A gathering of some former Vita Cortex workers was held at the recent Spirit of Mother Jones Summer School under moderator Anne Piggott, member of the Cork Mother Jones Committee.
Left to Right: Greg Marshall, Jim Power, Sean Kelleher, Denis Ryan, Tom Ronan, Darren O’Keefe (supporter), Helen Crowley. Also present were Connie Griffin and Henry O’Reilly.
The discussion which took place among the former workers was both engaging and inspiring and often very humorous as they discussed events during the 161 day sit-in at the Vita Cortex factory, which manufactured foam for the furniture industry on the Kinsale Road in Cork.
Just before Christmas 2012 on the 16th December, while planning for their Christmas Party, the workers were told the shocking news that the factory was being closed and they were being made redundant and would not receive their pay.
Instead of meekly accepting their lot, the twenty three workers began a sit-in at the factory which continued for 161 day until May 2013 when after negotiations under the Labour Relations Commission between the union and the owners they were paid their full outstanding redundancy payments by the owners of the company.
Anne Taylor, President of the Cork Council of Trade Unions speaking at the Festival. Greg Marshall looks on.
The sit-in which captured the imagination of the country and gained massive support from the local people of Ballyphehane and Cork as well as messages of support from all over Ireland and the wider world, finally ended on 24th May. They appeared on national television and spoke on all the major radio stations as well as obtaining extensive newspaper coverage. Some of their supporters were highly skilled on social media and the story of the Vita Cortex workers basically went viral.
Huge marches of support organised by the Trade Union movement were held in Cork City and attracted great support from the ordinary people of Cork. The Vita Cortex workers were invited to Aras an Uachtarain to meet President Michael D. Higgins, where they had a fantastic day out.
The workers gathered at the Summer School to tell their inspiring story of the one hundred and sixty one day sit-in at the factory during the Spirit Of Mother Jones Festival. They received a standing ovation from the large crowd present. Mother Jones would have been proud of these brave workers.
A presentation was made during the recent festival to Ted Tynan by James Nolan on behalf of the Cork Mother Jones Committee for his help and support over many years for the Spirit of Mother Jones Festival.
James Nolan of the Cork Mother Jones Committee makes a presentation to Ted Tynan.
Ted is a founding member of the committee and worked on many of the initial festivals. He has attended all fifteen festivals and participated in the discussions at events over the years. His advice and his assistance and his experience is valued highly by all of the various committees who organise each festival.
He was involved in selecting the lovely plaque celebrating Mother Jones, which was designed by renowned sculptor Mick Wilkins and erected in Shandon in 2012 for the 175th anniversary of her birth. Today this monument is a noted landmark on the North side of Cork City and is visited by many people from all over the world.
Ted responses to the presentation in the company of the acting Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr. Tony Fitzgerald and Anne Piggott of the Cork Mother Jones Committee..
First elected as a Workers Party Councillor in 1979, Ted retired in May of this year. He has said that he was always inspired by Mother Jones who fought for the workers.
We wish Ted and his wife Carmel well in retirement and we are delighted to make this presentation to him for all his work for the recognition in Cork of Mary Harris who became known as Mother Jones.
Carmel and Ted Tynan at the presentation ceremony.
Left to Right at the Presentation: Ger O’Mahony, Brian O’Rourke, Anne Piggott, and Eadaoin Delaney. Photo: Emma.
Joan Goggin.
Joan was a familiar sight at the festival, dressed as Mother Jones in her Victorian outfit and being present at launches, openings or just attending some of the many events.
When not at the festival she often joined the picket lines at strikes in the city especially whenever nurses were involved.
Daughter of union man Bill Martin, she remembers her father telling her that Jim Larkin used to visit their home on Bandon road, when he came to Cork.
Joan passed away on March 26th 2026. May she rest in peace.
A memorial plaque was presented to her daughter Eadaoin Delaney on behalf of the Cork Mother Jones committee.
Joan Goggin 2022 Spirit of Mother Jones Festival.
