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Greetings from the Mayor of Boston

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The Cork Mother Jones Committee received an enormous number of messages of support for the recent Spirit of Mother Jones Festival from around the world. Among those received was the following message of support from Martin J Walsh, Mayor of Boston. We are delighted to have received this message of support for the Spirit of Mother Jones Festival and wish to thank  Mayor Walsh for his kind message.    

Letter from the Mayor of Boston

Letter from the Mayor of Boston

Dear Delegates to the Mother Jones Festival,

On behalf of the people of Boston, I extend my warmest greetings to all of you as you stand together for the dignity of working families in Ireland, America, and around the world.

Mayor Martin J. Walsh of Boston. Pic: David Parsons, Creative Commons via Wikipedia

Mayor Martin J. Walsh of Boston. Pic: David Parsons, Creative Commons via Wikipedia

Ireland holds a special place in my heart. Like the young Mary Harris, my parents were emigrants.  I was shaped by the voices and values of Irish working people.  And I share that Irish foundation with many of my fellow Bostonians.  President John F. Kennedy spoke of an “emerald thread” running through the history of the Irish: a resilience in the face of struggle that survives in their descendants around the world. This pattern is woven deeply into the rich and diverse tapestry of Boston’s people.

And the struggles of all working families are never far from my mind. I grew up in a union household;  I’ve belonged to the Laborers union since I was 18 years old; and I’ve spent my career in public service advocating advocating for workers’ rights.  I know that the simple notion of a fair day’s pay for an honest day’s work is far from a simple thing to achieve.  Securing justice takes a hard, complex, and constant struggle.  It takes collective action that can only be accomplished by the kind of community building you are doing this weekend in Cork.

I know, as you do, that this struggle takes place the world over. Like Mother Jones, we must “abide wherever there is a fight against wrong”.  So I thank you for honoring her powerful legacy. And I thank you for shining a modern light on the timeless struggles of working people to defend their dignity and secure their rights.

Sincerely,

Martin J. Walsh

Mayor of Boston

 

 

Thank You message from the Cork Mother Jones Commmittee

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Thank You!

The Cork Mother Jones Committee wishes to thank the many hundreds of people who worked on a voluntary basis in Shandon during the recent 2014 Spirit of Mother Jones Festival to ensure another remarkable success story for this relatively new event. It has been a stimulating week!

It has been another wonderful event, drawing participants from far and wide, local visitors, trade unionists, historians and tourists from many countries to join in the activities of the summer school and festival which celebrated the life, the courage and the spirit of Mary Harris/Mother Jones.
We wish to thank our speakers, film makers, musicians, actors, media representatives and the huge community effort that went into what eventually became a week long event. We acknowledge the support and cooperation of all the people who work at our two venues, the Firkin Crane and the Maldron Hotel.
The responses from many of the several thousand people who attended at some stage during the week has been extremely positive and supportive for both the festival itself and acknowledge the huge and impressive input of the local community in Shandon.
The festival itself is tribute to the hard work and dedication of the members of the Cork Mother Jones Committee,the amazing local community spirit and huge growing international support which exists for the event. To our friends and supporters and those who honour the Spirit of Mother Jones across the world and are in turn inspired by her, we say thank you!

Spirit of Mother Jones festival 2014 in pictures

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A selection of photos taken at the Spirit of Mother Jones Festival, Cork

2014.

Ann Rea, Cork Mother Jones Committee and Firkin Crane with colleague from Firkin Crane. Photo: Jimmy Thomson.

Ann Rea, Cork Mother Jones Committee and Firkin Crane with colleague from Firkin Crane. Photo: Jimmy Thomson.

Evening music session at the Maldron. Pic: Jimmy Thomson.

Evening music session at the Maldron. Pic: Jimmy Thomson.

Music at the Maldron. Photo: Jimmy Thomson

Music at the Maldron with Ray Barron and Two Time Polka. Photo: Jimmy Thomson

Members of the Lions Youth Band, Cheshire

Members of the Lions Youth Band, Cheshire

James Nolan

James Nolan of the Cork Mother Jones Committee, photo taken during visit to the Lord Mayor of Cork, Mary Shields at Cork City Hall. Photo: Jimmy Thomson.

 

Anne Scargill and Betty Cook, Women Against Pit Closures at the Firkin Crane with Yorkshire Mother Jones banner.

