Historic new photos of Mother Jones rediscovered

Posted on November 4, 2019 by Admin

Mother Jones with Guy Miller (Miner’s Bulletin)

The Cork Mother Jones Committee has received the following photographs of Mother Jones during her visit to Northern Michigan during the Copper Country strike of 1913/14. She went north to the Great Lakes area to address a mass meeting of the union members and supporters. Mother Jones was 76 years old at the time.

The strike, organised by the Western Federation of Miners (WFM), is today best remembered for the Italian Hall Disaster on Christmas Eve 1913 when a false fire alarm at a miners function in a hall in Calumet, Michigan caused a crush and resulted in the deaths of 73 people, mainly children.

Woodie Guthrie’s song “1913 Massacre” tells the story of this disaster.

Mother Jones in Strikers Parade 1913

These photographs were supplied by the Michigan Technological University Archives and the Copper County Historical Collections. We wish to thank Lindsay Hiltunen, University Archivist of the Michigan Technological University.

Mining Strike (Michigan Technological University Archive

We acknowledge also the assistance of Jeremiah Mason Archivist of the Lake Superior Collection Management Centre in Calumet, Michigan. Thanks also to James Goltz of the Mount Olive museum.

Photos from the final day of Spirit of Mother Jones Festival 2018

Posted on August 5, 2018 by Admin

The 7th Spirit of Mother Jones Festival & Summer School came to an end last evening (Saturday, 4th August) with a well-attended toast to Mother Jones at the plaque in her honour at John Redmond Street. The 2018 festival has been a tremendous success with capacity crowds at all our events and a combination of fabulous lectures, film and music.

We wish to thank all those who contributed to making the event such a success.

Here are some photos from Saturday’s events:

Micheline Sheehy Skeffington who gave a fascinating insight into the life and activism of her grandmother Hanna Sheehy Skeffington

Micheline Sheehy Skeffington presentation

William Hammond of the Cork Mother Jones Committee makes a presentation to Micheline Sheehy Skeffington

Frank Connolly who spoke about his new book NAMA-land

Frank Connolly after receiving presentation from Ann Piggott and Ann Rea of the Cork Mother Jones Committee.

Musician Mick Treacy with his daughter Jennifer

Ukelele band providing some of the music at the Butter market plaza

Loretta Williams as “Mother Jones” at the Mother Jones plaque

Rory McCarthy sings at the Mother Jones Plaque

Some of the crowd at the annual Toast to Mother Jones at the Mother Jones Plaque

Loretta Williams as Mother Jones with Ann Piggott of the Cork Mother Jones committee

Ladies in period costume at the Mother Jones Plaque

Some Photos from the First 3 Days of the 2016 Festival

Posted on July 31, 2016 by Admin

Laurence Fenton who spoke about anti-slavery campaigner Frederick Douglass who spent some time in Cork in the 1840s
Historian Luke Dineen who gave a fascinating lecture on Saturday on the Irish Post Office strike of 1922
Two troubadours – singer / songwriter / historian Richard T. Cooke (left) who is also a member of the Spirit of Mother Jones committee with one of Cork’s “national treasures” Jimmy Crowley as they prepare for Jimmy’s performanceat the Maldron at lunchtime on Friday – and he did not disappoint!
Cork’s Lord Mayor Des Cahill with SIPTU’s Jack O’Connor at the Mother Jones plaque on the opening day last Thursday (Photo: William Hammond)
Tish Gibbons from SIPTU’s Strategic Organising Department (right) receives a presentation from committee member Ann Piggott
Anne Twomey of Shandon Area History Group speaking at last year’s Spirit of Mother Jones Festival
Shot of the crowd who packed in for Dr. Sean Pettit’s talk.
Widely respected veteran Cork historian Dr. Sean Pettit gave a most interesting talk and slide show presentation on “The Cork City of Mother Jones”. Dr. Pettit enthralled the capacity crowd with his lecture and some very rare old photos of Cork city.
We were delighted to have in the audience Bernadette Wallace (right) who is the niece of the sisters Sheila and Nora Wallace. Her presence gave a sense that the links between the past and present are much closer than we sometimes realise.
Ger O’Mahony