1 00:00:01,280 --> 00:00:04,040 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff You Missed in History Class, a production 2 00:00:04,120 --> 00:00:13,560 Speaker 1: of I Heart Radios How Stuff Works. Hello, and welcome 3 00:00:13,600 --> 00:00:16,599 Speaker 1: to the podcast. I'm Holly Frying and I'm Tracy view Wilson. 4 00:00:17,320 --> 00:00:20,720 Speaker 1: So I just got back from Ireland. It looks like 5 00:00:20,800 --> 00:00:23,479 Speaker 1: you had a great time. I did. I feel like 6 00:00:23,480 --> 00:00:25,680 Speaker 1: a very spoiled person for having gotten to go on 7 00:00:25,720 --> 00:00:28,320 Speaker 1: that trip. And we went all over the place while 8 00:00:28,320 --> 00:00:31,640 Speaker 1: we were there, but we ended up, through just kind 9 00:00:31,640 --> 00:00:35,080 Speaker 1: of some logistics, spending a really lovely afternoon in Limerick 10 00:00:35,120 --> 00:00:36,920 Speaker 1: while we were waiting on some friends to meet up 11 00:00:36,960 --> 00:00:40,080 Speaker 1: with us to move on to our next destination. And 12 00:00:40,120 --> 00:00:41,839 Speaker 1: while we were at a pub there, we met this 13 00:00:41,920 --> 00:00:44,120 Speaker 1: really lovely couple who were kind enough to chat with 14 00:00:44,200 --> 00:00:47,120 Speaker 1: us for a bit, and during our conversation, our new 15 00:00:47,159 --> 00:00:50,000 Speaker 1: friend Maria mentioned a historical event that took place in 16 00:00:50,040 --> 00:00:54,120 Speaker 1: Limerick that was utterly fascinating to me. She started out 17 00:00:54,120 --> 00:00:56,600 Speaker 1: by mentioning that in the nineteen teens the city had 18 00:00:56,720 --> 00:00:59,520 Speaker 1: very briefly printed its own currency, and of course I 19 00:00:59,600 --> 00:01:02,440 Speaker 1: was a metately intrigued um and she kind of gave 20 00:01:02,480 --> 00:01:05,000 Speaker 1: me a quick rundown of it. But of course, like 21 00:01:05,440 --> 00:01:08,440 Speaker 1: in a pub conversation of fifteen minutes where there's much 22 00:01:08,520 --> 00:01:10,200 Speaker 1: laughing and talking about other things. You don't get all 23 00:01:10,240 --> 00:01:13,000 Speaker 1: of the stuff. So I ended up looking into it 24 00:01:13,040 --> 00:01:15,919 Speaker 1: and it unveiled itself to be a pretty fascinating moment. 25 00:01:16,360 --> 00:01:18,319 Speaker 1: It was probably also on her mind because they just 26 00:01:18,360 --> 00:01:22,560 Speaker 1: did like a hundred years thing in April, like a 27 00:01:22,600 --> 00:01:24,479 Speaker 1: festival around it. We'll talk about that at the end, 28 00:01:25,200 --> 00:01:27,080 Speaker 1: and it is. It's really fascinating. I feel like it's 29 00:01:27,080 --> 00:01:29,240 Speaker 1: one of those things that people in Limerick all knew about, 30 00:01:29,240 --> 00:01:32,160 Speaker 1: but I had not heard of it. So it seems 31 00:01:32,200 --> 00:01:34,160 Speaker 1: like a good thing to kind of maybe share with 32 00:01:34,200 --> 00:01:36,840 Speaker 1: the world outside of Ireland because it's a really fascinating 33 00:01:36,880 --> 00:01:40,120 Speaker 1: piece of Irish history. And uh so this episode isn't 34 00:01:40,120 --> 00:01:42,800 Speaker 1: thanks to Maria by any chance she's listening. Thank you 35 00:01:42,880 --> 00:01:45,320 Speaker 1: for both a lovely conversation and a great idea. And 36 00:01:45,360 --> 00:01:47,200 Speaker 1: also I just want to thank all of Ireland for 37 00:01:47,280 --> 00:01:50,440 Speaker 1: being incredibly friendly and welcoming. I had nothing but great 38 00:01:50,480 --> 00:01:53,760 Speaker 1: interactions and experiences with literally every single person we met, 39 00:01:53,800 --> 00:01:57,040 Speaker 1: so uh it was really quite delightful. So we were 40 00:01:57,040 --> 00:01:59,400 Speaker 1: talking today about this event, which was called the Limerick 41 00:01:59,480 --> 00:02:02,240 Speaker 1: Soviet and it has a number of moving parts in 42 00:02:02,320 --> 00:02:05,720 Speaker 1: some overlap in terms of different movements that get a 43 00:02:05,720 --> 00:02:08,160 Speaker 1: little tangled up in it that even to this day 44 00:02:08,200 --> 00:02:10,840 Speaker 1: get debated over over how much one or the other 45 00:02:11,000 --> 00:02:14,880 Speaker 1: was an influence. Um But in April and in March 46 00:02:15,320 --> 00:02:18,640 Speaker 1: eighteen as a Saturday Classic, we had an episode on 47 00:02:18,720 --> 00:02:22,280 Speaker 1: the Easter Rising of nineteen sixteen, and that episode will 48 00:02:22,320 --> 00:02:25,280 Speaker 1: give you a little bit of additional context for the 49 00:02:25,320 --> 00:02:27,239 Speaker 1: events that we're going to talk about today, because it 50 00:02:27,520 --> 00:02:30,360 Speaker 1: was a lot of the things that were happening leading 51 00:02:30,440 --> 00:02:33,320 Speaker 1: up to what happened here. It's not a necessary listen 52 00:02:33,360 --> 00:02:36,080 