Anne Scargill and Betty Cook, Women Against Pit Closures at the Firkin Crane with Yorkshire Mother Jones banner. Photo: Jimmy Thomson

Dave Hopper, Durham Miners Association with Michael Lally, Cork Mother Jones committee with presentation of framed scroll from the miners - at the Mother Jones Plaque, Cork.

Dave Hopper, Durham Miners Association with Michael Lally, Cork Mother Jones committee with presentation of framed scroll from the miners – at the Mother Jones Plaque, Pic: Jimmy Thomson.

Niamh

Niamh who operated video camera, sound and stills throughout the festival. Photo: Richard T. Cooke

Ger McCarthy

Committee member Ger McCarthy distributing shots of whiskey for a toast to Mother Jones at the Garden Party in the Butter Market.

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Local residents. Photo: Richard T. Cooke

John O'Keeffe group

John Nyhan who assisted with the music events with friends at the Mother Jones Garden Party.

Jimmy Crowley group

Jimmy Crowley with Committee members Richard T. Cooke (left) and William Hammond and friend at the Maldron.

James Goltz from the USA enjoying the songs of Jimmy Crowley at the Maldron. Pic: Richard T. Cooke

James Goltz from the USA enjoying the songs of Jimmy Crowley at the Maldron. Pic: Richard T. Cooke

Committee member and website organiser John Jefferies enjoys a quick meal during a break in proceedings.

Committee member and website organiser John Jefferies enjoys a quick meal during a break in proceedings.   Photo: Richard T. Cooke

Ailbhe Mahony, member of the Cork Mother Jones Committee distributing shots of Irish whiskey for the toast to Mother Jones on Mother Jones Day.

Ailbhe Mahony, member of the Cork Mother Jones Committee distributing shots of Irish whiskey for the toast to Mother Jones on Mother Jones Day. Pic: Richard T. Cooke

Jimmy Crowley

Cork troubadour / song historian Jimmy Crowley, a true Cork legend, entertaining people at the Maldron Hotel. Photo: Richard T. Cooke

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Geraldine McCarthy (centre) and Michael Lally of the Cork Mother Jones Committee receiving pennant and presentation from the Lions youth Band, Cheshire at the Mother Jones Garden Party, Cork. Photo: John Jefferies

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Ladies in appropriate period dress with members of Cork Shawlies at the Mother Jones Garden party at Cork Butter Market. Photo: John Jefferies.

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Lions Youth Band, Cheshire perform at the Mother Jones Garden Party, at Cork Butter Market, Shandon.  Photo:  John Jefferies

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Some of those enjoying the Cork Mother Jones Garden Party. Despite rain showers the event was well attended and enjoyed by all. Photo: John Jefferies

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Members of Lions Youth Band making presentation to Cork Mother Jones Committee with Ailbhe Mahony, Geraldine McCarthy and Michael Lally of the committee. Photo: John Jefferies.

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Anne Scargill from Women Against Pit Closures, Yorkshire with Trevor Quinn, SIPTU and Cork Mother Jones Committee. Photo (c) John Jefferies

Tadhg O'Sullivan, Allihies Copper mining museum who spoke on the mining links with Butte, Montana.

Paul Winter, Orgreave Truth and Justice campaign who spoke following the showing of the Yvette Vansons film “The Battle for Orgreave”.

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Betty Cook (left) with Anne Scargill, both of the Women Against Pit Closures group Yorkshire, UK. Photo: John Jefferies

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William Hammond of the Cork Mother Jones Committee introducing a musical act at the Firkin Crane centre. Photo: John Jefferies.

 

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Dave Hopper (2nd from right) of the Durham Miner’s Gala with fellow members, along with friends from Co. Meath.

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Anne Scargill and Betty Cook of Women Against Pit Closures (both in green) with their Mother Jones banner join with US women miners from West Virginia and the Mother Jones banner at the Firkin Crane. Photo (c) John Jefferies

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Lord Mayor Mary Shields with three members of the Spirit of Mother Jones committee – James Nolan, Cllr. Ted Tynan and Michael Lally at the Lord Mayor’s chambers, City Hall.

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Tadhg O’Sullivan of Allihies Copper Mining Museum who spoke of links between those mines and the mining area of Butte, Montana.

