of the violence during this period was Alice Brady. Brady was 16 years old; a member of the Irish Women Workers’ Union (IWWU) who was shot in the hand during a minor riot in Great Brunswick Street. She died a month later from tetanus. The riot had been caused when a group of women screamed at coal workers, who apparently broke the strike; one worker panicked and set off his revolver. In the court case it was argued that the man, Patrick Traynor, did not mean to shoot at anyone and did not aim at Brady.
Alice Brady’s funeral took place in January 1914 and was used for propaganda. The Freeman’s Journal noted that the procession was large, with 500 IWWU in attendance along with several other bodies represented. James Larkin, James Connolly, Delia Larkin and Countess Markievicz walked behind the parents in the procession, with graveside orations given by both Larkin and Connolly. Larkin said that their sister had been sacrificed at the altar of sweating misery and degradation; with her great strength of character she would have been a great woman. When giving sympathies to the parents, he also gave his sympathies to the IWWU on their loss.
He finished by saying that they would leave her graveside more determined than ever to have an Ireland free from slavery thraldom, while James Connolly stated that her death was on every ‘scab’ and employer of a ‘scab’.
A Capital in Conflict: Dublin City and the 1913 Lockout is edited by Francis Devine and published by Four Courts Press. The book’s official launch, by the Lord Mayor, will take place on Saturday 13 April 2013.
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Some poor guy was sentenced to five years in jail for importing garlic and calling them broccoli. Lowry by his own words (as secretly recorded) was engaged in massive tax fraud yet he never spent a day in the slammer.
I will ring you back on that.
Who is Michael Lowry and what’s everyone’s problem with him? I often wonder what Michael Lowry knows and that’s the problem. Keep the problem in side so it doesn’t become a problem.
@Tony
That “poor guy” evaded tax by passing garlic off as apples and his sentence was reduced to two years on appeal.
Unfortunately, testimony that is given in a tribunal of inquiry cannot be used as evidence in a criminal trial.
Lowry is facing charges for incorrect filing of tax returns but is trying to have the trial blocked.
Ciaran. No one is suggesting the evidence used in the tribunal be used in a criminal trial. What they are wondering is why gardai couldn’t do an investigation and get the evidence. If a tribuy unearthed evidence , then surely the gardai also could . after all can unearthed something. This evidence could be used in a criminal trial.
DOB will make sure that Lowry is part of the next government if Fine Gael are re-elected. Enda won’t have a say in the matter. This is reason why he won’t distance himself from Lowry when asked the question.
This GAA connection with every dogsbody/ratbag in the country, is interesting.
not saying that everybody who swings a hurley is corrupt,or involved ib scams, nevertheless a job is always found for many of them when other people cannot get one.
Seems to me an Irish version of the Freemasons.
The garlic/apple guy wasn’t some poor guy. He was and is a multi millionaire, well educated business man. His only excuse is greed.
Lowry, beneath contempt.
Truely he belongs in the vast collection of Irish TDs marked “The unembarrassables”.
The garlic/apple guy also repaid IN FULL the tax he had avoided paying in the first place and he was still sentenced to jail, which makes no sense at all.
As a Tipp person, it’s an embarrassment that he keeps getting elected.
That’s the problem with Irish politics, we complain about national issues and then we vote according to local issues, all well and good if you’re from Tipperary North but how can we expect National politics to remain stable if we vote for the fella’ who fixed the whole in the road
An absolute charlatan of the highest order.
C O R R U P T I O N
Even Ray Burke (who went to jail) has had all the Tribunal findings against him reversed and his expenses paid.
Ray will probably sue the state now for wrongful imprisonment.
What a corrupt little country we live in.
Tipperary, the land of the crook Lowry, Noel ISIS Coonan, the weasel Kelly and Mattie McGrath. They elect some strange ones down there!
Can any Tipperary person tell me how a corrupt politician tops the poll not a bother?
He got the potholes filled?
Because he fixed the roads
They found a 3 foot long rat down there a couple of months back and I dare say if it ran for the Dáil it too would be elected by the good folk of Tipperary. #nomorals
Can confirm he fixed the road: https://youtu.be/cjl8OIZijjY
This will probably sound like culchie bashing but I think there’s an element of parish pride at play in these constituency’s. ‘He’s one of our own and look at him there in the big smoke getting money to fix our roads, isn’t he great stuff altogether’. People are willing to turn a blind eye. Would they be as forgiving if it was Bertie Ahern who was TD for Tipperary? Probably not
@ pjm none of those you mention above topped the poll in South Tipperary
Brilliant…
Ah now Beano we live in Tipperary not the moon.
