Cork singer-songwriter performed his new song Mother Jones at the Mother Jones plaque on John Redmond Street in the Shandon Historic Quarter on the final day of the Spirit of Mother Jones Festival 2024 to great acclaim from the large gathering.
You can listen to Martin Leahy’s wonderful new Mother Jones song on the link below.
(Words and music used by kind permission of Martin Leahy)
“Walking boldly in her black shoes
Not a saviour from outside not a saviour from above
She was of and she came from the wounds
Of the working class people the people she loved
Shining through the darkened back roads
A star that lit the way for the ages yet to be
Organizing in the shadows
Freedom for all people in the land of the free
To the struggle where the workers and their families rights were abandoned
From the alleyways the streets and the lanes by the bells of Shandon
Out of Famine out of fever
Out of fire out of grief out on her own
Out of a wounded Mary Harris
Came the healing burning blood of Mother Jones
Striking out across the nation
In the white heat with the strikers side by side
Striking fear into the bosses
They were powerless to stop a revolutions rising tide
Close to the workers and the movements right at the root
Spinning yarns and shaping myths in the service of a bigger truth
We need you in our hearts more than ever today
The rich still burn the earth and the poor still pay
We can hear you in our heads when the spirit won’t give in
Pray for the dead but fight like hell for the living
Across the lines of all religion
Across the lines of race we’ll hold her name
Across the women men and children
The iron heel on all flesh feels the same
Marching to the city with the little ones broken and bruised
To the mansions of wealth built on the crushed bones of youth”
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The award ceremony took place at the Dance Cork Firkin Crane on Friday evening, 26th July 2024. The award was presented to Miss Zeina Allazzeh, the Research and Policy Officer of the Embassy of the State of Palestine in Ireland.
Miss Allazzeh had been nominated by Ambassador Dr. Jilan Wahba Abdalmajid to receive the award on their behalf.
The presentation ceremony took place after a public meeting “Stories of Palestine”, which featured speakers, Walaa Sabha, Fiona O’Rourke and Dr. Nick Maynard.
Response from the Palestinian Ambassador to Ireland, Dr. Jilan Wahba Abdalmajid to the Cork Mother Jones Committee.
9:00 a.m. Peter Foynes: a walk through the birthplace of Mary Harris (Mother Jones). Gather at the Maldron Hotel.
10:30 a.m. Julianna Minihan, (Historian).
11:30 a.m. Owen Reidy, General Secretary of the ICTU.
2:15 p.m. Jack Lane, Aubane Historical Society.
3:00 p.m. Feminist Walk 2 Leaving UCC.
3:30 p.m. The Battle for Orgreave (Documentary)
4:30 p.m. Gerard O’Rourke (Author)
6.00 p.m. Plaque Event with Martin Leahy.
10:30 a.m. field – a Documentary, followed by Q & A with Dervla Baker, Director.
11:30 a.m. John Barry
1:00 p.m. Jimmy Crowley and Eve Telford
2:30 p.m. Environmental Round Table
4:00 p.m. Mother Jones and Her Children – Documentary
March of the Innocent. Documentary
Mother Jones ; America’s Most Dangerous Woman. Documentary
7:00 p.m. Stories Of Palestine.
Speakers: Walaa Sabah, Fiona O’Rourke, Dr. Nick Maynard and Zeina Alazzeh.
8:30 p.m. Presentation of the Spirit of Mother Jones Award 2024.
Dance Cork Firkin Crane.
9:00 p.m John Nyhan & Friends
Carla Gover and CornMaiz.
At Maldron Hotel, Shandon unless stated.
10:30 a.m. Nae Pasaran
1:00 p.m. Official opening by Alderman Dan Boyle, Lord Mayor of Cork.
Special appearance by the Kalyna Ukrainian Community Choir.
2:30 p.m. Adrian Kane “Union Renewal”
4:00 p.m. Fight Like Hell – The Testimony of Mother Jones.
Documentary written and performed by Kaiulani Lee.
Dance Cork Firkin Crane
7:00 p.m. Liz Gillis
‘Is This What They Fought For? Women And Independent Ireland”
Anne Twomey
“A Dauntless Spirit who went on to fight for women in a country where
they were treated like half-wits” Margaret Goulding Buckley.
Dance Cork Firkin Crane.
9:30 p.m. Cork Singers’ Club.
Due to unforeseen circumstances, historian Luke Dineen cannot attend the forthcoming festival.
On Saturday evening 27th July 2024 at the Shandon Maldron Hotel at 4:30 pm, local historian Gerard O’Rourke will instead give a talk about his recently published book “Land War to Civil War 1900-1924 Donoughmore to Cork and Beyond”.
His book chronicles the growth of nationalism in the period which saw an increasing rise of social, political and cultural awareness in the parish of Donoughmore, which in many ways represents a microcosm of the wider changes transforming the political landscape across the Ireland of the time.
From the visits of Michael Davitt of the Land League and William O’Brien MP to the parish to the dangerous heroics of native daughters Nora and Sheila Wallace during the War of Independence in Cork city, Gerard explores the impacts, local, national and international on the parish. Though these exploits and many others, Gerard O’Rourke provide a vivid account of the political awakening gaining momentum in his parish. This is local history at its best!
