Writing a history of the ITGWU
[This article was carried in the January 1977 issue of Liberty, the ITGWU magazine, when Desmond Greaves was beginning his work on the history of the ITGWU, which had been commissioned by that Union’s Executive. This was originally envisaged as a three-volume work, but Greaves abandoned it following the publication of the first volume in 1982 under the title, “History of the Irish Transport and General Workers’ Union: The Formative Years”.
The article was preceded by the following note from the Liberty editor:
“Desmond Greaves has been commissioned by the National Executive Council to write the history of Irish Transport and General Workers’ Union. In this short article he outlines some of the difficulties of undertaking such a task. If there are any readers who feel that they have material which may be of use to him they should contact the Editor who will pass on any information to Mr Greaves.”]
The Greaves archive includes a draft of a notice on the Union history by Greaves for the February 1978 issue of “Liberty”, which is given below following the article. And the May 1978 of “Liberty” carries a letter from Greaves seeking information from members of the Union who might have information on the Union’s growth outside Dublin, Cork and the other main urban centres during the War of Independence. This is also given below.]
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Writing a history of the ITGWU
What is history?
“A fable agreed upon,” declared Napoleon.
“Bunk,” said Henry Ford.
Perhaps the subject lacks appeal to the rich and the mighty because so much of it is discreditable to them.
Certainly through the ages English imperialism always asked the Irish people to “forget the past” and maybe that advice encouraged them to cherish every detail of the struggle for national independence, which still continues to draw on the past.
Labour history, which James Connolly, always ahead of his time, averred an essential part of national history, has come into its own only recently. The establishment of the “Irish Labour History Society” in Dublin illustrates this fact. It is becoming recognised that the most political animal must live. To live he must get a living. The history of the Trade Union movement is the history of the ordinary wage-earner’s efforts to exercise some kind of control over how he gets his living.
It is a truism, though less frequently stated than it should be, that whenever the working class of a country is strong, that country is strong. It is with such things in mind that one approaches the decision of the Irish Transport and General Workers Union that the history of the union shall be written.
The union is nearly seventy years old, and no man can now hold the whole history in his personal recollection. This means that no historian can write it by his own unaided efforts. He must seek out records, reports, memoranda, correspondence, minutes, circulars, to say nothing of college theses, general histories and newspaper reports.
Where are they? Certainly they have never been all gathered together into one place.
Then there is another very important thing. That is the living tradition. “D’you remember the time we all met down at the old bridge and …?” Tradition is of tremendous importance. Even the humorous anecdote is of use. It shows how people looked at things. It shows, too, that the troops did not go into battle with faces as long as Lurgan spades or without an airy word to mark the day.
First, of course, we’ve got to get the bones. This means answering the questions “What happened?” “When did it happen?” The how and why can come later when one thing is compared with another.
Throughout the whole spread of the union there must be minute books, records, and other solid material which it would be most helpful to know about. Even the most unimportant looking piece of paper may conceal a vital fact.
Then, of course, there are men who are born historians and even if they do not write newspaper articles, which many of them do, do prepare private memoranda, keep notes, or merely store the events of the past in their heads, because their memories are made that way. They are usually over modest. We hope their friends will push them forward.
An enquiry is going to be sent out, listing some of the information that would be most appreciated.
The purpose of this article is merely to arouse interest by reminding members of the advantage of being able to say to a young recruit, “There, read that. That’s what you are joining.” The subject matter can only come from themselves if it’s going to go beyond a mere catalogue of names, dates and decisions.
The ITGWU was the first national Trade Union in Ireland. It was the first to attempt to organise the so-called “unskilled” and to go forward from that to the organisation of workers not already organised irrespective of skill. It had a decisive political role in the crucial years 1912 to 1923.
The population of Ireland is about to undergo a very rapid increase. Most of the young people coming up will be wage-earners. They will want to know, they will need to know, the history of their class and the part it has played in their country.
We must have it ready for them.