Because he is their corrupt politician and nobody in Dublin is going to tell them who to vote for……….
@pjm It’s a game that he has perfected over the years.
Because they care more about getting disproportionate levels of funding from the Government more than their sense of fairness or morality?
Blaming the people of Tipperary for voting to elect 5 TD’s from a list that’s put in front of them on election day, all of whom are legally entitled to be on that list, is hardly the fault of the good people of Tipperary.
Given what we know about the wholesale corruption of the last 35 years through the findings of the various Tribunals, with ‘politicians’ up to their necks in dodgy dealing, maybe the people of Tipperary are just unconcerned because they probably realise that even the Saintly types are guilty as hell but just haven’t been caught.
True John.!
Lol.
Gerry who’s fault is it but the good people of Tipperary who vote in their thousands for one of the most corrupt politicians of our era? I know most of those crooks are North Tipp but it’ll be interesting to see the tally figures on election day to see what support Kelly and Lowry get from that part of the constituency.
Michael Lowry is the greatest current example of what is wrong with politics in Ireland. He cost the country several hundred million in one deal alone in order to feather his own nest, and that of his party. By feeding down a few crumbs at a local level he keeps the peasants happy and they continue to vote him in. This despite the obvious fact that the money he has cost this state would be a vast multiple of any good above that he has brought his own area above and beyond the remit of his role as a local TD.
The above is obvious to everyone in the country. The people of Tipp must think; yeah he’s a crook, but he’s our crook. It’s time to leave this type of mentality in the past where it belongs, in Tipp and the country as a whole. Starting in this election, it’s time to stop settling for crumbs!!!!
should be banned from political life if we ever want a honest political future
For Lowry see Moriarty, ESAT, Dunne, Redacted and various other headlines. He must know something pretty hot or he was born lucky. The Thurles Fgangsters must be worried about alll the free publicity and adoration from hugh. Now tthe problem for Tipp FG is that Isis Coonan has been pushed aside and looks like losing FG a seat. Come on Tipp and send these “What’s in it for me” cronies back to oblivion.
I blame the muppets in Tipperary who vote for him.
So do I and I’m from Tipperary.
What’s in it for me? FG, the nasty Tory party.
“We’ll do business wth criminals and fraudsters and allow the most powerful in our society dictate terms and conditions on every decision we make”
That’s ‘Fine Gael’ ness.
Fine Gael – more Tory than the Tories themselves!
The epitome of all that is wrong in irish politics/society
Much prefer to see him in jail rather than Leinster House.
Much prefer to see him taken out in a meteor strike* than sitting in Leinster House , unfortunately there’s about as much hope of that happening as him doing proper jail time. *If the universe does decide to send one in we honestly wouldn’t mind if it took out a nice chunk of Tipperary as well. Ya know, just to rule out the possibility of them electing another one of his ilk…
I suppose he would be less hated by the public at large if his pal was not Citizen Kane Redacted O’Swine..?
We don’t all vote for him. In fact people in South Tipp have never voted for him.
Sorry Jane.. We must nuke the whole site.. It’s the only way to be sure… ;-)
we don’t all vote for him John,more than half the county has never had the chance to get rid of lowlife like him and Kelly until now.
You forgot an important point , he is ex (debatable) FG
I’m glad this has come up. I’m glad Kenny didn’t rule out cozying up to him after the election. Some people
have forgotten how bad he is just because they think he got debts in Semple stadium paid off or other such nonsense. Having his face in the media again with a list of all his ‘issues’ is a great reminder.
Let’s get one thing straight, the only deal Lowry ever done was in support of Michael Lowry ! The only thing that interests him is his strangle hold on power in Tipp and how he can make cash out of it !
Lowry is almost single handedly, stoping a sports development in north Tipp because it’s near the home of one of his flunkies, facilities waiting to open, jobless families waiting to start work and Mr Lowry is holding it up to keep his friends quiet !! He is a joke!
He’s a Serpent who never saw justice served to him.
The people of Tipp this guy wanted to put a casino in yere county for his own ends. Can you imagine the anti social behaviour going on around yere towns and villages as every drunk down on their luck person trys to score big and lose and goes off trying to get some more coin to bet again. Not a house would be safe there. This is the reality of what greed does , He keeps people sweet in Tipp to keep the cookies in his own pocket. I doubt he give a flying Fine Galer about ye.
By all accounts,7000 of his first preferences have been lost to Offaly,not popular in s.Tipp,nearly as respected as Kelly…hopefully neither are returned..but having said that..choices are slim enough..
Pablo Escobar was loved in his city for what he done for his local community.
