Spanish Civil War veteran dies at 88

[Conghaileach]

RTÉ News
18 May 2006

Spanish Civil War veteran dies at 88

The Spanish Civil War veteran and Chairman of the Communist Party of Ireland, Michael O'Riordan, has died in Dublin. He was 88.

He was one of only two remaining Irishmen who fought against General Franco's fascist forces and was shot and injured in Spain.

Born in west Cork in 1917, Michael O'Riordan was a member of the Fianna and of the IRA, and joined the Communist Party in 1935.

A year later he went to Spain where he fought with the XVth International Brigade and was wounded at Ebro.

Shortly after his return to Ireland in 1939, he was interned in the Curragh camp until 1943.

A bus driver and active trade unionist, he was a candidate in the Cork Borough by-election in 1947, and on moving to Dublin he stood in five general elections as an Independent.

He was active in the Dublin Housing Action Committee in the 1960s, and later in the campaign to free the Birmingham Six.

His 1979 account of the Irish who fought on the government side in Spain, 'The Connolly Column', was reprinted recently.

The Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, and the International Brigades Commemoration Committee have paid tribute to Mr O'Riordan.

Mr Ahern described Michael O'Riordan as 'a fearless fighter for the labour movement throughout his life.'

The IBCC said he was a leading figure in the fight for social justice and that he will be missed by many in the Labour movement.

His funeral will be held this Saturday at 12.30pm in Glasnevin Cemetary, Dublin.

Source (http://www.rte.ie/news/2006/0518/oriordanm.html)

[Conghaileach]

International Brigade Commemoration Committee

PRESS RELEASE
18th May 2006

The passing of Micheál O'Ríordán

The International Brigades Commemoration Committee notes with deep sadness and regret the passing, this morning, of Micheál O'Ríordán, veteran of the International Brigade, and former General Secretary of the Communist Party of Ireland.

In 1938, Micheál went to fight fascism in Spain with the XVth International Brigade. He received a citation for particularly outstanding bravery under fire during fighting on the Ebro front where he was wounded in action.

A leading figure in the fight for social justice Micheál will be missed by many in the Labour movement. He was also the author of ‘The Connolly Column, The story of the Irishmen who fought for the Spanish Republic, 1936-1939’, a second edition of which was recently relaunched.

The IBCC had hoped that Micheál would have been present for the unveiling of the sculpture in Belfast commemorating the International Brigades later in the year. Given today’s sad news this event will be all the more poignant.

On behalf of the IBCC we would lke to extend to Micheál’s family, comrades and friends our heartfelt sympathy for their loss.

'You can go proudly. You are history. You are legend. You are the heroic example of democracy's solidarity and universality, in face of the shameful, 'accommodating' spirit of those who interpret democratic principles with their eyes on the hords of wealth or the industrial shares which they want to preserve from any risk.
We shall not forget you.'
Dolores Ibarruri (La Passionaria)

The funeral will be held on Saturday at 12.30pm in Glasnevin Cemetary, Dublin.


Kevin Doherty
Secretary
IBCC

Pól Mac Adaim
Chairman
IBCC

ConnollyColumn.org (http://www.connollycolumn.org/)

[FinnMacCool]

I'm not a very big fan of the communists in the Spanish Civil War for obvious reasons (I'm an anarchisT) but veterans of the tragedy in Spain are becoming rarer and rarer. So its definatly sad to see him go.

[PRC-UTE]

RIP

[LoneRed]

As Repo said it RIP

A loss of a comrade is always a big loss

[Janus]

Are there any figures on how many Irish joined the international brigades to help fight fascism in Spain?

[Conghaileach]

Originally posted by [email protected] 19 2006, 07:03 AM
Are there any figures on how many Irish joined the international brigades to help fight fascism in Spain?
The general consensus is that there were about 250 who fought for the International Brigades, as well as a few others who were with the POUM and anarchists.

[redflag32]

We must pay absolute respect to this man and those who faught against the fascists from the ranks of the IRA at this time.In Ireland,the state and the clergy were for franco,it was a great show of courage and solidarity that these men faught and DIED for the spanish people and humanity in general.I have a lovely framed picture hanging on my wall,of an irish soldier carrying another irish soldier on his back,he supposedly carried him for miles rather then leave him to die.This story is well known and shows the comradeship that was amongst these men.

RIP indeed!

[redflag32]

Taken from the CPI website.

http://www.communistpartyofireland.ie/mor.html

[which doctor]

The Spanish Civil War is too overlooked in textbooks these days.

[The Grey Blur]

O Riordan was a great man - RIP

[Seven Stars]

RIP

[Fistful of Steel]

R.I.P.
I happen to think that the Spanish Civil War is massively underrated in terms of significance, and it's sad to see anyone die, especially in such a case. Although it was inevitable of course, hats off to him anyway.

Edit: I'm with Fist of Blood on that one. I hadn't noticed his comment but I agree.