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[Draft of notice by Greaves for the February 1977 issue of “Liberty”]
UNION HISTORY
It was this time last year that the well-known author, C. Desmond Greaves, began the task of writing the history of the Irish Transport and General Workers’ Union. Since then, considerable the progress has been made, but there is still much assistance which could be usually rendered to Mr Greaves.
First of all, if you know of any old and retired members of the Union who would be willing to talk about their early experiences in the ITGWU, perhaps you would let us know. Secondly, if you are aware of the existence of any old documents in the possession of such persons, or otherwise, we are very anxious to hear about them. Old rule books, reports, branch records, newspaper cuttings, memoirs, and so on, are all relevant.
If you feel you might be able to assist with this good work, perhaps you would contact the Information Section, ITGWU, 10 Palmerston Park, Dublin 6 (Telephone 973361/9730-65).
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[Copy of letter from C. Desmond Greaves in the May 1978 issue of Liberty]
CAN YOU HELP?
Sir,
The destruction of the records of the Union during the troubled times is making it very difficult for me to compile its history outside Dublin and Cork and one or two other centres. Yet one of the biggest factors in the rise of the ITGWU was that the sons and daughters of the Land Leaguers flocked into its ranks between 1917 and 1920.
I have made a list of some of the country organisers from surviving financial returns, and while some bear famous names, in other cases I do not know who they were, where they came from, or what they did in the places to which they were assigned.
If anybody, maybe one of their descendants, or maybe children of those who worked with them, can tell me anything about them and their work for the Union, could I ask them to get in touch with me c/o Development Services Division, 10 Palmerston Park, Rathmines, Dublin 6. If they are too busy to write an account possibly I could arrange a visit. Here is the list:
Sean Dowling (Portarlington, Limerick, Tullamore); M. J. O’Connor (Tralee); Denis Houston (created the Cork branch); Ernest Nunan (was this the brother of Sean Nunan?); T. O’Donovan (Cork); W.J. Reilly (Sligo); Eamon Hayes (Thurles); P. Coates (Waterford, Kilkenny; was this W.P. Coates?; Dan Branniff (Roscrea, Kilkenny, Dundalk Galway, Glasgow); Masterson (Achill, for a time in the Union’s Glasgow office); E. Rooney (Drogheda); L.A. Veale (Dungarvan, Galway); Frank O’Donnell (West Ulster, presumably Peadar’s brother).
Michael Healy (Boyle); J. Dempsey (Belfast); Peter O’Connor (Edgeworthstown); Frank O’Neill (Cobh); Michael Hickey (Cork); J.J. Donnellan (Ballinasloe); Stephen Cremin (Galway); Mary Mullen (Cork, was there a women’s section?); Frank McCabe (Kilmallock); Cathal O’ Shannon (his spell in Cork); Michael Lynch (Sligo, any relation to Alderman Lynch?); C. Culleton (South Wexford); James Grimley (Tullamore, Limerick, was this the Belfast man?) ; Michael Murphy (Mullingar).
Maurice Nelligan (Tralee); Michael O’Donohoe (Limerick, Kilmallock); Joseph Metcalfe (Bray); J.J. Scanlon (Ballina, Castlebar, Ennistymon); J.McGrath (Kilmacthomas); John Quigley (Monaghan); Seamus O’Brien (Limerick, Athlone, Waterford); Seamus F. O’Brien (Galway, Drogheda, Waterford); Charles Gaule (Arklow); Joseph Hyatt (Athlone); John Martin (Athlone); Tom Nagle (Waterford, Limerick); Philip O’Neill (Birr); C.F. Ridgeway (Newry, Dundalk); J.J. Scanlon (Ballinasloe); Albert F. Smith (Enniscorthy); Patrick Tuite (Naas).
William Kinneally (Limerick, was this the Cork man?); P. Mulvihill (Athlone); T. J. Redmond (Mullingar); Michael Lennon (Clonmel).
If one or two of the most famous names like that of O Gamhna are not listed above, it is because they have already been the subject of special study. Again there may be others, since the surviving documents cover only three years. Any information would be most appreciated.
Yours etc.
C. Desmond Greaves
c/o 10 Palmerston Park, Dublin 6