The Revolutionary period and the subsequent creation of the Irish Free State and later the Republic has given rise to some amazing family stories. Very few can surpass the story of Sean Dunne, a Trade Union organiser, mentored by Jim Larkin and later Labour Party TD.

Filmed in West Cork, this discussion with local historian and author Diarmuid Kingston reveals the account of the Ahawadda Ambush (located on the road to Ring outside Timoleague) on 10th May1920, in which three Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) lost their lives in an ambush. This was the greatest loss of life of old RIC members in a single ambush in West Cork during the War of Independence.

Among them was Constable Edward Dunne from Co Laois. He was 32 years old, married to Bridget Coppinger, a school teacher with two children. Their young son Sean, was born in December 1918 in Timoleague. Constable Edward Dunne was buried quietly in Raheen in Co Laois.

Sean grew up in Waterford and Wicklow and in the late 30s was arrested and served time in the Curragh Internment Camp for Republican activities. He came under the influence of Jim Larkin and the Workers’ Union of Ireland and became one of the most effective union organisers in rural Ireland in the 1940s, founding the Federation of Rural Workers (FRW), which had up to 20,000 members at its height.

As its General Secretary, he organised countless strikes among rural workers and was instrumental in campaigning for and obtaining the weekly half day for his members in the early 1950s.

Later he was elected a TD for the Labour Party, when he was just 28 years old, and became one of the most colourful elected public representatives in the Dail. He had the record of being ejected from two parliaments, Dail Eireann and Stormont, as well as British Labour Party conferences.. Once labelled “an extreme communist” by Sean MacEntee,

Sean Dunne was described by one political correspondent as being “in daily conflict with Authority on cases of social justice, on the side of the lost nobodies of the world”.

Dunne was a serious and witty orator and had a sharp turn of phrase when required.  When the Fianna Fail party which in government under Taoiseach Jack Lynch established a secretive business financial support group known as An Taca (1966-1969). Dunne led the charge when he compared the organisation to the “Costa Nostra”.

“I was supplied with a list of the Capo Mafiosi…..is that what one would call them, the captains of the Mafia?.”

He then named Charles J Haughey, the Minister for Finance as the leader of An Taca. It was devastating criticism and contributed to the decline of the business ‘clique’ which provided financial support to Fianna Fail. 

He retained his republican views although his socialist principles remained undimmed. Very opposed to colonialism, Dunne was one of the very first to raise the appalling treatment and torture by the British army of the Kenyan people in their efforts to defeat the Mau Mau uprising in the early 50s.

With the aid of an extremely loyal working class support base he was elected to the Dáil in 1951 and 1954 elections but he ran into financial trouble and was declared bankrupt in 1956. 

Sean Dunne married Cora Ryan in June 1956, Cora was one of eight children of Seamus and Agnes Ryan from Co Tipperary. The Ryans had initially set up the Monument Creameries in 1919 and had turned it into a very successful enterprise comprising 33 shops selling fresh foodstuffs around the Dublin area. The business was run by Agnes Ryan, following the death of her husband in the 1930s.

A subsequent appeal by Dunne to the Supreme Court was successful in November 1957,  but it was too late to save his Dáil seat as he could not stand in the March 1957 election. Cora and Sean struck for London where they worked for 3/4 years before returning.  Having burned many bridges with the Irish Labour Party, he instead stood and was elected as an Independent Labour TD, with the support of Labour party activists from all over Dublin. The Labour Party could not ignore his support of their own members and he was readmitted to the party in 1963 and he was re-elected to Dáil Eireann in 1965 and 1969.    

His famous Leabhar Ballyfermot which he always carried contained the details of his constituents’ problems. Trade union organiser, writer, playwright, orator, Irish speaker and campaigner for social justice, this west Cork born politician died suddenly following the General Election in 1969.

His funeral at the Pro-Cathedral was attended by President Eamonn De Valera, Taoiseach Jack Lynch, Fine Gael Leader Liam Cosgrave and the Cabinet and thousands of workers.

He had travelled a very long road in life and his virtual State funeral was in stark contrast to that of his father who was buried quietly in a graveyard in Co Laois almost 50 years earlier.

Brendan Corish gave his graveside oration.

“Sean Dunne’s death has robbed the Labour movement of one of its strongest personalities, the working people of Ireland of one of their most formidable defenders and Dail Eireann of one of its most able parliamentarians.

His entry into politics coincided with his long and bitter struggle to organise the rural workers of Ireland into a trade union and establish their entitlement to just wages and humane conditions

His identification with the causes of the defenceless and lower paid sections of the community were legendary, springing from his youth and his association with Big Jim Larkin under whom he served his trade union apprenticeship.

Sean Dunne lived a full life, became a legend in his own lifetime, a privilege given to few men”

Sean Dunne born in Timoleague in West Cork on 18th December 1918, died on 25th June 1969, aged 50. Son of an RIC father and teacher mother. Active Republican. Imprisoned and Interned. Labour and Trade Union organiser. General Secretary of the Federation of Rural Workers (FRW) Elected to Bray Town Council and Wicklow County Council. Elected to Dail Eireann 1948 Labour Party TD Dublin County. Elected to Dublin County Council Re-elected to Dail Eireann 1951 and 1954. Elected Alderman to Dublin City Council Elected to Dail Eireann Independent Labour TD 1961 Re-elected to Dail Eireann Labour Party TD 1965 and 1969. Freelance Journalist. Playwright and Orator. Achieved the Half-Day for rural workers.  

In this film documentary discussion with Diarmuid Kingston, we look at the Ahawadda Ambush and we examine the subsequent life of Sean Dunne T.D. Diarmuid is the author of Beleaguered (A History of the RIC in West Cork during the War of Independence) and has written extensively on the period. The film will be shown during the forthcoming Spirit of Mother Jones festival and forms part of our contribution to Cork Commemoration 1920-23.

Visit www.motherjonescork.com and festival Facebook from November 23rd for the full programme as well as the links to join in the festival from Thursday 27th November to Monday 30th November.

Update: On Saturday August 13th 2022, relatives of the three RIC men killed at the Ahawadda Cross ambush of May10th 1920 unveiled a memorial to remember the events outside Timoleague on that Monday afternoon.

Originally postponed due to Covid-19, the dignified ceremony took place in the presence of a gathering representing families on both sides of the ambush. Following a blessing of the monument, local historian Diarmuid Kingston gave an account of what took place on the nearby road.

Constable Edward Dunne, the father of labour and union activist Sean is listed among those who died on that day.   Perhaps one day, the people of Timoleague will erect a monument to one of their famous sons!