Revolutionary Workers' Groups | |
|---|---|
| Leader | James Larkin Jnr |
| Founded | 1930 |
| Dissolved | June 1933 |
| Preceded by | Irish Worker League |
| Succeeded by | Communist Party of Ireland (1933) |
| Headquarters | 64 Great Strand Street,Dublin |
| Newspaper | The Irish Workers' Voice |
| Ideology | Communism |
| Political position | Far-left |
| International affiliation | Communist International |
Revolutionary Workers' Groups (RWG) were left wing groups in Ireland officially founded in 1930 with the objective of creating a Revolutionary Workers' Party. Formed initially as thePreparatory Committee for the Formation of a Workers’ Revolutionary Party, it changed its name in November 1930. It was helped to be established byBob Stewart andTom Bell from theCommunist Party of Great Britain andComintern. In 1933 they disbanded and established theCommunist Party of Ireland.[1]
The group produced a weekly paperThe Irish Workers' Voice, first issued on April 5, 1930,[2] with the Scottish socialist Tom Bell as its editor.[3] The paper went on to be a publication for the Communist party, and was consistently published up to 1936.
They had their headquarters in 64 Great Strand Street in Dublin, which was named "Connolly House", opened in 1932 as a socialist bookshop.[4]
The RWG ran two candidates in the newly reconstituted 1930 Dublin Corporation election.James Larkin Jnr, was successful.[2] The RWG ran two candidates in Dublin in the1932 Irish general election, Joseph Troy and Jim Larkin, Jnr. Members also ran in Belfast municipal elections: Tommy Geehan in Falls, and Phil Wilson and William Boyd in Cromac.[5]
The RWG was banned by theCosgrave government in 1931, under theCoercion Act, along with 11 other organisations. The ban was lifted by thede Valera government following the victory ofFianna Fáil at the1932 general election.[3]
In Northern Ireland, the Revolutionary Workers' Groups set up theOutdoor Relief Workers Committee in July 1932, to help workers in the campaign against Task work, and for better conditions andtrade union recognition.
The RWG headquarters, known as "Connolly House", was attacked by anti-communists during the1933 Dublin riot.[6][7]
Members of the RWG included many Irish communists such asJames Gralton andSean Murray.[8]
In June 1933 the Communist Party of Ireland was formed and the RWG disbanded.