Speaker 1: before this one, but it just offers a little snapshot 53 00:02:36,360 --> 00:02:39,560 Speaker 1: of what was playing out in Ireland politically right before 54 00:02:39,560 --> 00:02:41,920 Speaker 1: the Limericks Soviet happened. So check it out if you 55 00:02:41,919 --> 00:02:44,040 Speaker 1: want to get a little more of an in depth 56 00:02:44,080 --> 00:02:46,640 Speaker 1: approach to this one. To talk about the events that 57 00:02:46,720 --> 00:02:49,320 Speaker 1: led to the Limericks Soviet, it'll help to first talk 58 00:02:49,320 --> 00:02:52,800 Speaker 1: about Robert Byrne, who went by Bobby Burne, was born 59 00:02:52,800 --> 00:02:56,919 Speaker 1: on November eighty nine in Dublin. His father died when 60 00:02:56,919 --> 00:02:59,440 Speaker 1: he was still a boy, and his mother moved herself 61 00:02:59,480 --> 00:03:01,360 Speaker 1: and her son to Limerick, and that was where she 62 00:03:01,480 --> 00:03:05,080 Speaker 1: was originally from. Bobby joined the Civil Service in nineteen 63 00:03:05,120 --> 00:03:07,519 Speaker 1: o seven at the age of eighteen to work in 64 00:03:07,560 --> 00:03:11,160 Speaker 1: the Limerick General Post Office and after working at the Kinsale, 65 00:03:11,200 --> 00:03:14,359 Speaker 1: County Cork Post Office as a sorter and then in Bandon, 66 00:03:14,720 --> 00:03:17,239 Speaker 1: also County Cork, he returned to the g p O 67 00:03:17,320 --> 00:03:20,320 Speaker 1: in Limerick in October of nineteen eleven. When he was 68 00:03:20,360 --> 00:03:23,360 Speaker 1: posted in Limerick, he started working as a telegraph operator 69 00:03:23,560 --> 00:03:25,600 Speaker 1: and it was in that position that he started sharing 70 00:03:25,680 --> 00:03:29,240 Speaker 1: information he gathered on the job with intelligence officers of 71 00:03:29,280 --> 00:03:32,800 Speaker 1: the Irish Volunteers that was the precursor to the Irish 72 00:03:32,800 --> 00:03:36,720 Speaker 1: Republican Army, who wanted Ireland to be free of British rule. 73 00:03:37,480 --> 00:03:40,960 Speaker 1: The Volunteers formed as a paramilitary group that was intended 74 00:03:41,000 --> 00:03:45,040 Speaker 1: to destabilize the power of the British government in Ireland. Obviously, 75 00:03:45,160 --> 00:03:48,640 Speaker 1: that is a super quick version. Yeah, And if you 76 00:03:48,680 --> 00:03:52,280 Speaker 1: are ever looking at documents that outline kind of what 77 00:03:52,320 --> 00:03:56,760 Speaker 1: this happened, sometimes it's real fluid when they start calling, um, 78 00:03:56,840 --> 00:04:00,760 Speaker 1: the Volunteers the Irish Republican Army even though they hadn't 79 00:04:01,680 --> 00:04:05,120 Speaker 1: actually formed in that under that name yet. Um So 80 00:04:05,160 --> 00:04:06,880 Speaker 1: if you're looking in those don't quite match up. That's 81 00:04:06,880 --> 00:04:09,840 Speaker 1: what's going on there. But Over the next several years, 82 00:04:10,280 --> 00:04:13,560 Speaker 1: Bobby became more and more involved with the Irish Volunteer movement, 83 00:04:13,880 --> 00:04:17,200 Speaker 1: so much so that the Royal Irish Constabulary you often 84 00:04:17,240 --> 00:04:20,520 Speaker 1: see that abbreviated as r I C, became interested in 85 00:04:20,560 --> 00:04:24,320 Speaker 1: his activities. In nineteen seventeen, he was placed on a 86 00:04:24,400 --> 00:04:27,360 Speaker 1: list of Post office employees that the police believed were 87 00:04:27,360 --> 00:04:30,480 Speaker 1: disloyal to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. 88 00:04:30,920 --> 00:04:33,640 Speaker 1: Byrne was kept under surveillance by the authorities, and in 89 00:04:33,680 --> 00:04:36,719 Speaker 1: the fall of nineteen eighteen Post office management met with 90 00:04:36,800 --> 00:04:40,560 Speaker 1: him to discuss a number of allegations of seditious activities 91 00:04:40,600 --> 00:04:43,040 Speaker 1: that were on record in the years since nineteen sixteen. 92 00:04:43,520 --> 00:04:47,760 Speaker 1: He denied all these charges, but was fired from his position. Yeah, 93 00:04:47,800 --> 00:04:50,120 Speaker 1: they suddenly unfurled a list of things, and they were 94 00:04:50,120 --> 00:04:52,480 Speaker 1: not things he did at the post office in his job. 95 00:04:52,520 --> 00:04:56,719 Speaker 1: They were things that, uh, he had been spied on 96 00:04:57,040 --> 00:05:00,680 Speaker 1: and recorded as doing in his his normal life. And 97 00:05:00,720 --> 00:05:04,919 Speaker 1: in addition to his association with the Republican militia, Burne 98 00:05:05,040 --> 00:05:08,000 Speaker 1: was also a very active member of the Trades Council. 