Seán Ó Cionnaith
Encyclopedia
Seán Ó Cionnaith was an Irish socialist republican
politician
, and a prominent member of The Workers' Party
.
Ó Cionnaith joined the Irish republican movement as a teenager, and in the late 1950s he became a very important worker for na Fianna Éireann
, the movement's youth section. He spent some periods of work in England but eventually based himself in Dublin where he continued as a member of Sinn Féin
.
Ó Cionnaith was a supporter of the efforts to move Sinn Féin into a more socialist position and was a close confidante of figures such as IRA Chief of Staff Cathal Goulding
, along with Seán Garland
and Tomás Mac Giolla. He strongly opposed the emergence of the Provisional IRA, regarding its campaign as sectarian.
During the 1960s and early 1970s, Ó Cionnaith showed a flair for agitational politics and used his skill to develop a number of campaigning organisations including the Dublin Housing Action Committee
, the Gaeltacht Civil Rights Movement (Coiste Cearta Síbialta na Gaeilge
), the Resources Protection Campaign and the campaign to end the control by private landlords over the fishing rights to Irish rivers and lakes.
Among the many organisations he was involved with were:
He strongly identified with the socialist cause and its internationalist outlook and was involved in many solidarity campaigns with nations under attack from imperialism, including Cuba, Korea, Nicaragua and Vietnam.
In the 1970s he became joint General Secretary of Official Sinn Féin (later Sinn Féin the Workers Party and ultimately The Workers' Party) along with Mairín De Burca. He was also responsible for the official republican movement's publicity section at this stage.
Ó Cionnaith served as Director of International Affairs of the Workers' Party for many years, and was the party's representative in the United States during the early 1970s.
In the 1980s and 1990s he continued his agitational politics, especially in the Ballymun area on Dublin's northside where he was a tireless worker on behalf of the ordinary people of this neglected working class community. Much of his work came to fruition with the total redevelopment of Ballymun.
He remained with the Workers' party after the split which led to the formation of Democratic Left
.
Ó Cionnaith was co-opted as a member of Dublin City Council
in the mid 1990s. Most notable was his leading role in the campaign for the replacement of dangerous and reliable lifts in the Ballymun
high-rise complex which saw the local community win a landmark court case against the local authority. He lost his Council seat in 1999 and was unsuccessful in standing for the 2002 Dáil election in Dublin North West.
On 15 February 2003 Seán Ó Cionnaith joined over 100,000 Irish people who participated in a major march in Dublin against the impending US / UK led invasion of Iraq. He died suddenly early the following morning. He was cremated at Glasnevin Cemetery
, Dublin, and buried in Creagh cemetery, Creagh, Ballinasloe County Galway
.
Married to Philomena Donnelly in the early 1980s and separated with two sons.
Irish Republicanism
Irish republicanism is an ideology based on the belief that all of Ireland should be an independent republic.In 1801, under the Act of Union, the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland merged to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
, and a prominent member of The Workers' Party
Workers' Party of Ireland
The Workers' Party is a left-wing republican political party in Ireland. Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970 after a split within the party, adopting its current name in 1982....
.
Fianna Éireann
The name Fianna Éireann , also written Fianna na hÉireann and Na Fianna Éireann , has been used by various Irish republican youth movements throughout the 20th and 21st centuries...
, the movement's youth section. He spent some periods of work in England but eventually based himself in Dublin where he continued as a member of Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
.
Ó Cionnaith was a supporter of the efforts to move Sinn Féin into a more socialist position and was a close confidante of figures such as IRA Chief of Staff Cathal Goulding
Cathal Goulding
Cathal Goulding was Chief of Staff of the Irish Republican Army and the Official IRA.One of seven children born into a republican family in East Arran Street in the north inner city of Dublin, Goulding was involved as teenager in Fianna Éireann, the IRA youth wing which he joined with his...
, along with Seán Garland
Seán Garland
Seán Garland is a former President of the Workers' Party in Ireland.-Early Life:Born at Belvedere Place, off Mountjoy Square in Dublin, Garland joined the Irish Republican Army in 1953. In 1954, he briefly joined the British Army as an IRA agent and collected intelligence on Gough Barracks in...
and Tomás Mac Giolla. He strongly opposed the emergence of the Provisional IRA, regarding its campaign as sectarian.
