The dates for the 2024 Spirit of Mother Jones Festival have been announced.

Posted on October 26, 2023 by Admin

The 13th Spirit of Mother Jones Festival will be held in and around the Shandon Historic Quarter from Thursday 25th July until Saturday 27th July 2024 inclusive. The festival will be organised by the Cork Mother Jones Committee 2024, an independent voluntary community based committee. The festival is dedicated to the memory of Mary Harris/Mother Jones and to inspirational people everywhere who fight for social justice, workers rights and human rights.

Mick Lynch, General Secretary of the RMT Union with members for the Cork Mother Jones Committee receives the 2023 Spirit of Mother Jones Award. Photo: Niamh O’Flynn.

The festival and summer school will consist of talks, discussions, songs, music, films and documentaries. We hope to make them interesting, challenging and relevant. If you have a relevant topic which you wish to see included, please email motherjonescork@gmail.com as early as possible but before 29th February 2024 and we will get back to you.

According to James Nolan, spokesperson,

“The 2023 Spirit of Mother Jones festival was without doubt one of the very best we’ve had. Hundreds of people from all corners of Ireland and across the world visited Shandon and many events had a capacity audience. Trade union leader Mick Lynch was an outstanding speaker, he attracted a huge attendance to the Firkin Theatre and was delighted to be back in the city of his father and the extended Lynch family. All the speakers, musicians, singers, choirs, many participating for the first time, ensured a lively three days. Even the traditional Irish whiskey toast to Mother Jones was packed. We are already looking forward to the 2024 festival.”

All are welcome to attend the 2024 Spirit of Mother Jones Festival and Summer School, events are informal and free thanks to the support of the Irish trade union movement and the Cork City Council. Attendance at each event is on a first come, first seated basis, so no need to book. We look forward to seeing you.

Neighbour’s Children in Cork. Mick Lynch speaks about his Irish Roots and Mother Jones.

Posted on August 10, 2023 by Admin

Mother Jones (Joan Goggin) meeting with Mick Lynch, General Secretary of the RMT Union at the 2023 Spirit of Mother Jones Festival.

Joan’s dad, Bill Martin was a branch secretary of the ITGWU for several years. When Jim Larkin visited Cork, he usually called to the Martin family home on Bandon Road for a meal and a chat.

Just a short distance down Bandon Road near Warren’s Lane was the family home of the Lynch family. Mick Lynch’s dad, Jackie Lynch emigrated from Bandon Road to London at the beginning of the Second World War.

Mick’s mother was Ellen “Nellie” Morris, who left Crossmaglen in South Armagh to go to London during the Blitz. Her brother, Mickey still runs the farm in the area.

Labour history resonates among neighbour’s children.

Watch interview between Emma Bowell of Frameworks Films with Mick Lynch at the 2023 Spirit of Mother Jones Festival.

Updated 10th January 2025:

Mick Lynch has announced that he retire as General Secretary of the RMT Union in May 2025. After four years of General Secretary of the RMT and thirty years involved in the union, he has decided to step down. Mick became the public face of the trade union movement from 2022 to 2024 during the rail strikes in Britain, a period in which he articulated in a straight forward manner the socialist perspective of his working class members. In many interviews, he destroyed a series of right wing interviewers and media outlets inhabited by Tory commentators who sought to disparage his unionised train drivers who were on strike. The Cork Mother Jones Committee wishes Mick Lynch a happy retirement and congratulates him again on being selected to receive the Mother Jones Award for 2023.

Spirit of Mother Jones Festival 2023. Further Highlights.

Posted on August 3, 2023 by Admin

We include further photographs from the wonderful 2023 Spirit of Mother Jones Festival.

Eoghan Daltun spoke about his recent book, “An Irish Atlantic Rainforest, A personal journey into the Magic of Rewilding,” which has become a best selling publication and something of a bible for many environmentalists seeking to do something practical to encourage bio diversity.

The Cork Singers’ Club had a very big turnout for their twelfth successive appearance at the opening night of the Spirit of Mother Jones Festival. Led by William Hammond, members sang a series of songs, which kept the bar at the Maldron singing for many hours.

Ger Mullally and John Barimo officiating at A Sense of Wonder, a documentary on Rachel Carson by Kaiulani Lee.

Eadaoin and Aoife Delaney with Mother Jones.

Spirit of Mother Jones Festival 2023. Some Highlights.

Posted on August 1, 2023 by Admin

A look back at some of the many highlights of the 2023 Spirit of Mother Jones Festival which finished on Saturday evening July 29th at the Maldron Hotel, Shandon. If anybody has further photographs to share, please email them to motherjonescork@gmail.com.

