Publications of the Writings of James Connolly – A 1980s Appraisal

by C. D. Greaves

[Editor’s Note: When writing his “History of the Irish Transport and General Workers Union: the Formative Years 1909-1923”, published by Gill and Macmillan, Dublin, in 1982, Desmond Greaves was asked to make an appraisal of the existing publications of James Connolly’s writings and to recommend how best to promote their further publication and distribution. He wrote the memorandum below for the ITGWU Executive, followed by an Appendix that listed 188 books and articles by Connolly that had appeared in these works, which he arranged in chronological order. He comments in his “Appraisal” that the total works published and listed in the Appendix – which is not reproduced here – “would be a comparatively small part of Connolly’s writings, perhaps a third or even less.” Greaves’s “Appraisal” is undated but was probably written in the early 1980s. Twenty years later – the ITGWU having amalgamated in the meantime with James Larkin’s Worker’s Union of Ireland – its combined successor union, SIPTU, supported Donal Nevin (1924-2012) in editing more of Connolly’s political writings and letters. Other Connolly collections have appeared since, but not so far – comment written in 2025 – his full collected works.

The Greaves documentary archive contains a copy of the publication, “Political Writings of James Connolly” by Japanese scholar Professor Tomo Horikoshi (1930-2013) of Gifu University, Gifu City, Japan, published in 1980. Tomo Norikoshi sent a copy of this to Desmond Greaves with a covering letter, dated 7 August 1980, in which he writes: “Dear Sir, In 1971 I visited you in London and heard your talk on James Connolly. Since then I have studied on the Easter Rising, particularly on James Connolly. In 1978 I researched the works of him in the National Library in Dublin. And first of all I made the list of his political writings. Though this is incomplete, I published this for the purpose of making a full list. Please point out the mistake and lack in this. I have an intention of completing this by your advice.”

It is not known what reply, if any, Desmond Greaves made to this letter. The works of Connolly listed in chronological order by Tomo Horikoshi cover articles from Connolly’s own publications such as the “Shan Van Vocht”, the “Workers’ Republic”, “The Harp” and other periodicals, as well as those works listed in the collected editions covered by Desmond Greaves’s own appraisal. This work of Japanese scholarship would seem to constitute the fullest listing of Connolly’s political writings made up to that date,1980. See the article by Professor Louis Cullen, TCD, in “Irish Historical Studies”, Vol.48, Issue 173, May 2024: “Review Article: Writing in Japanese on Irish History”, published online by Cambridge University Press.]

Publications of the Writings of James Connolly

an appraisal by C. Desmond Greaves

PUBLICATIONS EXAMINED

The question is how best to promote the publication and distribution of the writings of James Connolly, and I have examined a number of works from this point of view.

Socialism and Nationalism, edited with an introduction by Desmond Ryan, 1948, (DR/SN)

(Initials in brackets refer to editor and title of books or articles.)

The Workers’ Republic, edited the Desmond Ryan, with an introduction by William McMullen, 1951, (DR/WR).

Labour and Easter Week, edited by Desmond Ryan, with an introduction by William O’Brien, 1949 and 1966, (DR/LEW) Out of print.

There also exists a volume in the same series containing Labour in Irish History and The Reconquest of Ireland. The title is Labour in Ireland, (LI). Introduction by Cathal O’ Shannon; Out of print.

The Best of Connolly, Edited by Proinsias MacAonghusa, Mercier Press, 1967, (BC). Out of print.

James Connolly, Selected Writings, Edited by P. Berresford Ellis, (SW) 50 pence. In print.

James Connolly, Selected Political Writings, Edited and introduced by Owen Dudley Edwards and Bernard Ransome, London: Jonathan Cape, (SPW). £2.47. In print.

(Whereas the four Ryan volumes were hardbacks, the three listed immediately

above (5 to 7) are paperbacks.

There is also a set of quotations from Connolly, arranged according to subject,

and edited by Derry Kelleher. While this is very useful, first it is gestetnered in three booklets and therefore not durable, and second it does not provide a basis on which a reader can study Connolly’s work as it was written.

Although it would be invaluable to speakers or lecturers who wanted a quotation from Connolly on some particular subject, I have therefore excluded it.

THE COLLECTED WORKS

As a basis of comparison, I have made a complete index of all articles, extracts or notes which contain parts of Connolly’s writings (see Appendix). Also, I have rearranged them in chronological order. The point should be made that NONE of the publications of selected works arrange them chronologically, and it is only necessary to run the eye down the chronological list to see the enormous advantage of having this done. It is possible to see the story of Connolly’s life and the development of his ideas as expressed in his own writings.