Norman O’Rourke
Norman attended many festivals and his stirring bagpipes piped in the Lord Mayors of Cork at the launches and openings of the Spirit of Mother Jones festivals. He was indeed a familiar sight at festivals, matches and Republican ceremonies around Cork and beyond for decades. Norman was thrilled to receive a Lord Mayor’s Community Award in 2024 and he was even more thrilled with his image on a large banner which hung on the Grand Parade for many years where it overlooked the Gaza marches on Saturdays.
Norman passed away on 27th August 2025. To Marie, his wife and to Brian, Dara, Niamh, Breffni and Cliona we extend our sympathy. Brian accepted the plaque on behalf of the O’ Rourke family and afterwards took it to St.Finbarr’s hospital to present to his mother Marie.
May Norman rest in peace.
Norman O’Rourke (Spirit of Mother Jones Festival 2023).
All events take place today at the Maldron Hotel, Shandon.
10:00 a.m. The Big Meeting. A documentary about the annual Durham Miners’ Gala, the largest trade union and community gathering in the UK. Directed by Daniel Draper.
11:30 a.m. Bernardo Guanche Hernandez, Ambassador of the Republic of Cuba to Ireland. Life in Cuba
1: 00 p.m. Club Ceoil Ballyphehane Ballad Group.
2:15 p.m. Grace O’ Sullivan. “Taking Action for the Planet: Life on the High Seas”. In memory of Fernando Pereira (1950-1985)
3:45 p.m. Tadhg Hickey: Writer, film maker, comedian and political activist.
5: 00 p.m. GAZA (2019):
A film by Garry Keane and Andrew McConnell. Portrait of a people and a place prior to the Genocide.
7:30 p.m. “This Land is Our Land: Confronting Extremism and Reclaiming Democracy” Panel discussion: speakers, John Donoghue, Associate Professor of History, Loyola University, Chicago Gema Kloppe-Santamaria, Lecturer, School of Society, Politics and Ethics, UCC. Tom Boland, Lecturer in Sociology in UCC. Moderator: John Barimo.
9:30 p.m. John Nyhan and Friends David King and Friends: Songs of Struggle, Songs of Hope.
Children of GazaArctic SunriseGemma Kloppe-SantamariaGrace O’SullivanJohn DonoghueTadhg HickeyTom BolandClub Ceoil BallyphehaneJohn Nyhan and James NolanDavid King and FriendsCuban Ambassador to Ireland, Bernardo Guanche HernandezDurham Miners Gala
The Kalyna Ukrainian Choir with the then Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr. Fergal Dennehy.
We are very proud of the fact that this choir has appeared in every festival since 2023 and has become a firm favourite across Cork in recent years. It comprises women and men who are now living in Cork following the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the ongoing attacks on their country. In spite of the ongoing war and the personal toll on members the Choir represents Ukraine with pride and distinction. Winners of the Lord Mayors top community prize at Cork City Hall in 2024, this choir perform traditional songs from the Ukraine and their wonderful renderings of the Irish National Anthem “Amhrán Na bhFiann” and “You Raised Me Up” are inspiring.
Kalyna Ukrainian Community Choir should not be missed and their harmonious performances against a background of the war on their people and homeland provide an example of hope for the human spirit to overcome adversity. We look forward to welcoming them back to perform for the fourth time at the opening of the Spirit of Mother Jones Festival, on Thursday 23rd July at 1:00 pm at the Maldron Hotel. All are welcome.
Svitlava Deikun & Victoria Tymoshehuk with the Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Dan Boyle.
The Cork Singers’ Club.
Thursday 23rd July 2026 at 9.30 p.m.
Established in 1993, the Cork Singers’ Club has uniquely featured in every Mother Jones festival since the opening night on 31st July 2012. Eagerly awaited each year, the Cork Singers’ Club will present an evening of songs. It has ensured that the tradition of singing remains alive in Cork, no instruments are allowed. For locals and visitors this is an opportunity to hear songs being sung in a pure manner in front of an attentive audience and an opportunity to sing a song themselves. Club members also gather each Sunday night at An Spailpín Fánach to hone their remarkable art.