So Lowry is a modern day “Robin Hood”.?
I wouldnt compare Robin Hood to Pablo Escobar. Pablo Escobar made a lot of money from the suffering of millions of others. Robin Hood as far as im aware was fictional. Although he may have been based on some real life person way back.
He’s more of a Maid Marion with his perma tan.
Al Capone looked after the sheepies in Chicago like this chancer is doing back home
robin’ b*st*rd and definitely a hood
What happened to those councillors who were caught rapid on prime time last month?…… Nothing. John Gotti wouldn’t have a look in with our politicians. In fact he’d probably be Taoiseach
He fixed the road!!
Despite Hugh the ridiculous Fine Gaeler ‘analyst’ removing my comments, I still stand by what I said.
What’s in it for me?
Fine Gael, the nasty Tort party who’ll do business with criminals & fraudsters.
That’s Fine Gaelness.
Oops Sorry Hugh! Thought you deleted last comment. Please accept my apologies. Too quick off the mark.
Lowry is the poster boy for the absolute filth that has been running this country into the ground for the last 90+ years. A criminal with the law on his side. The powers that shouldn’t be in this country turn a blind eye to conmen like Lowry because they are cut from exactly the same cloth. Shame on anyone who votes for FFFG, you are part of the problem.
The shocking truth of the matter is that Kenny, Lowery and Denis o” Brien are as thick as thieves. So don’t be under any illusions. Lowery, might be out of the FG political party, but the party is not outt of him. He’s uncomfortably close to the main people like Kenny, Noonan and the old guard. He is very much a part of the Fascist ethos of the FG blueshirt anti liberal pro-catholic wing that whip up a frenzy Irish woman demand there fundamental right to protect they’re own bobies from the invasive abuse of Irish political culture. Nothing surer folks, Kenny will enlist the Leinster House Pariah from Tipp, at the drop of a hat.
Read the connections . Big Phil Hogan is the cement.
Simple answer is that he is a gangster who robbed the people of Ireland and gave to the rich (DO’B). The modern day anti-Robbin Hood. And shame on the people who re-elect him for their 30 pieces of silver.
He is an exact representation of exactly what is wrong with irish politics
The people of Tipperary North must be some of the thickest people in the country to keep electing this inexcusably corrupt piece of work back in.
Pete. They are god love them they know no better.
He obviously has something on Enda that is why he will never say anything against him. As far as I am aware Enda has not accepted the findings of the Moriarty Tribunal either. I have e-mailed Enda on this a number of times without getting an answer to my question.
Parasitical viper up there with the piece of sh!t haughey. You can’t take your money with you lowry. Remember that.
Gangster
FG and Morals just don’t go together.. Just corrupt.. Plain and simple.. Enda not dismissing any advances towards Lowry will be the mistake that costs FG dearly..
He us a dishonest Independant was with FG until he pulled a good one by selling Eircom to Denis O’Brien for a big fat brown envelope and the people frim Tipp love him his didhonesty dies not count with them.
I know he was thrown out if FG and is a Independant , what i don’t understand is DiO B is Kenny’s pal and Lowery gets the rap for a bag of goodies. I think the shame should fall on Enda’s head and of course Lowery’s. Ah money whst it makes you brcome.
South Tipp Says No To Lowry
https://youtu.be/cjl8OIZijjY my thoughts exactly man
Kenny is a disaster for fg,hopefully he talks more often,he reveals how corrupt the party is,ask john perry, fg td,he brought the party to court on corruption charges. As for Lowry,he is a parasite, laughing at the poor people in his constituency.
Definition of the parish pump politics we get here. The absolute definition.
Dong forget Dobby’s part in this. He got the mobile licence. And waiting for Kenny to give him IW
People of Tipperary, please remove this parasite, he is laughing at all of us.
Who is Michael Lowry?
Who is Gerry Adams?
Who is Martin Ferris?
Who is Dessie Ellis?
Who is Mick Wallace?
Should we have any of these guys as TDs?
Who is Enda Kenny?
Who is Michael Noonan?
Who is Joan Burton?
•Who is “Powerabbey” – A fake name operating a Twitter account – while cowering and hiding away ???
Eddie – do you expect people to give their name and address to IRA/SF. You must be joking.
Good to see Fiona (“I was never a SF member”) showing her colours!!
Powerabbey, supports political corruption. Is he Date of Birth’s illegitimate son?
Fiona supports murderers, rapists, terrorists …..! Then she claims she is not an IRA/ SF member.
You’d want to be living under a rock not to realise how odious this slimebag is.
