Limerick Soviet 90 years on - Guided Walking Tour

limerick | history and heritage | event notice Saturday April 04, 2009 21:41 by Limerick Socialist - SP limericksocialist at gmail dot com St.Camilus' Hospital, Shelbourne Road 0868064801

The Sights & Story of Limerick's General Strike 1919

On Easter Saturday April 11th those interested in the history of Limerick and labour struggles get a unique opportunity to join a free walking tour of the sights of the Limerick Soviet. The tour, guided by local historian and expert in the period, Dominic Haugh, is being organized to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the momentous general strike in Limerick.

The walking tour will feature the sights of all the main events and an introduction to the events of this fascinating as well as often overlooked episode in the history of the city. There will be two groups, one at 12pm and one at 3pm, starting at St. Camilus' Hopsital, Shelbourne Rd. If you would like to go on one of the tours it would be appreciated if you could send us a short e-mail or phone us to book your place in advance.

In the weeks around Easter in April 1919, workers throughout Limerick took strike action in against British militarism and the imposition of martial law in the area. During this general strike, workers took control of the running of the city, running shops, factories and even printing their own money! As a result, the Trades Coucil became known as the ‘Limerick Soviet’. These events shook not only the city but the entire country, and became a focal point for workers, trade unionists and socialists throughout the country.

Unfortunately, these events have largely been forgotten about – hidden away. Hopefully this walking tour, and the many other events being organized over the next weeks, can help make the people of Limerick aware of this chapter of our history, this forgotten revolution. The walking tour should be of interest to anyone interested in Limerick or labour history, whether students of the period, visitors or life-long Limerick men and women.

The walking tour is being organized by the Limerick branch of the Socialist Party. Joining the tour is free, but donations are welcome. All proceeds of the walking tours will go towards Joe Higgins' European Election campaign fund.

Joe Higgins is well-known for his years in the Dail fighting for the rights of working class people. His was the strongest voice of opposition to the speculation and profiteering in property and housing that saw a generation of workers shackled to punishing 40 year mortgages – all of which has now crashed the economy with devastating consequences for working people, students and youth. Now more than ever it is important that Joe’s voice of protest is heard, which is why we have decided to ask for donations to his campaign.

The strike was called with 6 and a half hours notice - posters were crucial to get the word out

After the British TUC refused to give strike pay, the soviet even printed their own money

PDF of the A5 leaflet advertising the tours 0.11 Mb