99 00:05:08,520 --> 00:05:10,760 Speaker 1: He was a trade unionist and he was vocal in 100 00:05:10,800 --> 00:05:14,719 Speaker 1: Ireland's labor movement. His work organizing his fellow post office 101 00:05:14,720 --> 00:05:18,160 Speaker 1: workers in a union was undoubtedly also a factor in 102 00:05:18,279 --> 00:05:22,600 Speaker 1: his dismissal. On January thirteenth, nineteen nineteen, burn was at 103 00:05:22,640 --> 00:05:25,599 Speaker 1: home in his mother's house when the home was raided 104 00:05:25,800 --> 00:05:29,120 Speaker 1: by the r i C. Police searched the premises, They 105 00:05:29,120 --> 00:05:32,599 Speaker 1: found a firearm and ammunition, and Bobby was arrested. He 106 00:05:32,680 --> 00:05:35,160 Speaker 1: made no answer to these charges because he thought the 107 00:05:35,200 --> 00:05:38,400 Speaker 1: authorities involved were part of an occupation of Ireland and 108 00:05:38,400 --> 00:05:41,400 Speaker 1: that he wouldn't be given a fair judgment. Bobby Burne 109 00:05:41,400 --> 00:05:44,560 Speaker 1: was kept in custody without sentencing, and while in prison, 110 00:05:44,640 --> 00:05:49,240 Speaker 1: he campaigned to be given political prisoner status. On February fourth, 111 00:05:49,400 --> 00:05:52,280 Speaker 1: after several weeks in custody, burn was finally sentenced to 112 00:05:52,320 --> 00:05:55,919 Speaker 1: twelve months hard labor. Burn led a rebellion in the 113 00:05:55,960 --> 00:05:59,120 Speaker 1: prison the day after his sentence was handed down. He 114 00:05:59,320 --> 00:06:02,320 Speaker 1: and fifteen other prisoners, all of whom they believed that 115 00:06:02,320 --> 00:06:05,080 Speaker 1: they should be held as political prisoners rather than as 116 00:06:05,120 --> 00:06:09,440 Speaker 1: criminal convicts, barricaded their cells and they smashed the furniture within, 117 00:06:09,920 --> 00:06:12,919 Speaker 1: and they sang Republican songs loudly enough to draw a 118 00:06:12,960 --> 00:06:16,680 Speaker 1: crown in the street outside. It took several hours for 119 00:06:16,680 --> 00:06:19,159 Speaker 1: the police to settle things down, and as a result 120 00:06:19,200 --> 00:06:22,320 Speaker 1: of the protests, the men involved were punished with strict measures. 121 00:06:22,320 --> 00:06:25,120 Speaker 1: They were shackled to their beds, some had their boots 122 00:06:25,160 --> 00:06:27,640 Speaker 1: taken away, and visitors were no longer allowed to bring 123 00:06:27,680 --> 00:06:31,080 Speaker 1: them food or clothing. Some were put in solitary confinement, 124 00:06:31,240 --> 00:06:34,640 Speaker 1: and they went on a hunger strike in protest. As 125 00:06:34,720 --> 00:06:37,440 Speaker 1: news of what was going on in the prison circulated, 126 00:06:37,720 --> 00:06:42,000 Speaker 1: it catalyzed a number of discussions among Limericks leaders. The 127 00:06:42,040 --> 00:06:44,920 Speaker 1: city Council meant and discussed the treatment of the prisoners. 128 00:06:45,240 --> 00:06:48,240 Speaker 1: The incarcerated men had told visitors that they had no 129 00:06:48,360 --> 00:06:50,719 Speaker 1: issue with the mayor or the prison guards, but that 130 00:06:50,800 --> 00:06:55,440 Speaker 1: they wanted to be categorized as political prisoners, and that fact, 131 00:06:55,560 --> 00:06:58,679 Speaker 1: plus pamphlets that were circulating about the men's poor treatment, 132 00:06:59,040 --> 00:07:02,960 Speaker 1: including being four fed, gained support for them. There was 133 00:07:02,960 --> 00:07:05,960 Speaker 1: also a meeting of the Irish Post Office Clerks Association 134 00:07:06,080 --> 00:07:10,400 Speaker 1: to discuss secret reporting on staff. Burne had, as you recall, 135 00:07:10,480 --> 00:07:13,800 Speaker 1: Ben fired based entirely on accusations that he had denied, 136 00:07:14,120 --> 00:07:17,200 Speaker 1: with no formal process for him to defend himself, and 137 00:07:17,240 --> 00:07:19,880 Speaker 1: a resolution was written up and sent to Lloyd George 138 00:07:20,080 --> 00:07:22,760 Speaker 1: UK's Prime Minister at the time, as well as leaders 139 00:07:22,800 --> 00:07:25,520 Speaker 1: of the Postal Service calling for Bobby burn to be 140 00:07:25,560 --> 00:07:29,560 Speaker 1: reinstated in his position. They also called for an end 141 00:07:29,680 --> 00:07:34,239 Speaker 1: to this idea of secret reporting. Burne eventually became so 142 00:07:34,280 --> 00:07:37,200 Speaker 1: ill that he was moved to the Limerick Union Workhouse 143 00:07:37,280 --> 00:07:41,280 Speaker 1: Hospital and kept under armed guard. This move was performed 144 00:07:41,360 --> 00:07:45,080 Speaker 1: under the Criminal Administration Act of nineteen fourteen, meaning that 145 00:07:45,120 --> 00:07:47,640 Speaker 1: though he was no longer in a PRISM facility, he 146 00:07:47,680 --> 00:07:50,880 Speaker 1: was still in legal custody. The hospital didn't want to 147 00:07:50,880 --> 00:07:52,880 Speaker 1: take him though, they were concerned that if he died 148 00:07:52,920 --> 00:07:55,800 Speaker 1: in their facility, they would be held responsible instead of 149 00:07:55,840 --> 00:07:59,360 Speaker 1: the police. Ultimately, they had no legal power to prevent 150 00:07:59,400 --> 00:08:03,800 Speaker 1: this move. As the hospital administration was fretting over having 151 00:08:03,800 --> 00:08:06,640 Speaker 1: Burned in their care, plans were being made to break 152 00:08:06,720 --> 00:08:10,600 Speaker 1: him out at a club on Gerald Griffin Street. Petter Dunne, 153 00:08:10,880 --> 00:08:15,160 Speaker 1: commandant of the IRIS Limerick Battalion, brought together battalion officers 154 00:08:15,200 --> 00:08:18,120 Speaker 1: from the organization to put together a rescue for burn 155 00:08:18,760 --> 00:08:22,160 Speaker 1: and that was scheduled for April six. The guards stationed 156 00:08:22,200 --> 00:08:24,679 Speaker 1: at the hospital would be tied up, they would grab 157 00:08:24,720 --> 00:08:26,560 Speaker 1: Bobby burn and then they would take him to a 158 00:08:26,600 --> 00:08:30,920 Speaker 1: safe house. No battalion officers were to participate in this mission. 159 00:08:31,480 --> 00:08:34,600 Speaker 1: Starting at about two pm on April six, the volunteers, 160 00:08:34,720 --> 00:08:37,640 Speaker 1: led by Michael Stack, started arriving at the hospital in 161 00:08:37,760 --> 00:08:41,400 Speaker 1: small groups. They pretended that they were visiting various patients. 162 00:08:42,040 --> 00:08:45,520 Speaker 1: Several dozen assembled and some were out on the hospital 163 00:08:45,559 --> 00:08:48,560 Speaker 1: grounds and others on the ward where burns being held. 164 00:08:49,000 --> 00:08:52,400 Speaker 1: A funeral carriage was waiting for Burn and his liberators 165 00:08:52,400 --> 00:08:56,120 Speaker 1: at the hospital's morgue doors around the back. Yeah, that 166 00:08:56,160 --> 00:08:58,480 Speaker 1: was to be their getaway car. And we're gonna talk 167 00:08:58,480 --> 00:09:00,560 Speaker 1: about how this rescue effort play it out in just 168 00:09:00,600 --> 00:09:02,360 Speaker 1: a moment, but first we are going to pause for 169 00:09:02,400 --> 00:09:12,640 Speaker 1: a little sponsor break. It is not entirely clear how 170 00:09:12,679 --> 00:09:16,480 Speaker 1: Bobby Burn was notified of what was happening. Different members 171 00:09:16,480 --> 00:09:19,440 Speaker 1: of the volunteer team that went to rescue him gave 172 00:09:19,480 --> 00:09:22,160 Speaker 1: different accounts, but the plan was that there would be 173 00:09:22,160 --> 00:09:24,600 Speaker 1: a signal whistle blown after a number of the group 174 00:09:24,640 --> 00:09:27,160 Speaker 1: had made their way to the areas near Burn's bed, 175 00:09:27,240 --> 00:09:30,320 Speaker 1: again all pretending that they were checking in on other patients, 176 00:09:30,840 --> 00:09:34,000 Speaker 1: and once that whistle blew, the plan would jump into action. 177 00:09:34,600 --> 00:09:37,600 Speaker 1: Stack and his men had planned and prepared, but even 178 00:09:37,640 --> 00:09:39,960 Speaker 1: so when he blew the whistle, the hospital just really 179 00:09:40,080 --> 00:09:43,720 Speaker 1: erupted into a pandemonium. For one thing, they were bystanders 180 00:09:43,720 --> 00:09:46,600 Speaker 1: who were actual visitors to the patients in the ward, 181 00:09:46,640 --> 00:09:49,000 Speaker 1: and they all started running when they heard this whistle. 182 00:09:49,280 --> 00:09:52,120 Speaker 1: For another thing, the guards on either side of Burn's 183 00:09:52,160 --> 00:09:55,400 Speaker 1: bed were armed and they had their weapons drawn. Stack 184 00:09:55,559 --> 00:09:59,000 Speaker 1: later said that one of the constables, named Spileane, turned 185 00:09:59,040 --> 00:10:01,320 Speaker 1: and shot Burned as he lay in bed, and that 186 00:10:01,440 --> 00:10:06,000 Speaker 1: Stack fired at Spillane in response. Stack also fatally shot 187 00:10:06,040 --> 00:10:09,480 Speaker 1: another constable, Martin O'Brien, as the policeman drew his weapon. 188 00:10:09,800 --> 00:10:12,600 Speaker 1: While the volunteers were carrying Burn out of the hospital, 189 00:10:13,480 --> 00:10:16,480 Speaker 1: a prison warden named John Mahoney, who was also assigned 190 00:10:16,480 --> 00:10:19,520 Speaker 1: to the hospital, told that story differently. He said that 191 00:10:19,520 --> 00:10:22,040 Speaker 1: while the constables did have their guns drawn, neither of 192 00:10:22,040 --> 00:10:25,760 Speaker 1: them fired, and in his version, the two policemen grappled 193 00:10:25,800 --> 00:10:28,160 Speaker 1: with the crowd that rushed at them as Burn got 194 00:10:28,160 --> 00:10:32,000 Speaker 1: out of bed. Mahoney was trampled and he lost consciousness, 195 00:10:32,080 --> 00:10:35,240 Speaker 1: So his account kind of drops off there. He came 196 00:10:35,240 --> 00:10:37,840 Speaker 1: too long enough to once again make a lunge and 197 00:10:37,840 --> 00:10:40,520 Speaker 1: try to capture Burn. He had not left the hospital yet, 198 00:10:40,679 --> 00:10:42,360 Speaker 1: but He then received a blow to the head that 199 00:10:42,440 --> 00:10:45,120 Speaker 