Cork Socialist Party Explained

The Cork Socialist Party was a minor political party based in Cork, Ireland. It was founded in 1945,[1] and was formed in the aftermath of the Irish Labour Party expelling the members and disbanding the Cork Liam Mellows Branch of the Party which had only been formed in 1944.[2] Spanish Civil War veteran Michael O'Riordan was the secretary other notable members included Jim Savage and Gerry Higgins (who like O'Riordan had been a member of the Liam Mellows branch of the Irish Labour Party),[3] other notable members were Derry Kelleher, Kevin Neville and Máire Keohane-Sheehan.[4] [5]

The Cork Socialist Party ran a number of public lectures on topics like 'science and socialism', 'on the Jewish question', 'Cork Pioneers of Socialism (William Thompson)'.[6]

In 1945 the party ran Micheal O'Riordan for a seat on Cork Corporation, he was narrowly defeated being eliminated on the last count.[7] O'Riordan also ran in the 1946 by-election in Cork Borough receiving 3,184 votes.[8] O'Riordan went on to join the Irish Workers Party and eventually become general secretary of Communist Party of Ireland when it was formed.[9]

Notes and References

  1. Political Parties in the Republic of Ireland by Michael Gallagher. Manchester University Press,1985 (pg. 97-8).
  2. http://www.irishdemocrat.co.uk/features/jim-savage-an-obituary/ Obituary Jim Savage(1923-2005)
  3. http://www.irishlabour.com/JimLane/Jim-Lane-Misc-Notes.pdf MISCELLANEOUS NOTES ON REPUBLICANISM AND SOCIALISM IN CORK CITY, 1954–69 By Jim Lane
  4. Buried Alive in Ireland by Derry Kelleher. Justice Books, 2001 (pgs. vi,36, 76).
  5. Máire Keohane-Sheehan was the sister of O'Riordan's wife Kay Keohane-O'Riordan http://www.communistpartyofireland.ie/spainn-en.html.
  6. http://www.iol.ie/~rjtechne/century130703/sciensoc/ils01.htm Century of Endeavour Review of Buried Alive by Dr Roy Johnston 2001
  7. Web site: The Communist Party of Ireland A Critical History, Part 3 by Dr. Connor Lysaght, 1976 . 23 February 2011 . 3 March 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160303173536/http://www.workersrepublic.org/Pages/Ireland/Communism/cpihistory3.html . dead .
  8. http://www.electionsireland.org/result.cfm?election=1944B&cons=50&ref=44 Cork Borough By Election - 14 June 1946
  9. http://www.communistpartyofireland.ie/s-oriordan.html Some famous Irish communists Michael O’Riordan (1917–2006)

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