If he is voting with them
They will all do business with him
He will top the polls and can do what he wants
People of North Tipperary are in for a windfall…….
The people of Tipperary can be bought very easy ,,that’s the message each time this parasite is elected
Sells their vote for money. Demands huge investment for only their constituency. Hundreds of council jobs to be created for the constituents. But that’s wasn’t Lowry it was Tony Gregory who is viewed as a saint.
This guy is the most corrupt politician ever yet tops the poles, it is real Irish, so long as some small group benefit to hell with the rest of society.
Michael is innocent can people just drop this, the man is here to earn a living like.
Hmm,I think you know yourself that was a pretty poor effort. D-
Semple Stadium.
What does it say about the gombeens of Tipperary more like?
A vote for FG is a vote for Lowry.
A vote for Lowry is a vote for FG.
A vote for Lowry is a vote for corruption.
A vote for FG is a vote for corruption.
A vote for IRA /SF is a vote to support terrorists, murders, rapists, fuel launderers, cigarette smugglers, “good republicans”……..
Bring loads of money Nina. It’s the FG way. He will top the poll in Tipp, as will Wallace in Wexford as would Hugh in Monaghan, if he was running.
A tit
Michael Lowry is one of the hardest working Tds in dail that’s why He tops poll
Lowry is excellent at raising money. He puts great effort into that.
Just like IRA/SF. Can you arrange some cheap diesel and fags for me?
Powerabbey, I see that you are both a supporter of corruption and off criminality.
Cheap diesel and fags are dealt in by criminals who supply those who condone criminality. You are trying to engage in criminality.,
Fiona – try telling your guys in IRA / SF That fuel laundering and cigarette smuggling is an offence. Please do!
Lowry is a made man in dobbys mafia and dobby owns fine Gael lock stock, enda is never goin to rule this guy out period corruption is wholesale in fg
Ah shure he’s a lovely man so he is, so he is, so he is. Ah wouldn’t hear a word against him. Now.
Wasn’t he the character in ” bad boys”???
Read and weep.
Disgusting the ordinary man on the street gets locked up for non payment of s TV license,
This dirt bag is rotten to the core and our taoiseach is willing to do a deal with him,
I’ve heard it all now Kenny would deal with the devil to stay in government,
No vote from me.
I can’t see anything to be gained for him by joining Fine Gael before the election. The electorate will either vote for him as they have always done, or won’t vote for him no matter what he does. While Fine Gael are doing their best to talk up how good a job they are after doing getting the country’s finances back on track, the truth is that many rural communities are still far from sharing in all of this reported recovery, and will not vote for Fine Gael nor Labour, no matter who the candidate is. There are a lot of permutations to go into the mix to make the next Dail, and it is not until the polls are in that the sums will have to be worked out. If taking Lowry on board is the means to make it up, not only will Enda welcome him with open arms, but Alan Kelly and Labour will as well. One thing that Lowry has proven in the past is that he can be relied on to stay the course of the Government, once he has done his side deal to get him to table. From that point of view, he is a very attractive prospect for any party leader when it comes to getting the support of an independent or two to form a government.
I know a few small farmers in Tipp who think the sun shines out of his ar*se hole.
‘I’m Mike Lowryyyyy’
One of the biggest crooks in this country
No 1 for lowry
No one for Lowry !
Nice one!
Give Enda Kenny time to consult with Date of Birth through Big Phil Hogan.
@For Connolly
Lowry did wrong but that doesn’t make it OK to be riotous.
It might make them pay attention and listen
http://www.moriarty-tribunal.ie/images/sitecontent_426.pdf
The Report issued in December 2011, over 4 years ago. No consequences except Date of Birth gets richer and more influential,in Oreland and Lowry’s fir tunes are restored and soon will have a key role in maintaining the next Government.
Fiona – what time did your shift start in Parnell Square?
I’m dealing with FG corruption and you go off on a tangent about Parnell Square. You are the master if deflection, a weapon of mass distraction, just like Date of Birth. Birds of a feather, I have no doubt.
It is sad to see you ignore and then implicitly endorse corruption.,
Ireland is a the best small country to do business and Michael Lowry knows best how to get that business done with a few envelopes on the side.
Politicians are just a reflection of the larger populace as a whole, unfortunately.
The only difference is that they get away with corruption, cronyism and double standards even though they are held in such low regard. Weird but fact!
People are fvcking stupid.
Yep. The ” I’m alright Jack” mentality always comes to the fore through the public come election time.
Gangster… but he’ll be back in no time, probably in the next Government.
The “whole” in the road – great country isn’t it?
The Journal need to focus on articles like this. Well done Huge. Now this is proper journalism..
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