 

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Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr. Mary Shields with James Goltz from Mount Olive, Illinois (burial place of Mother Jones). Photo (c) John Jefferies

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Women from Yorkshire at Cork City Hall. L-R: Lynn, Betty Cook, Anne Scargill and Sue.

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Filmmakers Lamprini C. Thoma (centre) and Nicos Ventouras from Greece meet Lord Mayor Mary Shields at City Hall.

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Claire McGettrick speaking at the Firkin Crane yesterday

Claire McGettrick speaking at the Firkin Crane yesterday

Luke Dineen

Luke Dineen

Gareth Peirce arriing at the Firkin Crane theatre, Cork yesterday

Gareth Peirce arriing at the Firkin Crane theatre, Cork yesterday

 

James P. McCarthy (left) with his wife Anne and Richard T. Cooke at the Maldron Hotel yesterday

James P. McCarthy (left) with his wife Anne and Richard T. Cooke at the Maldron Hotel yesterday

Mother Jones 2014 Day 1 008 Mother Jones 2014 Day 1 011 Mother Jones 2014 Day 1 007

Day 2 in pictures

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Sunny weather greeted those arriving for Day 2 of the Spirit of Mother Jones Festival in Cork’s Shandon area yesterday morning.  After breakfast and some tea or coffee on the plaza everyone proceeded to the Firkin Crane Centre for the opening session.   A fascinating talk was given by local Cork historian Luke Dineen on the Cork Harbour Soviet of 1921.

 

Luke Dineen

Luke Dineen

This was followed on by a thought-provoking lecture by David Joyce, Development Officer of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions on the situation in Qatar where thousands of migrant workers are engaged in building stadiums for the 2022 football World Cup in appalling conditions, with over 1,000 deaths of construction workers.  ICTU and international labour organisations are currently campaigning for a rerun of the FIFA vote which awarded the 2022 competition to Qatar.  For more information visit rerunthevote.org

 

David Joyce

David Joyce

Slide showing the stark situation of migrant workers in Qatar building stadiums for World Cup 2022.

Slide showing the stark situation of migrant workers in Qatar building stadiums for World Cup 2022.

 

At lunchtime we had music at the Maldron Hotel with an excellent performance from James P. McCarthy and friends.

James P. McCarthy (left) with his wife Anne and Richard T. Cooke at the Maldron Hotel yesterday

James P. McCarthy (left) with his wife Anne and Richard T. Cooke at the Maldron Hotel yesterday

The afternoon session began, back at the Firkin Crane, with a powerful lecture by Claire McGettrick on the story of the women who were detained in and worked in the Magdalene institutions.  This was followed by a frank discussion on the topic and the ongoing fight for justice of the survivors and their families.

Claire McGettrick speaking at the Firkin Crane yesterday

Claire McGettrick speaking at the Firkin Crane yesterday

The highlight of the event was the thoughtful lecture delivered by solicitor Gareth Peirce on the way in which laws designed to protect citizens and uphold their civil and human rights have often been ignored or nullified by governments and state agencies for political considerations.   The large audience was attentive and engaged with her comments and Ms. Peirce answered a number of questions at the end.   As the session closed, Ger O’Mahony of the Spirit of Mother Jones Committee announced that the 2014 Spirit of Mother Jones Award had been awarded to Gareth Peirce and he presented her with a sculpture depicting the Children of Lír.   Members of the Cork Mother Jones Committee joined Gareth Peirce on stage for photos while the audience gave her a standing ovation.

 

Gareth Peirce arriing at the Firkin Crane theatre, Cork yesterday

Gareth Peirce arriing at the Firkin Crane theatre, Cork yesterday

To end the evening the Mother Jones Gala Concert was held in the Firkin Crane with a host of musicians and performers including Richard T. Cooke and friends, the Cork Rokk Choir, Cork Shakespearean Company, Aoife Delaney, Kieran McCarthy and William Hammond.   This was followed by the Mother Jones Céilí Band at the Maldron Hotel, led by William Hammond who encouraged audience members onto the dance floor for a variety of dance styles including Irish dancing, old time waltz and even line dancing.

Anne Scargill of Women Against Pit Closures (left) with Ailbhe Mahony of the Cork Mother Jones festival and Betty Cook, Women Against Pit Closures.

Anne Scargill of Women Against Pit Closures (left) with Ailbhe Mahony of the Cork Mother Jones festival and Betty Cook, Women Against Pit Closures.

