Home

Sources

New Material

General

International Brigade

O'Duffy's Bandera

Site Index

Gallery

Memorials

Email Me

Guest Book

Publications

Links

"You can go proudly. You are history. You are legend."
(La Pasionaria)

Updated, 11th October 2012

Do you know ANY teenager interested in the International Brigades???? - Great competition - Encourage entrys

There are several local groups scattered up and down Ireland working on keeping the memory of the International Brigades alive - and in an inspiring act of co-operation among us, we've launched an initiative to get young people interested.

Check out facebook - at https://www.facebook.com/SpanishCivilWarEssayCompetition

For those, like me personally are not on Facebook, you can details here. http://cedarlounge.wordpress.com/2012/10/10/the-friends-of-the-international-brigades-in-ireland-essay-competition/

This competetion will run until 12.00, Monday 3rd December 2012

Updates, 31st August 2012

Attack on Peter Daly memorial must be condemned.

Speaking on behalf of the International Brigades Commemoration Committee I join in strongly condeming the attack by mindless fascist thugs on the Peter Daly memorial in Wexford.

Here is a statement issued this evening by the Peter Daly Society

A spokesperson for the Peter Daly Society, has condemned a cowardly attack by a tiny neo-nazi faction on the Vol. Peter Daly Monument, at Monageer Co. Wexford.

In the early hours of Thursday 30th August, a three man gang of racist boneheads attacked the memorial stone causing minor damage. The monument was spattered with paint and damaged with a hammer, while the Spanish republican flag was removed. Sickeningly the gang of neo nazi's painted a reference to former Ku Klux Clan leader Davin Lane at the back of the monument.

Speaking from Wexford, Steven Mc Cann said, 'The attack on the Vol. Peter Daly Memorial is the work of cowards. Peter Daly was an Irish Socialist Republican, and a veteran of the Tan War. Peter fought proudly for Irish Freedom and spent 18 Days on Hunger Strike. He is widely regarded as a hero across the country. The attack on his monument is an affront to the people of Wexford and to the people of Ireland.

Vol. Peter Daly heroically gave his life fighting against fascism in Spain, and is remembered with pride. Those behind this disgraceful act of vandalism are out of touch with people here in Wexford and wider Irish society. The cowards behind this attack would do well to remember that Irish republicans do not take attacks on our memorials lightly.'

Mc Cann Continued,' The monument has now been cleaned and restored. Undeterred by the attack by tiny fascist elements, the Peter Daly society will host the second annual Vol. Peter Daly Commemoration here in Monageer on Saturday, September 1st at 7pm. The main speaker will by ex- IRA Hunger Striker and socialist republican Tommy Mc Kearney. I would urge all republicans and socialists from the south east and further a field to show a united front against facists and come along and remember Peter Daly with pride.'

Peter Daly Commemoration The Peter Daly Society Wexford will hold a comemoration and wreath laying ceremony to the Socialist Republican Peter Daly in Monageer (Enniscorthy) Co. Wexford on Saturday the 1st of September at 7.00 pm Peter Daly fought and died with the Irish contingent of the International Brigade in the war against fascism in Spain in September 1937. He had been reared and went to school in Tinnacross and later Monageer. His life was spent in the republican and working class movement in Ireland and England before volunteering to fight for the Spanish Republic. The guest speaker will be socialist republican Tommy McKearney former hunger striker and now member of the independant workers union The evening's entertainment will be provided by popular folk singer Pol Mac Adaim from Belfast.

Spanish Civil War - crops up in Russian trial! While this site concentrates on Irish involvement in the Spanish Civil war, I couldn't resist drawing your attention to the on-going trial in Moscow of the punk band, Pussy Riot. In the closing stages of the trial they made some political statements, including the wearing of a no pasaran t-shirt! http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012/aug/08/pussy-riot-trial-closing-statement for more info.

Last Scottish volunteer dies - Tommy Watters, Presente!

It's sad to note that the BBC is reporting the death today, Feb 27th, of Thomas Watters, a Scottish medic in Spain (he worked alongside Joe Boyd and Fred McMahon) Read the BBC report here.

