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From International Socialism, No.27, Winter 1966/67, p.34.
Transcribed & marked up by by Einde O’Callaghan for ETOL.
The Irish Struggle (1916-1926)
Ed. Desmond Williams
Routledge, 30s
IS readers in search of an understanding of Irish politics in this period would be well, advised to consult the growing body of writings of Irish marxists on the national struggle, before glancing at this essay collection. The origin of the various contributions as lectures broadcast on Radio Éireann goes far to explain the inadequacy of most of them. The Irish labour movement is seldom mentioned apart from a rather pedestrian account of The Social Revolution that never was by Patrick Lynch – for ‘social’ read ‘socialist.’ In other places we get misleading statements (e.g. F.X. Martin’s description of Larkin and Connolly as ‘Socialists, Internationalists, rather than Nationalists;’ which totally fails to explain the ideas of the two famous Irish labour leaders or their connexion with Lenin’s position on bourgeois nationalism and imperialism). Other contributors ring the changes on ‘dominion status’ and ‘external association, etc, without at any point discussing the economic relationship between Ireland and British Imperialism.
The contributions of Kevin Nowlan on the army leaders and Dáil Éireann. Maureen Wall on Partition, F.S.L. Lyons on the demise of the Irish Parliamentary Party, Brian Ó Cuiv on the Language and education, and, I suppose, Lynch, are worth reading, but otherwise there is little of interest.
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Last updated on 20.12.2007