Cork Singers Club on Tour. Photo courtesy of William Hammond.
Under the Fear An Tí Jim Walsh, the Cork Singers’ Club represents the unique singing heritage of the people of Cork. Their efforts at this festival to sing songs influenced by Mother Jones is deeply appreciated and songs of trade unions, of working class people and social justice, the well springs of folk and traditional songs are celebrated. Come along and sing your song!
Friday 24th July at 1:00 p.m.
Club Ceoil Ballyphehane Ballad Group
Club Ceoil Ballyphehane, a volunteer-run, non-profit traditional Irish music organization in Cork. Founded in 2008 by Maurice Dineen, the club welcomes participants of all ages and abilities, offering affordable classes on various instruments and group singing. The Club Ceoil Ballad Group consists of local singers and instrumentalists playing guitar, banjo, bodhrán, fiddle, and tin whistle.
Club Ceoil Ballyphehane
Notable highlights from the group include performing “The Hegartys of The Laurels” at Cork City Hall alongside composer John Murphy, as well as frequent performances for local charities like Feed Cork and community gatherings. Club Ceoil runs classes on a Monday night in Coláiste Éamann Rís and on a Tuesday evening in Presentation Secondary School, Ballyphehane. Their performance should not be missed and their first visit to the festival since 2019 is bound to be a memorable one.
Friday 24th July at 9.30 p.m.
John Nyhan and friendsand introducing David King and friends
What can one say about the legendary John Nyhan…? John is a highly versatile musician and singer who has been associated with the Spirit of Mother Jones festival since its beginning.
His contributions to the folk revival, country music and bluegrass music in Ireland has been immense over the years and he is a familiar sight at festivals in the north Cork area. He attends the Willie Clancy Summer School each year. His knowledge of music and those who play and sing is almost encyclopedic. His renderings of ‘Universal Soldier’ andWhere HaveAll the Flowers Gone’ are without parallel in the genre of anti-war songs and John sings them with a rare passion. He is very much at home with folk and protest songs from the 60s and 70s and as this year’s theme is ‘Songs of Struggle, Songs of Hope’ John will be at his best.
John Nyhan. Photo: Claire Stack.
John will introduce a relatively new band from the south side of the city led by American exile David King and his Irish Friends present an uplifting collection of songs of labour and wider struggles, inspired by the likes of Pete Seeger, Luke Kelly, Joan Baez and Woody Guthrie. This largely acoustic set includes some recent works and a fresh take on familiar standards. And maybe a few jigs, and a cowboy song or two. Perfect for celebrating the life and legacy of Mother Jones., the band will perform a wide selection of the songs of protest and struggle. A great evening’s music is assured.
Dave King and Friends.
Saturday 25th July at 6.30p.m. Approx. (At the Mother Jones Plaque on John Redmond Street)
Martin Leahy will again perform his song about homelessness “Everyone Should Have a Home” at the Plaque. He has performed this each Thursday outside Dail Eireann for the past two years and recently declared that he felt he had made his point. His dedication in travelling each week to perform outside the Dail highlighted the great failure of many recent Irish governments. Last year we were honoured that Martin released his new song called ‘Mother Jones’ at the festival. It is available online.
Martin Leahy at the plaque with the late Joan Goggin.
His song “Where We Lay our Bodies Down” remains a fitting tribute to the late Ann Lovett while “Snowflakes“relates to the online attacks on people. Martin sings and plays in the tradition of Woody Guthrie and like woody abhors injustice. He writes his songs with that theme central to words and music. Martin has been very active in exposing the genocide in Gaza and regularly sings also on Saturdays at the Palestinian marches in Cork City.