Recent Commemorations, etc

There was an exhibition in Belfast City Hall, October 3rd-17th. The IBCC successfully brought over the display organised by the International Brigades Memorial Trust on the British and Irish violunteers, adding some more local material as well. This was a well attended event.

The Lord Mayor of Belfast formally opened the exhibition, with some words by Joe Law on Jack Edwards, the recently deceased Liverpool veteran. Jack's daughter, Margaret Sampson, was very moved by the event.

Others who visited the exhibition included several hundred international tourists, many of whom signed our comments book. Also in attendance were the Liz and Brendan Shaw, the daughter/son in law of Joe Boyd, one of the firsst irish out; and Ivan Patterson, a great nephew of Jackie Patterson, offically known as Edward Patterson, was also there.

Another recent commemoration was the Clarion Cyclists tour of Belfast, Dundalk, Drogheda and Dublin from Wed 21st to Sat 24th Sept.

Visit to Belfast by the Clarion Cyclists, Sept 21st. They were greeted at Belfast City Hall, 6pm by about 30 people, including some cyclists who had joined them for the final 25 miles (approx) from Larne. On that Thursday there was a wreath laying at the Writers Square memorial at 9.30am. Wreaths were laid by the Mayor and the Clarion Cyclists before they moved on. More Details here..

After Belfast the Cyclists met interested people in Dundalk, then a Labour TD in Drogheda, and finally a wreath laying at the memorial in Dublin attended by the Mayor.

Among other recent reports Brian Hanley has written a piece in Liberty, the paper of SIPTU, one of the islands largest unions. You can read his piece here.

75th Anniversary Spanish Civil War
Summer 2011 marked the 75th anniversary of the start of the Spanish Civil War. There have been some events organised by the International Brigades Commemoration Committee and other groups. Reports will soon be posted on the site. Ciaran, Jan 31st 2012

THE PETER DALY SOCIETY WEXFORD The recently formed Peter Daly Society Wexford unveiled a memorial stone to the Socialist Republican Peter Daly in Monageer (Enniscorthy) Co. Wexford on Saturday the 3rd of September at 6.00 pm Peter Daly fought and died with the Irish contingent of the International Brigade in the war against fascism in Spain in September 1937. He had been reared and went to school in Tinnacross and later Monageer. His life was spent in the republican and working class movement in Ireland and England before volunteering to fight for the Spanish Republic. The guest speaker at the launch was Spanish Civil War historian Harry Owens and the Cuban Spanish Ambassador ,Teresita Trujillo was there. The evening's entertainment will be provided by popular folk singer Pol Mac Adaim from Belfast. The Peter Daly Society Society was founded to complete the memorial to his memory but also to provide a forum for discussing the application of his socialist republican ideas to contemporary problems in Irish society. To that end the society will be sponsoring debates and discussions in Wexford on an ongoing basis. More information can be got at their site; www.peterdaly.org

	"We live in strange times, with le Pen, Fortuyn and the BNP demonstrating fascism is not dead. We must be vigilant in fighting fascism and racism every day.” Jack Jones - 5th November, 2002 "I am here to make you boil with anger, the powers that supported Franco in Spain are still active today and their reach is global." Bob Doyle 12th September, 2006

The intention here is to collect together articles and research on Irish involvement in the Spanish Civil War, 1936-39. See the Navigation Menu on your left for links to the four main "Sources" pages. Also the link to the Site Index will bring you to an ordered list of links to all the documents. Most of the photos and images on the site can be viewed by going to the Gallery.

Also you can contact me by going to the Email page or signing the Guestbook.

There should not be any unauthorised commercial use of this material. In those cases where copyright has stayed with the original author, this will be indicated at the particular page, please follow their conditions. They did the hard, original work, so should be credited.

Anyone with additional documents, reports, images, etc. should please pass them them onto me. Thanks, Ciaran Crossey.

This site was only possible with the hard work of Gerry Malone - thanks to him for the time and effort he put in. Much appreciated.
If anyone notices broken links, or if anything is missing, please notify us by Guestbook or email. Thanks. Ciaran Crossey