1: left him dazed, and by the time he regained his 200 00:10:45,160 --> 00:10:49,240 Speaker 1: senses from that, Burn was gone. Burns supporters were able 201 00:10:49,280 --> 00:10:51,360 Speaker 1: to get him out of the prison, but the funeral 202 00:10:51,480 --> 00:10:55,400 Speaker 1: carriage was gone. Instead, they commandeered a small carriage being 203 00:10:55,440 --> 00:10:58,280 Speaker 1: driven by a local name John Ryan, who took burn 204 00:10:58,360 --> 00:11:02,280 Speaker 1: and his rescuers to his homing County Claire. Burnett died 205 00:11:02,320 --> 00:11:05,000 Speaker 1: from the gunshot that night. The bullet that killed him 206 00:11:05,000 --> 00:11:07,760 Speaker 1: may have actually been from one of his rescuers guns. 207 00:11:07,840 --> 00:11:10,280 Speaker 1: The story about that has shifted over the years, but 208 00:11:10,880 --> 00:11:13,240 Speaker 1: at the time it was believed that he was shot 209 00:11:13,280 --> 00:11:16,960 Speaker 1: and killed by police, so the public was outraged. On 210 00:11:17,080 --> 00:11:20,560 Speaker 1: April ninth, three days after Burns death, the protests in 211 00:11:20,600 --> 00:11:24,040 Speaker 1: the city led to the declaration of martial law in Limerick. 212 00:11:24,720 --> 00:11:27,920 Speaker 1: The city was barricaded with checkpoints that required a special 213 00:11:27,920 --> 00:11:31,400 Speaker 1: permit from the military to pass through, and to get 214 00:11:31,440 --> 00:11:34,040 Speaker 1: a permit, each person had to report to a military 215 00:11:34,080 --> 00:11:37,720 Speaker 1: office at seventy eight O'Connell Street and have their address, job, 216 00:11:38,040 --> 00:11:42,959 Speaker 1: and personal appearance recorded. The whole city was cordened, excluding 217 00:11:43,000 --> 00:11:46,240 Speaker 1: the area north of the River Shannon, and that created 218 00:11:46,280 --> 00:11:50,200 Speaker 1: a unique problem. Many of the city's laborers worked in 219 00:11:50,240 --> 00:11:53,160 Speaker 1: the Thombing Gate area north of the river, and two 220 00:11:53,200 --> 00:11:56,679 Speaker 1: major factories, which were Walker's Distillery in the Cleves Dairy 221 00:11:56,720 --> 00:11:59,640 Speaker 1: were also north of this barricade. That meant more than 222 00:11:59,760 --> 00:12:02,480 Speaker 1: five five thousand workers from both sides of the river. 223 00:12:02,559 --> 00:12:05,600 Speaker 1: We're going to have to get military issued passes just 224 00:12:05,720 --> 00:12:08,320 Speaker 1: to get to their jobs, and in some cases they 225 00:12:08,320 --> 00:12:10,400 Speaker 1: were going to have to pass through checkpoints like four 226 00:12:10,440 --> 00:12:14,200 Speaker 1: times a day. The day after the declaration of martial law, 227 00:12:14,280 --> 00:12:17,160 Speaker 1: on April tenth, Robert Burne was late to rest and 228 00:12:17,240 --> 00:12:20,040 Speaker 1: his funeral took place at St. John's Cathedral and he 229 00:12:20,080 --> 00:12:23,360 Speaker 1: was buried in Mount St Lawrence Cemetery. The entire city 230 00:12:23,400 --> 00:12:25,840 Speaker 1: shut down and thousands of people came out into the 231 00:12:25,840 --> 00:12:29,320 Speaker 1: streets to pay their respects to burn. The Limerick Trades 232 00:12:29,360 --> 00:12:32,160 Speaker 1: and Labor Council, led by President John Cronin and with 233 00:12:32,280 --> 00:12:35,600 Speaker 1: delegates from the city's trade unions, met on Sunday, April 234 00:12:36,120 --> 00:12:38,720 Speaker 1: to discuss the problem. This meeting went on for twelve 235 00:12:38,720 --> 00:12:41,440 Speaker 1: hours and the end result was a plan for a strike. 236 00:12:42,200 --> 00:12:45,640 Speaker 1: The strike Committee issued the following statement quote The Workers 237 00:12:45,720 --> 00:12:49,200 Speaker 1: of Limerick assembled in Council hereby declare cessation of all 238 00:12:49,360 --> 00:12:53,199 Speaker 1: work from five am on Monday, April fourteenth, nineteen nineteen, 239 00:12:53,400 --> 00:12:56,079 Speaker 1: as a protest against the decision of the British government 240 00:12:56,120 --> 00:12:59,160 Speaker 1: and compelling them to procure permits in order to earn 241 00:12:59,160 --> 00:13:03,240 Speaker 1: their daily bread by order of the Strike Committee Mechanics Institute. 242 00:13:04,679 --> 00:13:08,600 Speaker 1: An estimated fifteen thousand workers participated in this strike. You'll 243 00:13:08,600 --> 00:13:12,240 Speaker 1: sometimes also see that number listed as fourteen thousand or 244 00:13:12,280 --> 00:13:15,160 Speaker 1: somewhere in between, and at this point the population of 245 00:13:15,200 --> 00:13:17,440 Speaker 1: Limerick was around thirty eight thousands, so that was a 246 00:13:17,559 --> 00:13:22,000 Speaker 1: very significant number. Essentially, the entire city went on strike. 