[RevMARKSman]

RIP

[RebelDog]

RIP Micheál O'Ríordán. We will never stop fighting until your dream is real. Always until victory.

[Eoin Dubh]

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam .
RIP :hammer:

[By Any Means Necessary]

The forces of reaction in Ireland, happily ignore the contributions to the struggle for unity and socialism by people like Micheál O'Ríordán. The history text books ignore Irish socialist and republican volunteers who were the first to confront fascism n Spain, giving Irish students the comical story of O'Duffy's pro-Franco legion.

O'Ríordán stood for a 32 County Irish Workers' Republic. May his vision be realised soon.

In solidarity and resistance. RIP comrade.

[violencia.Proletariat]

Originally posted by Fist of [email protected] 19 2006, 08:36 PM
The Spanish Civil War is too overlooked in textbooks these days.
No it's not fool. It was a war between General Franco and the republic. Thats all you need to know because thats all that happened :lol:

[PRC-UTE]

Originally posted by violencia.Proletariat+May 20 2006, 02:39 PM--> (violencia.Proletariat @ May 20 2006, 02:39 PM)
Fist of [email protected] 19 2006, 08:36 PM
The Spanish Civil War is too overlooked in textbooks these days.
No it's not fool. It was a war between General Franco and the republic. Thats all you need to know because thats all that happened :lol: [/b]
That's not all that happened.

[The Grey Blur]

Originally posted by violencia.Proletariat+May 20 2006, 02:39 PM--> (violencia.Proletariat @ May 20 2006, 02:39 PM)
Fist of [email protected] 19 2006, 08:36 PM
The Spanish Civil War is too overlooked in textbooks these days.
No it's not fool. It was a war between General Franco and the republic. Thats all you need to know because thats all that happened :lol: [/b]
:huh: Coming from an Anarchist this is doubly stupid

...unless he was being sarcastic...

[YKTMX]

http://www.volume1books.com/raisedFist150hc.jpg

RIP

NO PASARAN!

[bolshevik butcher]

I think that he was being sarcastic. And yes we need to keep struggeling for these goals and keep his memory alive.

[Ander]

Truly a hero.

RIP.

[FinnMacCool]

Originally posted by REPOMAN+May 20 2006, 11:07 AM--> (REPOMAN @ May 20 2006, 11:07 AM)
Originally posted by [email protected] 20 2006, 02:39 PM

Fist of [email protected] 19 2006, 08:36 PM
The Spanish Civil War is too overlooked in textbooks these days.
No it's not fool. It was a war between General Franco and the republic. Thats all you need to know because thats all that happened :lol:
That's not all that happened. [/b]
I think he was joking. . .

[Ander]

Sarcasm is often lost on some members of this board.

[CubaSocialista]

Rest In Peace, Warrior.

Your fight for justice was not in vain. You have the thanks of billions.
Farewell...

[PRC-UTE]

Originally posted by [email protected] 20 2006, 05:08 PM
Sarcasm is often lost on some members of this board.
It's just difficult to tell w/out hearing a person's tone, oops :lol:

[Janus]

The general consensus is that there were about 250 who fought for the International Brigades, as well as a few others who were with the POUM and anarchists.
Interesting. That's quite a significant contribution from a place like Ireland.

[The Grey Blur]

A smaller amount of fascists also went

The interesting thing about it was that the Connolly Column were generally all former anti-treaty IRA men and the Blueshirts (fascists) were almost all pro-treaty former IRA men

The treaty in question was the one that resulted in Ireland's partition

[Janus]

A smaller amount of fascists also went
I doubt they were really needed due to all the support that Hitler and Mussolini provided in manpower and supplies.

[The Grey Blur]

True, I just thought it was interesting

[PRC-UTE]

Originally posted by Permanent [email protected] 20 2006, 10:19 PM
True, I just thought it was interesting
Sadly it was more. About 800 Irish Fascists, called Blueshirts went. They were a faction within the Fine Gael party and were reportedly mostly ex-Free State soldiers.

[redflag32]

Indeed the Irish state and the church supported the fascist franco,this is why i think it was even more brave of the men who faught against them as they knew they would not get a heroes welcome home.

[Janus]

About 800 Irish Fascists, called Blueshirts went. They were a faction within the Fine Gael party and were reportedly mostly ex-Free State soldiers.
But Fine Gael later gained control of the government. SO they were fascists?
Did they ally with Germany and Spain so as to oppose the UK?

[Conghaileach]

Originally posted by [email protected] 21 2006, 10:35 AM

About 800 Irish Fascists, called Blueshirts went. They were a faction within the Fine Gael party and were reportedly mostly ex-Free State soldiers.
But Fine Gael later gained control of the government. SO they were fascists?
Did they ally with Germany and Spain so as to oppose the UK?
During the Second World War, Fianna Fáil were in government in the south and they had a policy of neutrality.

Fine Gael have been in and out of government during the years, almost always in a coalition. Though the fascist element in the party collapsed (it was never really that strong) Fine Gael still is, and was, a conservative capitalist party.