4:00 p.m. Friday 26th July, Maldron Hotel. Produced by Frameworks Films and Cork Mother Jones Committee.
This film tells the story of Mary Harris (1837 – 1930) from Cork who went on to become known as “the most dangerous woman in America”. Starting with her early years in Cork, the documentary goes on to detail her life in America following the famine, her marriage to George Jones and the birth of her four children. It details the tragedies which befell her. Her growing involvement in the labour movement in America, defending the rights of children and workers is documented. Through interviews with leading experts on Mother Jones, we learn of her fearless and tireless campaign to organise workers at a time of severe labour strife and her international legacy today. Produced by Frameworks Films and the Cork Mother Jones Committee in 2014. Runtime is 52 minutes.
March of the Innocents
5:00 (approx) Friday 26th July, Maldron Hotel Shandon. Produced by Kymme Patrick and Theatre Works.
In this film production we are introduced to Mother Jones (Kymme Patrick) and listen to the children who work in the mines, mills and factories of America in the early 1900s. The bleak dead eyes of the children betray the sense of tiredness and hopelessness of children, who have lost their childhood and are confined to daily slavery.
Enter Mother Jones who exposes the horrible world experienced by these children to a wider public and which is eventually declared illegal. Jones organises the remarkable March of the Mill Children in July 1903 from Pennsylvania to New York, which generates sufficient publicity to raise a wider awareness of child labour, leading to its eventual abolition. Kymme Patrick in this Theatre Works production recreates the sad and sick lives of these innocent children who are working to generate even more wealth for the wealthy. March of the Innocent leaves a lasting impression on viewers. Run time 23 minutes.
Friday 26th July at 5.40 p.m. approx at the Maldron Hotel, Shandon.
Rosemary Feurer & Laura Vazquez.
Mother Jones: America’s Most Dangerous Woman is a documentary about the amazing labour heroine, Mary Harris Jones, known as Mother Jones. Mother Jones’ organising career influenced the history of early 20th century United States. She overcame class and gender limitations to shape an identity that allowed her to become an effective labour organiser in the early 20th century. Mother Jones transformed personal and political grief and rage about class injustices into an effective persona that led workers into battles that changed the course of history. The terrible conditions and labour oppression of the time motivated her to traverse the country, in order to organise against injustices. This film also gives a deeply moving account of the Ludlow Massacre. This is a film by Rosemary Feurer and Laura Vazquez. Release Date 2007 (Canada). Its runtime is 24 minutes.
The Cork Mother Jones Committee wishes to announce that the recipients of the 2024 Spirit of Mother Jones Award are the People of Palestine.
The award will be presented to Ms Zeina Alazzeh of the Embassy of the State of Palestine at the Dance Cork Firkin Crane on Friday evening 26th July after the “Stories of Palestine” meeting which commences at 7pm.
Ms Alazzeh, the research and policy officer at the Palestinian Embassy, has been nominated by the Ambassador of Palestine to Ireland Dr Jilan Wahba Abdalmajid to accept this award which honours the People of Palestine.
James Nolan spokesperson for the Cork Mother Jones Committee stated
“The Cork Mother Jones Committee is pleased to present the 2024 Spirit of Mother Jones Award to the People of Palestine. We remain honoured by the decision of Ambassador Dr Jilan Wahba Abdalmajid to accept this award on behalf of the State of Palestine.
Although in practical terms an award such as this remains almost a trivial offering, we believe it represents a symbolic and heartfelt gesture of support by many Cork people to an entire population facing genocide.
in that we are recording the fact that human beings everywhere should bear witness to the sufferings of Palestinians. Along with the many thousands of people who have marched through Cork City each week and across Ireland since October 2023, we wish to also express our support for the People of Palestine by conferring on them the Spirit of Mother Jones Award.”
Accepting the Spirit of Mother Jones Award, the Palestinian Ambassador to Ireland, Dr Jilan Wahba Abdalmajid, wrote in her letter to the Cork Mother Jones Committee dated 11th July;
“I am so pleased to accept this award which honours the People of Palestine. During this difficult time and while our people in Palestine are experiencing the highest form of misery and catastrophe, we find a glimmer of hope through the Irish people’s support and solidarity. It is heart-warming that there are still nations that stand up for basic human rights, but sadly this is not the case everywhere.
Mary Harris was a brave mother like thousands of Palestinian mothers who lost their children. It is the loss of a mother’s child, and how she could hold back her grief and despair to create a better life. Her commitment to standing up against injustice holds great values that are reflected in this award and we are honoured to be credited with it”
Award citation from the Cork Mother Jones Committee.
The Cork Mother Jones Committee presents the 2024 Spirit of Mother Jones Award to the People of Palestine:
Previous recipients of the Spirit of Mother Jones Award have included Antoinette Keegan, Mary Manning, Louise O’Keeffe, Fr Peter McVerry, Don O’Leary, Mick Lynch, Gareth Peirce, Ann O’Gorman, Maureen Considine and Catherine Coffey O’Brien, Ken Fleming, Dave Hopper and Margaret Aspinall.