247 00:13:22,240 --> 00:13:25,920 Speaker 1: Even the pubs closed down and initially some work, for 248 00:13:25,960 --> 00:13:29,520 Speaker 1: example in dairy and bacon factories was allowed to continue, 249 00:13:29,880 --> 00:13:32,040 Speaker 1: but only for the first day of the strike, and 250 00:13:32,080 --> 00:13:34,960 Speaker 1: that was so that the existing supplies there didn't simply 251 00:13:35,000 --> 00:13:38,480 Speaker 1: spoil and go to waste or I would presume, stink 252 00:13:38,600 --> 00:13:42,960 Speaker 1: up the entire town. The Trade Council's strike plan was 253 00:13:43,000 --> 00:13:46,280 Speaker 1: detailed and carefully thought out. Committees were established to ensure 254 00:13:46,320 --> 00:13:49,400 Speaker 1: that Limerick had some kind of infrastructure during the strike 255 00:13:49,480 --> 00:13:53,200 Speaker 1: and isolation. Within the barricades. There were people managing food 256 00:13:53,240 --> 00:13:56,520 Speaker 1: distribution and other daily needs. Food depots were set up 257 00:13:56,520 --> 00:14:01,560 Speaker 1: with fixed price groceries. Profiteering during the was strictly outlawed, 258 00:14:02,600 --> 00:14:05,040 Speaker 1: and to ensure that no one tried to jack up 259 00:14:05,040 --> 00:14:08,880 Speaker 1: prices to take advantage of this situation, agreed upon prices 260 00:14:08,960 --> 00:14:11,920 Speaker 1: for all goods were posted on flyers around the town 261 00:14:12,280 --> 00:14:14,680 Speaker 1: so that the population was kept informed about what they 262 00:14:14,679 --> 00:14:18,640 Speaker 1: should be paying for any given uh staple item of groceries. 263 00:14:19,160 --> 00:14:22,960 Speaker 1: And additionally, the council, which convened every morning, made allowances 264 00:14:22,960 --> 00:14:25,400 Speaker 1: for people to work in bakeries and for stores to 265 00:14:25,440 --> 00:14:29,720 Speaker 1: open for limited afternoon hours to sell necessities, all in 266 00:14:29,760 --> 00:14:33,040 Speaker 1: the interest of keeping the city going without regular supplies 267 00:14:33,040 --> 00:14:36,320 Speaker 1: coming in. They also made deals with local farmers to 268 00:14:36,360 --> 00:14:39,840 Speaker 1: provide produce directly to the city and circumvent the usual 269 00:14:39,840 --> 00:14:45,040 Speaker 1: distribution channels. Volunteers did smuggling some supplies from the countryside, 270 00:14:45,080 --> 00:14:48,760 Speaker 1: and in some cases they faked funeral processions with food 271 00:14:48,760 --> 00:14:52,080 Speaker 1: and other supplies being carried in the coffins instead of bodies, 272 00:14:52,720 --> 00:14:55,960 Speaker 1: but these weren't regular or dependable and the Trades Council 273 00:14:56,080 --> 00:14:58,840 Speaker 1: was not involved in them. A police force was set 274 00:14:58,920 --> 00:15:02,880 Speaker 1: up by the Trades Council, as well as a finances subcommittee, 275 00:15:03,320 --> 00:15:05,080 Speaker 1: and it was decided in the second week of the 276 00:15:05,120 --> 00:15:08,120 Speaker 1: strike that Limerick would print its own money, so, under 277 00:15:08,120 --> 00:15:11,960 Speaker 1: the leadership of Trade Council Treasurer James Casey, currency was 278 00:15:12,000 --> 00:15:16,400 Speaker 1: printed in one, five and ten shilling denominations and Casey 279 00:15:16,480 --> 00:15:20,320 Speaker 1: signed each note. The Trade Union Congress had sent their 280 00:15:20,360 --> 00:15:23,920 Speaker 1: treasurer who said that the TUC backed the Limerick currency, 281 00:15:24,000 --> 00:15:26,280 Speaker 1: so basically they were gonna make good on payments on 282 00:15:26,320 --> 00:15:29,320 Speaker 1: all of these notes, and this way strikers could be 283 00:15:29,360 --> 00:15:33,560 Speaker 1: issued currency, and shopkeepers of businesses approved to open agreed 284 00:15:33,600 --> 00:15:36,880 Speaker 1: to accept that currency. Businesses that were permitted to open 285 00:15:37,000 --> 00:15:39,760 Speaker 1: did so with signage that stated that they were operating 286 00:15:39,840 --> 00:15:43,280 Speaker 1: under the approval of the Strike Committee. Vehicles were not 287 00:15:43,320 --> 00:15:45,440 Speaker 1: allowed to drive on the roads without a permit from 288 00:15:45,480 --> 00:15:48,480 Speaker 1: the council. There was also a regular daily paper that 289 00:15:48,560 --> 00:15:51,160 Speaker 1: was run to keep everyone informed about the strike and 290 00:15:51,200 --> 00:15:54,240 Speaker 1: the Labor Council's doings, which was called the Workers Bulletin. 291 00:15:55,520 --> 00:15:57,400 Speaker 1: And coming up, we're going to talk about how this 292 00:15:57,480 --> 00:16:00,800 Speaker 1: strike became international news. But before that, we're going to 293 00:16:00,880 --> 00:16:02,640 Speaker 1: take a little break and hear from one of the 294 00:16:02,680 --> 00:16:05,360 Speaker 1: sponsors that keep stuff you missed in history class going. 