This year we miss Jimmy Crowley from the Spirit of Mother Jones Festival line up. Jimmy was delighted to play at the Spirit of Mother Jones festival in the early days and has played at all of the Festivals to date. He made the festival Friday lunchtime concert all his own as he returned year after year to play his favourite songs of Cork before appreciative audiences. Many eagerly looked forward to Jimmy’s appearances, year after year.
This year he is recovering back home in Cobh from a very serious illness. On behalf of everyone at the festival, we wish him well and hope to see himself and Eve Telford back at the festival again.
Jimmy Crowley with his book, Songs from the Beautiful City.
This story began with an unobtrusive newspaper planning notice in September 1975 inserted by the Industrial Development Authority (IDA) for a four million pound factory at Ovens Co Cork located about 15 kilometers to the west of the city. Few, if any read the notice as it was placed in the Irish Independent newspaper which had a minuscule readership in Cork among the four daily Irish newspapers. Amazingly the word asbestos, which was to be used in the manufacturing process was not mentioned.
On the 22nd December 1975, Cork County Council gave planning permission for the factory. Members of the local community, preoccupied with Christmas and still completely unaware of what products were to be manufactured on the site did not lodge a planning appeal. Construction commenced.
Back in the USA, the early 70s saw the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) becoming aware of the growing carnage among workers from inhaling asbestos which increased the risk of lung, oesophageal and stomach cancers and a host of other risks. By 1975, the OSHA demanded a further lowering of exposure levels as evidence multiplied and workers died. By 1977 the US Environmental Protection Agency listed asbestos for priority attention. In Europe, Denmark and Sweden already aware of the dangers to workers working with asbestos had begun to ban it.
Yet some US manufacturers had already decided to move asbestos production to countries where enforcement of environmental regulations was either non-existent or not enforced. This was later confirmed by the publication of the ‘Castleman Report’ in 1979 following research by US scientist, Barry Castleman into the export of factories using hazardous or toxic materials.
People began to realise something was amiss when Cork County Council gave planning permission for an asbestos dump at Knockanemore in September 1976. On this occasion Ovens residents appealed the decision as controversy erupted across the area once it became known that Raybestos Manhattan was moving into the factory with the intention of manufacturing ten million brake pads per annum containing quantities of white (Chrysotile) asbestos. Following mounting controversy, the planned dump at Knockanemore was abandoned.
Several individuals commenced legal actions in court to stop the factory, however the cases by local Ovens resident Paddy McFadden and marine biologist Rory Finegan both eventually failed leaving both men with sizable legal bills. A newly formed Womens’ Action Group based in Ovens picketed the US embassy in Dublin, the banners carried by the women read ‘American Co brings Killer Dust to Cork’.
Reassurances about the factory from the IDA, the Cork County Councils, the Irish Industrial Research and Standards (IIRS), trade unions and many politicians fell on deaf ears. The frantic search for a dump for the factory waste asbestos carried on in County Cork as Sreelawn, Nad, Nohoval and Currabinny marsh were mentioned as locations, with predictable outrage in the communities which were now openly challenged the safety reassurances and data being provided. Trust in the State agencies disappeared as reliable and scientific information on the health impacts of asbestos from America and British scientists and activists began to arrive.
Ringaskiddy village is shown in the lower harbour.
Finally Cork County Council sought planning for the dump for asbestos waste at a site it controlled at Barnahely, Ringaskiddy in early 1977. Ringaskiddy, then a seaside village located to the south east of the city on the shores of Cork Harbour was becoming the location for the chemical/pharmaceutical industry. The recently formed Ringaskiddy Residents Association (RRA), which in its founding minutes had stated that it was not opposed to “essential progress and overall prosperity”, objected to the plans for the dump.
The elected members of Cork County Council voted to grant permission by 27 votes to 17. An appeal to An Bord Pleanala by the RRA was rejected in September 1977. As the Raybestos factory commenced production in Ovens, residents in Ringaskiddy commenced a 24 hour picket at the entrance to the site and there were some highly charged meetings held in the local community hall.