Here, it was Desmond Ryan who set the fashion. First he believed that Connolly’s views did not show much development during his lifetime (see Ryan’s “Life of Connolly”), and second he was concerned to bring out comparatively small volumes, which would contain examples from various stages of Connolly’s life.

Incidentally, he told me personally that he believed that the four volumes contained almost everything that was worth preserving. I have no doubt that the most important writings are there, but the words “almost all” would be an exaggeration.

This raises the question of the publication of the Collected Works of James Connolly. I raised this question with my own publisher about ten years ago and they were interested but not enthusiastic. I would guess that the total works published and listed in the Appendix would be a comparatively small part of Connolly’s writings, perhaps a third or even less. The venture would therefore require three stout volumes. It would be necessary to engage in careful checking of work attributed to Connolly and a search for work not known at present to be Connolly’s.

It has occurred to me in the past that if some University were interested a committee might be formed, the members of which would undertake some part of the work, and the thing could then be brought out as a collective enterprise. In his book “Selected Political Writings”, Dudley Edwards remarks on the need for the publication of Collected Works and I have often wondered whether, if he were approached, he might not be prepared to form such a committee.

I would say that the enterprise would be too big for immediate interest by the ITGWU, though no doubt there would be blessing on the work if ever it were to be begun.

IMMEDIATE CHOICES

That leaves us with a more limited but difficult choice.

All the books contain valuable material. But there is nothing in the “Best of Connolly” (P. MacAonghusa) that is not in one or other of the Ryan collections. And it would be necessary to ask the Mercier Press if they have any copies left and whether they contemplate re-printing. It should also be commented that the book is not well- produced, and some of the essential writings are abridged.

“Selected Writings” (P. Berresford Ellis) contains items that are not in the Ryan collections, and these include poems, extracts from “Socialism Made Easy”, and military articles. “Selected Political Writings” (Dudley Edwards) contains fifteen items not included in the Ryan collection. It should be noted that the editors explain that they are aware of the Ryan collection and, since it was readily available, they have refrained from publishing material they would otherwise have used, and included material of interest that was not available in Ryan. The Dudley Edwards collection is of an altogether higher standard of scholarship than the work of Ellis and MacAonghusa, though this must not be taken as disparagement of the other authors.

The Ryan collection, however, contains 122 items that are listed in NONE of the other works. That is to say, something like 40 per volume. Some of these are brief extracts included in Desmond Ryan’s carefully written notes. But others are substantial extracts and whole articles. If one allows that “Selected Political Writings” (Dudley Edwards) stands on its own and is in print, then there is the choice between distributing “The Best of Connolly” (MaAonghusa), if available, and “Selected Writings” (Berresford Ellis), either of which contain only about 40 out of 188 possible items. The extracts from “Labour in Irish History” and “Labour, Nationality and Religion”, moreover, are not necessary, as these works are kept in print by New books, Parliament Street, Dublin.

It would seem therefore that, if possible, it would be best to consider the re-issue of the Ryan collection, which was originally printed thanks to the support of the ITGWU. This view was confirmed to me by a bookseller, who said that the Ryan collections had achieved a quite disproportionate prestige and were widely regarded as “The Works of Connolly”. It would also be highly desirable to produce them in hardback as they can serve as walks of reference.

One disadvantage of the Ryan collections has already been noted, namely that the articles are not arranged chronologically. I gave some thought to the question of whether they could be re-arranged. I think this is NOT practicable. First there is the question of copyright. Second, Ryan’s valuable notes bringing together quotations from widely separated periods of Connolly’s life would thereby be invalidated.

Then there was the suggestion that a selection from the Ryan volumes might be brought together into one volume, but that is open to the same objections. Also it is the enormous total range of the Ryan volumes that makes them so valuable.

My recommendation is therefore that, if possible, the publisher of the three collections (excluding “Labour in Ireland”) should be induced to bring them out again, and then Ryan’s work can be available as the most representative collection of Connolly’s writings, pending the publication of his collected works, which are not likely to appear for a long time.

– – –

[An Appendix listing 188 Connolly items follows the above in the original memo, plus a listing of the Introductions made to the above items by, respectively, Desmond Ryan, Willam McMullen, William O’Brien, Proinsias MacAonghusa et al, P. Berresford Ellis and O. D. Edwards et al. That is not reproduced here.]