The Cork Mother Jones Committee (CMJC) is an independent voluntary and community-based group founded in 2011.
Each annual festival is organised by the committee members of that year. We promote the spirit of Cork-born labour activist Mary Harris known as Mother Jones. Our festivals are designed to be relevant, exciting and challenging.
All money received through sponsorship, donations and fundraising go directly towards organising and promoting the festivals. Our aim is to ensure that our events remain open and freely accessible to everyone with the cooperation of the speakers, performers and artists, working along with the Shandon Community and the CMJC.
You can contact the Cork Mother Jones Committee at motherjonescork@gmail.com
or by telephoning Gerard O’Mahony (+ 353) 86 3196063 (mobile) or Jim Nolan at (+353) 86 1651356 or Ann Piggott at (+353) 86 9031282.
If you would like to submit your suggestions for the next festival, please email us using the email address above as soon as possible.
For further information and updates, follow our Social Media. Our Facebook page can be found at: https://www.facebook.com/MotherJonesCork/, and our Twitter account can be found here: https://twitter.com/motherjonescork?lang=en.
The Spirit of Mother Jones Festival 
Michael Kerrigan from Derry wrote a play called For the Love of Comrades (Pits and Perverts).. This play toured England, Wales, Northern Ireland and was also produced in San Francisco. The story is about two gay men living in Brixton during the miners strike and house two Welsh miners. I was at your Mother Jones Festival a number of years ago and think that this play would be worth your while to show during your festival. Maybe a Cork theatre company would take it on.
Are the festival and song competition still taking place this summer 2019?
On October 11, 2020, the real Mother Jones Museum and the Union Miners Perpetual Care Committee in Mount Olive Illinois created a Miners Day event in remembrance of the miners who were shot and or died in the October 12, 1898, Battle of Virden Illinois. Loretta Wymer Williams, aka, Mother Jones, the only MJ actress to have performed in both her birthplace and her final resting place warned us all to “be forever vigilant” during this short video of her performance that day: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVFLsvnt0A4&t=2s
Dear All,
As you recently wrote about Tadhg Barry, you might also be interested in a project inspired by his life, which I recently completed for the Cork City and County Archives.
The resulting artwork formed part of the Archives permanent exhibition. You can also view the included images on my website:
https://soundofphotography.com/personal-work/Blarney-Street-Revolutionaries
Please let me know if you have any comments or questions,
Kindest regards
Marcin
I live in Vermont in the U.S. I have been smitten with the history of Mother Jones for more than twenty years. I’m seriously considering attending the festival in Shandon in July 2022. When will you be posting more information about it? What would you recommend for accommodations and which airport to fly into (Dublin, Shannon, Cork)? From those airports, is there rail service to Shandon? Any advice or information is welcome.
I’ve been merely a visitor from England to the festival but I highly recommend it. Cork airport is the one you need, not far from Cork city where the festival is held. Shandon is a district in Cork city, a short walk from the city centre. Mother Jones was born in Shandon. Depending on your finances I’d recommend the Maldron hotel, which also acts as a sort of social base for those involved in the festival. That’s about all I can tell you, but if you have any other specific questions I’ll do my best to help. Peter Lazenby, Reporter, Morning Star newspaper.
Hi Monica.
You will be very welcome at the forthcoming Festival. The events will be posted on a very regular basis on the website and social media throughout June and July. We will have over twenty events over the three days. You will more than likely arrive in Ireland either at Shannon Airport or Dublin Airport. There are very good rail and bus links to Cork City from either airport. The social hub of the festival is in the Shandon Maldron Hotel, and if you wish, you can book accomodation there. There are numerous guest houses and hotels throughout Cork City. Please come back on the email address motherjonescork@gmail.com, if you are having any difficulties.