Attempts to dump the asbestos waste grew and a violent confrontation took place on 15th May 1978 when a Willie O’Brien truck and a car driven by Ted Deane, the manager of Raybestos Manhattan along with the aid of Gardaí forced its way through dozens of local people along with school children from the nearby school.
Photo of Barnahely, about five years ago. The confrontation took place at the site marked above. Barnahely is on the right and Castle Warren also shows. This area has much changed with the arrival of the new motorway.Barnahely as it was in the 1980s.Truck with the asbestos waste heading for the dump. Source: RTE Archives.
The local newspaper, the Cork Examiner reported as follows;
“The confrontation was extremely violent, reminiscent of a street battle in Derry or Belfast and introduced an ugly new element to the asbestos row. Children were knocked to the ground screaming and crying as the guards broke through the picket lines”
Photo: Richard Mills.
The report states that women were also knocked to the ground children were injured and men engaged in hand to hand scuffles with the Gardaí. A rock was thrown and smashed the window of the Mr Deane’s car. Later that night the waste pellets which had been dumped was dug up and driven some 35 kilometers back to the factory. Emotions were at boiling point after the days events.
Now there were hostile communities at both Ringaskiddy and Ovens and total opposition in any potential dump sites, the controversy mounted in communities all across Cork. A number of activists from the Cork Anti-Nuclear movement networked with people in some of the communities involved in legal and planning actions and had learned the lessons and costs of taking on the state.
Sign at Ringaskiddy.
At the Carnsore Anti-Nuclear festival in 1979, the story of the asbestos war in Cork was debated at workshops and meetings as part of discussions relating to the growth of toxic industry. Subsequently a group of younger environmental and labour activists emerged and linked up in a new group known as the Noxious Industry Action Group. . These determined activists, very loosely organised concentrated on meeting the young workers at the Raybestos factory and supplying them with accurate scientific information on health and safety and the explained the many health dangers which exposure to asbestos fibres posed to their health. Trust was gradually established and the changing factory shifts were met with activists regularly handing out informational leaflets rubbishing the claims of management that risks of working with asbestos were minimal.
Graphics from the time. Author: Unknown.
Through early 1980, these workers and activists were meeting and talking regularly with older men known as laggers who had worked with asbestos or had been employed to remove dangerous lagging from old pipes. Most of those men were experiencing serious health and lung issues and were adamant that asbestos would kill them. Their graphic and visual warnings made a huge impression on observers.
By the spring and summer of 1980, these health and safety issues were being openly raised with the union officials after a number of asbestos spillages within the factory and the protective clothing was unsuitable and inadequate. A series of walk outs and strikes occurred during the summer of 1980, along with workers placing a number of unofficial pickets of the plant.
Graphics from the time: Author: Unknown.
More problems arose at Ringaskiddy as waste was found scattered around the temporary dump and the Ringaskiddy Residents Association threatened High Court action, while even Cork County Council took legal action. By October 1980, Raybestos Manhattan announced they were pulling out. Even in defeat, they blamed the market depression in the US and new regulations in Germany rather than acknowledging the huge impact of the total refusal of Irish communities, workers and environmentalist to believe anything they said.
Even then the lessons were not learned by the official State bodies which deliberately tried to hide the serious dangers of asbestos from the local communities and workers. Trade union activists took the issue of worker safety seriously and the establishment of the Health and Safety Authority in 1989 was the result of demands by unions. The subsequent distrust of the IDA and the Cork County Council resulted in years of environmental disputes in County Cork and Cork Harbour.
Article in Southern Star, Cllr. Braham Brennan, Chairman of Ringaskiddy and District Residents’ Association expresses opposition to the incinerator.