295 00:16:12,520 --> 00:16:14,680 Speaker 1: The Limerick Soviet, as it came to be known in 296 00:16:14,720 --> 00:16:19,000 Speaker 1: the press, gained international following when press arrived in the 297 00:16:19,080 --> 00:16:22,560 Speaker 1: area to cover a transatlantic flight, because Limerick had been 298 00:16:22,560 --> 00:16:25,000 Speaker 1: planned as a fueling stop for pilot J. C. P. 299 00:16:25,160 --> 00:16:29,120 Speaker 1: Wood as he made this journey, but Wood had ditched 300 00:16:29,120 --> 00:16:31,520 Speaker 1: his plate in the ocean off the Welsh coast, so 301 00:16:31,640 --> 00:16:35,440 Speaker 1: the journalists that had assembled in Limerick essentially had no story. 302 00:16:36,040 --> 00:16:39,320 Speaker 1: So they turned instead to covering the strike, and it 303 00:16:39,480 --> 00:16:42,080 Speaker 1: was something of a feel good story. This strike was 304 00:16:42,160 --> 00:16:45,160 Speaker 1: nonviolent and it had been carefully thought out, so it 305 00:16:45,200 --> 00:16:47,720 Speaker 1: was pretty easy to write about it in a supportive light. 306 00:16:48,520 --> 00:16:51,520 Speaker 1: One journalist from the United States named Ruth Russell had 307 00:16:51,520 --> 00:16:54,600 Speaker 1: been touring Ireland and writing about its political situation when 308 00:16:54,680 --> 00:16:57,920 Speaker 1: she arrived in Limerick in n twenties. She published a 309 00:16:57,960 --> 00:17:00,560 Speaker 1: book about Ireland, and she recounted me with the head 310 00:17:00,560 --> 00:17:03,360 Speaker 1: of the strike committee, John Cronan, to get his explanation 311 00:17:03,440 --> 00:17:06,320 Speaker 1: of what the strike was about. Per his talk with Russell, 312 00:17:06,440 --> 00:17:08,600 Speaker 1: Cronan either felt that they were on track for a 313 00:17:08,640 --> 00:17:11,880 Speaker 1: long term governance by the workers, or he was making 314 00:17:11,880 --> 00:17:15,520 Speaker 1: it sound that way for the international press. So here's 315 00:17:15,520 --> 00:17:18,960 Speaker 1: a portion of Ruth Russell's account, starting with a quote 316 00:17:18,960 --> 00:17:21,680 Speaker 1: from Cronin he says, quote why did we form it? 317 00:17:22,080 --> 00:17:26,119 Speaker 1: Why do we pit people's rule against military rule. Of course, 318 00:17:26,200 --> 00:17:29,560 Speaker 1: as workers we are against all military but our particular 319 00:17:29,640 --> 00:17:33,200 Speaker 1: grievance against the British military is this. When the town 320 00:17:33,280 --> 00:17:36,400 Speaker 1: was unjustly proclaimed, the cordon was drawn to leave out 321 00:17:36,400 --> 00:17:38,920 Speaker 1: a factory part of town that lies beyond the bridges. 322 00:17:39,520 --> 00:17:42,000 Speaker 1: We had to ask the soldiers for permits to earn 323 00:17:42,040 --> 00:17:45,200 Speaker 1: our daily bread. You have seen how we have thrown 324 00:17:45,240 --> 00:17:49,200 Speaker 1: the crank into production, but some activities are permitted to continue. 325 00:17:49,560 --> 00:17:53,200 Speaker 1: Bakers are working under our orders. The kept press is killed, 326 00:17:53,480 --> 00:17:56,359 Speaker 1: but we have substituted our own paper. He held up 327 00:17:56,359 --> 00:17:58,760 Speaker 1: a small sheet which said, in large letters the workers 328 00:17:58,760 --> 00:18:03,280 Speaker 1: Bulletin issued by a Limerick proletariat quote. We have distributed 329 00:18:03,320 --> 00:18:06,720 Speaker 1: food and slashed prices. The farmers send us their produce. 330 00:18:07,160 --> 00:18:10,280 Speaker 1: The Food Committee has been able to cut down prices. Eggs, 331 00:18:10,320 --> 00:18:12,880 Speaker 1: for instance, are down from a dollar to sixty six 332 00:18:12,960 --> 00:18:16,280 Speaker 1: cents a dozen, and milk from fourteen to six cents 333 00:18:16,280 --> 00:18:18,919 Speaker 1: a court. In a few days we will engrave our 334 00:18:18,960 --> 00:18:21,840 Speaker 1: own money. Beside, there will be an influx of money 335 00:18:21,880 --> 00:18:25,399 Speaker 1: from England. About half the workers are affiliated to English 336 00:18:25,480 --> 00:18:29,080 Speaker 1: unions and entitled to strike pay. We have by the 337 00:18:29,080 --> 00:18:31,600 Speaker 1: way felt the sympathy of the union men in the 338 00:18:31,720 --> 00:18:34,840 Speaker 1: army sent to guard us. A whole Scotch regiment had 339 00:18:34,840 --> 00:18:36,800 Speaker 1: to be sent home because it was letting workers go 340 00:18:36,880 --> 00:18:40,439 Speaker 1: back and forth without passes. And we have told no 341 00:18:40,480 --> 00:18:44,080 Speaker 1: one else the National Executive Council of the Irish Labor 342 00:18:44,119 --> 00:18:47,280 Speaker 1: Party and Trade Union Congress will change its headquarters from 343 00:18:47,359 --> 00:18:51,080 Speaker 1: Dublin to Limerick. Then if military rule is an abrogated, 344 00:18:51,400 --> 00:18:54,160 Speaker 1: a general strike of the entire country will be called. 