Above are a sample of the many hundreds of photos taken so far at the festival.  We will be adding more in the coming days, especially when the festival is over and we will have time to sort out the photos.

 

 

Gareth Peirce – a lifetime defending the underdog

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Gareth Peirce

Gareth Peirce

Gareth Peirce is well known and respected for her legal defence work in cases involving miscarriages of justice in the British legal system. She is best known in Ireland for her indefatigable work in the 70s and 80s in securing the release of Judith Ward, the Guildford Four and the Birmingham Six. The dramatic television pictures of whose releases have become defining images of a broken and perverted justice system. She also campaigned against the detention of striking miners during the 1984 Miners Strike.

In more recent times she has defended the British Muslim community who have been at the receiving end of State injustice.

Gareth is known to many British Muslims simply as “al-Umm” or “Mother”.

Ms Peirce initially worked as a journalist before taking a law degree and joining the legal firm of Benedict Birnberg. She is today the senior partner of Birnberg Peirce & Partners in London.

The legendary commitment to her clients is very evident, her meticulous pursuit of the inconvenient truth and her razor sharp legal analysis has ensured freedom and justice for many people who placed their faith in Gareth Peirce. She has displayed a deep respect for the experiences of ordinary people or people who may be vulnerable and will relentlessly expose a situation where she believes a blind eye has been turned to suspect methods used to obtain unsafe convictions.

The publication “Dispatches from the Dark Side – On Torture and the Death of Justice” is the definitive work on the abuse of power by some State institutions. Utterly fearless and relentless in pursuit of truth and justice and in the defence of civil rights, Gareth continues to detail the experiences of a new suspect community of young British Muslims and point to the similarities of their experiences to those of the Irish community in Britain a few decades ago.

In a series of cogent and perceptive essays from 2008 to 2010 for the London Review of Books she examined the threats to the justice system, which arise from within. Ms Peirce is adamant that where the law is used for political ends, it will lead also to the subversion of justice itself. Arguing that to protect ourselves for the future, we need to know and examine what has occurred in the past resonates with many people who recognise how true that is in the Irish context.

Her good friend Gerry Conlon passed away recently and at his funeral in Belfast on Saturday 28th June last, Gareth Peirce in her funeral oration described him as a “victorious human being who had stated the truth and finally many people woke up to the injustice”. Gareth Peirce’s words about Gerry could be equally applied to her own huge impact on people and why everyone should question legal injustice.

The Cork Mother Jones Committee is honoured that Gareth Peirce will speak at the Spirit of Mother Jones Summer School on Wednesday evening 30th July at 7.15pm at the Firkin Crane Centre.

 

 

 

Day 2 of Festival – “The Legacy”

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Today (Wednesday, 30th) is Day 2 of the Spirit of Mother Jones Festival in Cork city.   Proceedings begin at 11.00am at the Firkin Crane theatre, Shandon when lecturer Luke Dineen will tell the story of the Cork Harbour Soviet which occurred during the Irish independence struggle in 1921 when militant striking workers flew the red flag over the city’s harbour authority offices and took control of the port for a period.

At 12.0 Noon, David Joyce, development officer of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions will give a lecture on “Qatar… a World Cup graveyard?” in which he will outline the appalling level of well over 1,000 workers to-date, the use of virtual slave labour and other ill-treatment of workers in the building of stadiums for the 2022 World Cup which is due to be held in Qatar.

That will be followed by lunchtime music at the Maldron Hotel by Cork’s own James P. McCarthy.

In the afternoon at 3.00pm back at the Firkin Crane, Claire McGettrick will speak about the Magdalene laundries and the ongoing campaign for justice for women who lived and worked there under conditions of detention and slave labour.

The major event of the evening, also at the Firkin Crane,  will be solicitor Gareth Peirce‘s speech under the title “Defending the Underdog” (see adjacent article for more details).

At 9.00pm at the Firkin Crane the 2014 Mother Jones Gala Concert will take place with Richard T. Cooke and Friends, featuring the Cork Rokk Choir, Cork Shakespearean Company, Aoife Delaney, Kieran McCarthy, William Hammond and many others.

At 10.30pm, to wrap up a very full day, the Mother Jones Céilí Band will perform at the Maldron Hotel.

 

Mother Jones festival begins today!