The Merrell Dow Corporation which planned a factory for Killeagh in East Cork eventually pulled out due to widespread opposition. Sandoz faced major planning difficulties over dioxin emissions and a new organisation, the Cork Environmental Alliance emerged. The three week long Sandoz Oral Hearing in July 1990 revealed major shortcomings and flaws in environmental regulation in Ireland. The IDA had also persisted with claims in the media that Cork had lost factories due to local environmental activity. The story of John Hanrahan in Tipperary and the enduring and prolonged environmental protests in Cork forced the politicians to establish the Irish Environmental Protection Agency EPA in 1993.
The residue of distrust continues to this day with the widespread opposition across Cork towards the efforts by Belgian company Indaver which has sought planning permissions to build a toxic incinerator near the village of Ringaskiddy since 2001.
Postscript.
The World Health organisation (WHO) today states “Globally more than 200,000 deaths are estimated to be caused by occupational exposure to asbestos: more than 70% of all work-related cancers. All forms of asbestos including chrysotile are carcinogenic to humans.”
Remembering the Asbestos War in County Cork 1975-1980.
Saturday 25th July 2026 at 11am at the Maldron Hotel, Shandon.
This discussion will be recorded in full for the Mother Jones Archives.
Sources:
Asbestos Killer Dust by Alan J.P. Dalton, British Society for Social Responsibility in Science. 1979.
Guests of the Nation by Robert Allen and Tara Jones 1990.
Raybestos Manhattan and the Development Plans for Cork Harbour. Case Study by Susan Baker.
Local Newspaper and media reports. Discussions with community activists.
The narrative of the historic sit-in at the Vita Cortex plant on the Kinsale Road stands as one of the most remarkable chapters in modern Irish labour history. What began on 16 December 2011 as a sudden, devastating announcement of immediate redundancies and denied severance packages transformed into a legendary 161-day campaign of peaceful resistance, dignity, and collective courage. Faced with an unjust corporate closure, a group of dedicated employees, some boasting nearly half a century of loyal service to the firm, refused to accept financial abandonment. Their collective choice to occupy the premises marked the beginning of an extraordinary journey of industrial unity that captured attention across Ireland and far beyond.
The sheer determination of the staff quickly turned a local dispute into an international symbol of workers’ rights. Strength and resilience within the plant were matched by a massive wave of public goodwill. Supporters from all over the world flooded the workers with messages of encouragement, financial aid, and material resources to sustain the occupation which started a week before Christmas.
President Michael D. Higgins receives the Vita Cortex workers at Aras An Uachtaran. Photo: President.ie.
This immense groundswell of public sentiment drew high-profile endorsements from notable figures across cultural, sporting, and political landscapes. The industrial site became a vibrant hub of community action. The workers received high-profile messages of solidarity from Hollywood star Cillian Murphy, who praised their refusal to accept an obvious injustice, and legendary Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, who personally called to voice his backing. World-renowned intellectual Noam Chomsky also backed the workers, while iconic singer-songwriter Christy Moore met with the employees and publicised their struggle. Boxing champion Katie Taylor reached out and met the workers, all of this endorsement uplifted their campaign at the time. Letters of support, musical visits, and global advocacy proved that when ordinary workers stand together for baseline dignity, the entire world listens.
Vita Cortex workers celebrate settlement. Photo: RTE.
Through unwavering unity and disciplined organisation, the participants successfully secured their hard-earned redundancy payments, proving that collective mobilisation remains a highly effective tool against corporate neglect. Their historic stand fundamentally reshaped public awareness regarding employment rights and ethical commercial practices in Ireland.
Several years after their historic triumph, veterans of the dispute alongside key campaign supporters will take the stage at the upcoming festival. This celebration provides a vital opportunity to look back on a defining local success, honour the courage of those involved, and reaffirm the eternal relevance of solidarity in the modern era.
Jim Power, one of the leaders of the Vita Cortex sit in who will speak at the Panel Discussion.
This special commemorative panel discussion will take place at The Maldron Hotel, Shandon, Cork, on Saturday, 25th July 2026, commencing at 5:00 pm. Admission is free of charge, all members of the public are very welcome to attend on a first come, first seated basis.