During the 1960s and early 1970s, Ó Cionnaith showed a flair for agitational politics and used his skill to develop a number of campaigning organisations including the Dublin Housing Action Committee
Dublin Housing Action Committee
The Dublin Housing Action Committee was a 1960s protest against housing shortages in Ireland's capital city.It arose from a serious shortage of affordable housing, combined with a large number of properties standing empty. It also functioned as a way for a broad range of left-wingers in the...
, the Gaeltacht Civil Rights Movement (Coiste Cearta Síbialta na Gaeilge
Coiste Cearta Síbialta na Gaeilge
Coiste Cearta Síbialta na Gaeilge was a campaigning organisation established in the Irish speaking Gaeltacht areas of Ireland in 1969 to highlight the decline of the Irish language and to campaign for greater rights for Irish speaking areas in the area of access to services, broadcasting and...
), the Resources Protection Campaign and the campaign to end the control by private landlords over the fishing rights to Irish rivers and lakes.
Among the many organisations he was involved with were:
- National Association of Tenants Organisations - (National PRO)
- National Waterways Restoration Campaign - (founding member)
- Dublin Housing Action CommitteeDublin Housing Action CommitteeThe Dublin Housing Action Committee was a 1960s protest against housing shortages in Ireland's capital city.It arose from a serious shortage of affordable housing, combined with a large number of properties standing empty. It also functioned as a way for a broad range of left-wingers in the...
- (founding member) - Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign
- Irish Anti-Apartheid Movement
- The Peace Train OrganisationPeace Train OrganisationThe Peace Train Organisation was a campaign group set up in 1989 in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland in response to the repeated bombing of the Dublin to Belfast railway line by the Provisional IRA....
- (founding member) - Northern Ireland Civil Rights AssociationNorthern Ireland Civil Rights AssociationThe Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association was an organisation which campaigned for equal civil rights for the all the people in Northern Ireland during the late 1960s and early 1970s...
- Ireland-Korea Friendship Organisation
He strongly identified with the socialist cause and its internationalist outlook and was involved in many solidarity campaigns with nations under attack from imperialism, including Cuba, Korea, Nicaragua and Vietnam.
In the 1970s he became joint General Secretary of Official Sinn Féin (later Sinn Féin the Workers Party and ultimately The Workers' Party) along with Mairín De Burca. He was also responsible for the official republican movement's publicity section at this stage.
Ó Cionnaith served as Director of International Affairs of the Workers' Party for many years, and was the party's representative in the United States during the early 1970s.
In the 1980s and 1990s he continued his agitational politics, especially in the Ballymun area on Dublin's northside where he was a tireless worker on behalf of the ordinary people of this neglected working class community. Much of his work came to fruition with the total redevelopment of Ballymun.
He remained with the Workers' party after the split which led to the formation of Democratic Left
Democratic Left
Democratic Left, Democratic Left Party, or Party of the Democratic Left may refer to:-Political parties:*Democratic Left *Democratic Left *Democratic Left *Democratic Left *Democratic Left...
.
Ó Cionnaith was co-opted as a member of Dublin City Council
Dublin City Council
Dublin City Council is the local authority for the city of Dublin in Ireland. It has 52 members and is the largest local authority in Ireland. Until 2001, it was known as Dublin Corporation.-Legal status:...
in the mid 1990s. Most notable was his leading role in the campaign for the replacement of dangerous and reliable lifts in the Ballymun
Ballymun
Ballymun is an area on Dublin's Northside close to Dublin Airport, Ireland. It is infamous for the Ballymun flats, which became a symbol of poverty, drugs, alienation from the state and social problems in Ireland from the 1970s...
high-rise complex which saw the local community win a landmark court case against the local authority. He lost his Council seat in 1999 and was unsuccessful in standing for the 2002 Dáil election in Dublin North West.
On 15 February 2003 Seán Ó Cionnaith joined over 100,000 Irish people who participated in a major march in Dublin against the impending US / UK led invasion of Iraq. He died suddenly early the following morning. He was cremated at Glasnevin Cemetery
Glasnevin Cemetery
Glasnevin Cemetery , officially known as Prospect Cemetery, is the largest non-denominational cemetery in Ireland with an estimated 1.5 million burials...
, Dublin, and buried in Creagh cemetery, Creagh, Ballinasloe County Galway
County Galway
County Galway is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the city of Galway. Galway County Council is the local authority for the county. There are several strongly Irish-speaking areas in the west of the county...
.
Married to Philomena Donnelly in the early 1980s and separated with two sons.