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Members of the committee of Cork Mother Jones Festival and guests with Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr. Mary Shields

Some of the guests at this year’s Spirit of Mother Jones Festival, along with committee members, being received at Cork City Hall today, by the Lord Mayor Mary Shields.

Cork's Lord Mayor, Cllr. Mary Shields with some members of the Cork Mother Jones Commitee at City Hall this morning (L-R): James Nolan, Cllr. Ted Tynan, the Lord Mayor, Michael Lally.

Cork’s Lord Mayor, Cllr. Mary Shields with some members of the Cork Mother Jones Commitee at City Hall this morning (L-R): James Nolan, Cllr. Ted Tynan, Lord Mayor Shields, and  Michael Lally.

mj_fanfare

The third annual Spirit of Mother Jones opens tonight, heralding the start of a four-day festival of film, debate, music and more in the historic Shandon area on Cork City’s Northside. The festival is the culmination of months of preparation and effort and puts in place an event which has now become established as one of Cork’s most unique festivals, recalling the life and legacy of Mary Harris / Mother Jones, Cork’s rebel daugthter, America’s venerable campaigner.

Today’s events, under the heading “The Gathering”, are as follows:-

Tuesday, 29th July 2014

5.00pm – Official Festival opening at the Maldron Hotel

6.00pm – “Mother Jones, America’s Most Dangerous Woman” – a film by Rosemary Feurer (at the Firkin Crane).

7.30pm – The Cork Mother Jones 2014 Lecture with Professor James Greene of the University of Massachusetts, Boston and author of Death in the Haymarket and the West Virginia Mine Wars.

9.30pm – Cork Singer’s Club perform at the Maldron Hotel.

Beautiful Cork ready to welcome Mother Jones home

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Mother Jones display in window of Nolan's butcher shop, Shandon Street.

Mother Jones display, Nolan’s butcher shop, Shandon St. Pic: Martin Duggan.

 

A few days ago we reported that volunteers were busy preparing the Shandon area of Cork for the Spirit of Mother Jones festival which starts next Tuesday, 29th July.   Today we have some photos to show the results of that work.    Our sincere thanks once again to Shandon Area Resident’s association, local business premises, Cork City Council and local volunteers.

Si Kahn at Shandon

Si Kahn visits historic Shandon. (L-R): Jim Nolan, Si Kahn, Ger O’Mahony and Elizabeth Minnich (more details click pic). Photo: Martin Duggan

 

Flowers around the Mother Jones plaque, John Redmond Street, Shandon, Cork City.

Flowers around the Mother Jones plaque, John Redmond Street, Shandon, Cork City.

 

Flowers in an old milk churn at Cork's historic Butter Market, Shandon.

Flowers in an old milk churn at Cork’s historic Butter Market, Shandon.

Flower baskets at Shandon

Flower baskets at Shandon

Mother Jones in the minefields of West Virginia

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“Mother Jones in the Minefields of West Virginia: An American Adventure Story”

 

Prof. Jim Green

Prof. Jim Green

The 2014 Cork Mother Jones Lecture will be presented by Professor James Green of the University of Massachussets, Boston. The lecture will take place at 7.30 at the Firkin Crane Centre in Shandon on Tuesday 29th July.

James Green was inspired by John F Kennedy’s speech calling racial inequality a “moral issue”, he was stunned by the assassination of Mississippi civil rights leader Medgar Evers that same night. Moved by Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” in August 1963 and devastated by Kennedy’s assassination in November.

 

He worked as an intern in the office of Illinois Senator Paul H Douglas for two summers in 1965 and 1966 and met Senator Eugene McCarthy, whose Presidential primary campaign he joined in 1968. Later he met Senator George McGovern, who had earned a PhD in labour history from Northwestern University.

“All three men played roles in public life I admired”

Jim studied for his own PhD in history with C. Vann Woodward at Yale and became fascinated with the history of radicalism and political protest in the United States.

“My purpose was to study the past to understand injustice in our society-and then to explain how men and women who suffered from injustice gained the will to struggle against it and to strive for a better society”

Jim has worked to fight against injustice and worked for a better society for almost half a century!

The Cork Mother Jones Committee is very honoured to have Professor James Green deliver the third annual Cork Mother Jones Lecture at the Firkin Crane on Tuesday 29th July at 7.30pm.