Mother Jones celebrating her birthday on the 1st May 1930 at the Burgess Farm in Maryland.
Supporters of Labour and union activist Mother Jones are presently celebrating her “American birthday”, which Mother herself claimed was on 1st May.
Celebrating Mother Jones’ birthday in Chicago are Hector Arellano of the Bricklayers Union and Brigid Duffy as Mother Jones of Chicago. The photo is by the Mother Jones Heritage Project.
This coincides with May Day which is celebrated as workers day across the world and is based on the campaign for an eight hour day by labour unions in America in 1886.
SIPTU plaque at the Haymarket in Chicago.The Haymarket Incident in Chicago.
While the Haymarket incident took place on the 4th May, the subsequent execution of four innocent workers for the deaths of the policemen after a union meeting in Haymarket Square has been commemorated for the past 140 years.
Deeply influenced by the events at the Haymarket, Mary Harris repeatedly refers to the labour martyrs for the eight hour day in her writings and appears to have said later in her life that she was born on 1st May 1830 as part of her Mother Jones persona.
However records at the North Cathedral in Cork show that she was baptised on the first day of August 1837. So she was probably born on the 31st July as children in Ireland were baptised as early as possible after birth. Church records state that Mary Harris was baptised by Fr. John O’Mahony, her parents were Richard Harris and Mary Cotter and her sponsors were James Hennessy and Ellen Leary.
The North Cathedral of St. Mary and Anne, CorkCertificate of birth and baptism.
Of interest is that the baptism font used that morning almost 190 years ago still remains in use today in the Cathedral.
The original baptism font in which Mary Harris was baptised on the 1st August 1837.
So the annual Spirit of Mother Jones festival takes place in the Shandon Historic Quarter in late July to honour Mother Jones’s annual Irish birthday. All are welcome to the events and to attend the annual toast to Mother Jones using the best Irish whiskey at her Plaque in Shandon thus completing the second annual birthday celebrations of this remarkable woman.
The annual toast to Mother Jones at her plaque in Shandon.
In 2026 the dates of the Spirit of Mother Jones festival and summer school are from Thursday 23rd July until Saturday 25th July.
The Cork Mother Jones Committee is very sad to learn of the passing of Joan Goggin. Joan has attended all our festivals since 2012 in the persona and costume of Mother Jones. In that time, she endeared herself to the thousands of people, who have visited the Festival, and became a treasured part of the annual event.
Joan Goggin. Photo, courtesy of Andy Jay
“Joan has made a huge contribution to the Spirit of Mother Jones festivals and we are all saddened by her death. On behalf of everyone associated with this festival we wish to pass on our sympathy to her daughter Eadaoin and granddaughter Aoife who often accompanied Joan and to all her family. Her kindness and positive spirit will be sadly missed by all”
stated Festival spokesperson James Nolan.
Joan was an accomplished actor and singer and always stood up for social justice and the Labour movement. Her father Bill Martin was a branch secretary of the Transport union and she was extremely proud that Jim Larkin would often visit and stay in their house during his trips to Cork.
Joan leading the March of the Mill Children in Shandon in 2019. Photo courtesy of Claire Stack.
Joan in full Mother Jones outfit often joined in with pickets by nurses and other workers in Cork. Her hero was Cork born Mary Harris, whose activities on behalf of miners and workers in America led to her being renamed Mother Jones.
Joan Goggin with UK Trade Union leader, Mick Lynch at the Spirit of Mother Jones Festival. Mick’s father came from Bandon Road in Cork City, near where Joan was born. She referred to Mick as a “neighbour’s child”.Joan with Spirit of Mother Jones Award winner Arthur Leahy and Cork Mother Jones Committee 2025.Joan welcomes Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr. Fergal Dennehy to the Festival 2025.Final performance by Joan at the plaque in 2025.
May Joan rest in peace! We will miss you dear friend.
‘Ní bheidh a leithéid arís ann’
Watch Joan above as she portrays Mother Jones visiting Cork in 1920.
