Some Photos from the First 3 Days of the 2016 Festival

Laurence Fenton who spoke about anti-slavery campaigner Frederick Douglass who spent some time in Cork in the 1840s
Historian Luke Dineen who gave a fascinating lecture on Saturday on the Irish Post Office strike of 1922
Two troubadours – singer / songwriter / historian Richard T. Cooke (left) who is also a member of the Spirit of Mother Jones committee with one of Cork’s “national treasures” Jimmy Crowley as they prepare for Jimmy’s performanceat the Maldron at lunchtime on Friday – and he did not disappoint!
Cork’s Lord Mayor Des Cahill with SIPTU’s Jack O’Connor at the Mother Jones plaque on the opening day last Thursday (Photo: William Hammond)
Tish Gibbons from SIPTU’s Strategic Organising Department (right) receives a presentation from committee member Ann Piggott
Anne Twomey of Shandon Area History Group speaking at last year’s Spirit of Mother Jones Festival
Shot of the crowd who packed in for Dr. Sean Pettit’s talk.
Widely respected veteran Cork historian Dr. Sean Pettit gave a most interesting talk and slide show presentation on “The Cork City of Mother Jones”. Dr. Pettit enthralled the capacity crowd with his lecture and some very rare old photos of Cork city.
We were delighted to have in the audience Bernadette Wallace (right) who is the niece of the sisters Sheila and Nora Wallace. Her presence gave a sense that the links between the past and present are much closer than we sometimes realise.
Ger O’Mahony