Meathman's Diary: We're still fighting Larkin's fight

People visiting O'Connell Street cannot fail but be impressed with the statue of James Larkin. There he is, the great trade unionist, arms aloft, urging the people to rise up and have their voices heard. It's an inspiring piece of work, adequately capturing the ability of Larkin to mobilise folk behind a cause.

He, no doubt, would love those lyrics of that timeless song 'Get up, Stand Up' made famous by the one and only Bob Marley. "Get up, stand up, stand up for your rights/Get up, stand up don't give up the fight," sang Bob.

Big Jim, who lived from 1874 to 1947, did after all spend his life standing up for the rights of the working man and in that process he made a lot of enemies. He wasn't the most easy going of people. He could be feisty, some would say an awkward so-and-so who cause a row in an empty house, but boy was he effective in getting people behind him and his big project - the rights of the workers.

His statue in O'Connell Street was unveiled 42 years ago but you would have to wonder how he would view modern Dublin and the state of unionism, trade unionism that is.

He was as communist who once led a march of 6,000 people when Lenin died. Larkin was also arrested and spent a time in jail in the supposed home of democracy and freedom, America, for his left-leaning tendencies. Along with James Connolly and William O'Brien, he formed in 1912 the Irish Labour Party, the political wing of the Irish Trades Union Congress and was a leading figure behind the lockout of 1913. He did much else besides.

In 1924 Larkin paid a visit to Navan where he spoke for over two hours. He was a compelling speaker it seems. "It is a high tribute to his personality that at that period there was a bigger gathering than when he started," wrote a admiring reporter in a piece that appeared in the Meath Chronicle.

Larkin and other trade unionists at the meeting were concerned by the fact that vast tracts of lands in Meath "gave employment only to a man and a dog" and this was something that needed to be rectified. The country, in other words was in dire need of industry, but industry that looked after the workers who drive it forward. Has that been achieved?

In February 2020 I did an interview with Johnny Regan who has been to the forefront of the Labour movement for 45 years or more and a full-time SIPTU official since the late 1990s. He said something really revealing. "The injustices that are around today were around 100 years ago and that speaks volumes about what we are as a country and the people who were in position to change things the last 100 years," he said. "We're still fighting the same problems today." No doubt Big Jim Larkin would agree.