Many people ask about the source of the wonderful portrait of Mother Jones. It was painted by American artist, Lindsay Hand (https://www.lindsayhand.com/), commissioned by the Consulate-General of Ireland in Chicago.

The original painting is on display in the consulate. We wish to thank artist Lindsay Hand and Irish Consul Kevin Byrne for their permission to use and Rosemary Feuer for all her assistance.

Ann Piggott of the CMJC presents Mick Lynch with a portrait of Mother Jones.

Happy Historians, Liz Gillis and Anne Twomey outside the Dance Cork Firkin Crane.

Mick Lynch speaking at the 2023 Spirit of Mother Jones Festival.

Large numbers attended most of the events during the three days of the Festival. In many instances, we had an international audience present. We had excellent debates, discussions and participation in the proceedings, and the Cork Mother Jones Committee is very grateful for their active and respectful role in the question and answer sessions. Our special thanks to all speakers, musicians, singers and everyone else who gave us their time during the festival.

The Wonderful Cork Ukrainian Choir in full voice.

Our thanks to Mary Crilly and Angela Flynn for a very interesting discussion.

Johnny Nyhan leading the tribute to Victor Jara.

Everyone Should have a Home.

Posted on July 30, 2023 by Admin

Cork Singer Songwriter, Martin Leahy brought the curtain down on the Spirit of Mother Jones Festival 2023.

Martin travelled to Dublin every week for a year, to stand close to the Dáíl and sing his song, “Everyone Should Have a Home”.

Playing before an enormous crowd on John Redmond Street on Saturday evening, Martin sang an emotional Everyone Should Have a Home under the Mother Jones Plaque. Earlier he sang tributes to Sinead O’Connor and Ann Lovett.

Some of the large crowd at the Spirit of Mother Jones Festival.

This was followed by the traditional whiskey toast to Mother Jones at the plaque.

Members of the Cork Mother Jones Committee.

Earlier we had talks from historians, Luke Dineen and Pat Murphy, who was brought up in Ballyphehane and is now Chairperson of the Nottingham Irish Centre.

It is fair to say that those watching the film Secrets From Putamayo won’t forget it for a long time. It may go a long ways towards ensuring that the work of Roger Casement is appreciated more.

An early start saw historian Peter Foynes take people on a fascinating trip around the historic Shandon district. Maggie O’Neill conducted a large Feminist walking tour around the north side of the City.

It has been a wonderful festival.

Crowd at the Spirit of Mother Jones Festival.

Cork Chilean Community Remembers Victor Jara (1932-73).

Posted on July 29, 2023 by Admin

The Spirit of Mother Jones Festival continued in Shandon on Friday, all speakers were excellent. Again, we had some packed attendances and we had great performances from Jimmy Crowley, Eve Telford, Johnny Nyhan, William Hammond, and members of the Chilean community in Cork.

Cork Chilean Community Remember Victor Jara.

William Hammond, Jimmy Crowley, Eve Telford and Richard T. Cooke.

Mary Crilly and Angela Flynn of the Cork Mother Jones Committee.

Niamh Guiry, speaker with John Barimo, Cork Mother Jones Committee.

Large Attendances at the Spirit of Mother Jones Festival.

Sharon and James Goltz, all the way from Mt. Olive, the resting place of Mother Jones.

Festival Programme Saturday 29th July 2023.

Posted on July 29, 2023 by Admin

9:30 a.m. Peter Foynes historic walk. (meet at Maldron)

11:00 a.m. Secrets from Putamayo.

2:00 p.m Luke Dineen.

3:15 p.m. Pat Murphy

4:30 p.m. Maggie O’Neill.

6:00 p.m. Mother Jones Toast at Plaque, Martin Leahy.

The Cork Ukrainian Choir Sings with the Lord Mayor of Cork.

Posted on July 28, 2023 by Admin

The Cork Ukrainian Choir yesterday opened the Spirit of Mother Jones Festival with a stunning musical performance. The Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr. Kieran McCarthy accompanied them on “Danny Boy”. It was a wonderful occasion from a fantastic choir.

Some of the Cork Singers Club at the Maldron Hotel.

Mick Lynch Receives the 2023 Spirit of Mother Jones Award.

Posted on July 28, 2023 by Admin

The 2023 Spirit of Mother Jones Award was presented yesterday to Mick Lynch by James Nolan at the Spirit of Mother Jones Festival in Shandon in front of a capacity at the Dance Cork Firkin Crane.