345 00:18:54,720 --> 00:18:57,439 Speaker 1: Of course, the Workers bulletin also about to strike at 346 00:18:57,480 --> 00:19:00,880 Speaker 1: a positive light, and commented as issues like food depots 347 00:19:00,920 --> 00:19:03,480 Speaker 1: and currency were worked out that the strike would quote 348 00:19:03,520 --> 00:19:06,560 Speaker 1: show the world what Irish workers are capable of doing 349 00:19:06,600 --> 00:19:10,359 Speaker 1: when left on their own resources. We should mention also 350 00:19:10,560 --> 00:19:12,680 Speaker 1: that the Soviet as it was being called, was not 351 00:19:13,200 --> 00:19:16,080 Speaker 1: exactly tied to the Russian Revolution, though that name was 352 00:19:16,160 --> 00:19:18,840 Speaker 1: borrowed again by the press from the events that had 353 00:19:18,880 --> 00:19:21,800 Speaker 1: been playing out in Russia as Zarist rule was overthrown. 354 00:19:22,520 --> 00:19:25,200 Speaker 1: The idea of a Soviet as a council formed from 355 00:19:25,200 --> 00:19:28,359 Speaker 1: workers was being applied to the Limerick strike and its 356 00:19:28,400 --> 00:19:31,399 Speaker 1: governance by the Trade Council, and as labor strikes had 357 00:19:31,440 --> 00:19:34,800 Speaker 1: also been a significant part of the Russian Revolution. The 358 00:19:34,920 --> 00:19:39,120 Speaker 1: name really stuck after journalists used it. Thomas Johnson, who 359 00:19:39,160 --> 00:19:41,720 Speaker 1: was the leader of Ireland's Labor Party, rolled into town 360 00:19:41,760 --> 00:19:45,120 Speaker 1: hoping to represent the trade organizations and negotiate a solution, 361 00:19:45,760 --> 00:19:47,520 Speaker 1: and he had to get a permit from the military 362 00:19:47,520 --> 00:19:50,639 Speaker 1: authorities to pass through the barricade to do so. When 363 00:19:50,680 --> 00:19:53,280 Speaker 1: the local trade council told him they wanted a national 364 00:19:53,400 --> 00:19:56,760 Speaker 1: strike for workers rights, Johnson explained that to formally mount 365 00:19:56,800 --> 00:19:59,240 Speaker 1: such a strike, a national convention would have to be 366 00:19:59,280 --> 00:20:02,399 Speaker 1: held to decide side, and while there was support in 367 00:20:02,440 --> 00:20:06,800 Speaker 1: other municipalities, that support was not universal. Though most unions 368 00:20:06,800 --> 00:20:10,160 Speaker 1: agreed that the situation in Limerick was untenable and unfair 369 00:20:10,200 --> 00:20:13,080 Speaker 1: to laborers and that they had every reason to strike 370 00:20:13,119 --> 00:20:15,719 Speaker 1: and even you know, every valid reason to call for 371 00:20:15,720 --> 00:20:19,080 Speaker 1: a national effort, there was also some very real concern 372 00:20:19,160 --> 00:20:22,840 Speaker 1: that the strike was harming the laborers and barely even 373 00:20:22,880 --> 00:20:26,080 Speaker 1: in convenience the British military that had put the barricade 374 00:20:26,119 --> 00:20:29,639 Speaker 1: in place. Additionally, there was a real concern that a 375 00:20:29,720 --> 00:20:33,160 Speaker 1: national strike would lead to violence. To make things even trickier, 376 00:20:33,200 --> 00:20:35,840 Speaker 1: shin Fayn didn't offer support for the strike and for 377 00:20:35,880 --> 00:20:39,320 Speaker 1: the Soviet the Labor Party was acting on its own 378 00:20:39,400 --> 00:20:42,399 Speaker 1: and that wasn't something they were interested in. Up to 379 00:20:42,440 --> 00:20:44,520 Speaker 1: that point, the leaders of the Labor Party and trade 380 00:20:44,600 --> 00:20:47,760 Speaker 1: unions were working to develop relationships with the leadership of 381 00:20:47,760 --> 00:20:50,600 Speaker 1: sin Fayn and they were hoping for the party's support 382 00:20:50,640 --> 00:20:54,800 Speaker 1: in the strike, but shin Fayton wanted to lead campaigns 383 00:20:54,920 --> 00:20:58,160 Speaker 1: and for labor to mobilize to support them. They were 384 00:20:58,359 --> 00:21:01,880 Speaker 1: much less enthusiastic at the thought of workers actually having control, 385 00:21:02,560 --> 00:21:04,960 Speaker 1: and since there was also a lot of overlap of 386 00:21:05,000 --> 00:21:07,960 Speaker 1: the nationalist volunteers, which as I said, would eventually evolve 387 00:21:08,000 --> 00:21:11,600 Speaker 1: into the Irish Republican Army and labor rights advocates of 388 00:21:11,680 --> 00:21:15,000 Speaker 1: the time, there was also some murkiness about motivations and 389 00:21:15,119 --> 00:21:19,080 Speaker 1: leadership related to the strike. The history of shin Fayn 390 00:21:19,240 --> 00:21:21,560 Speaker 1: and the i ra A as its paramilitary arm is 391 00:21:21,640 --> 00:21:26,280 Speaker 1: long and complicated and controversial, with internal disagreements and splits. 392 00:21:26,359 --> 00:21:29,000 Speaker 1: It's like once you start looking at it, if you 393 00:21:29,080 --> 00:21:31,720 Speaker 1: diagram it out, I mean, it becomes a tree pretty quickly, 394 00:21:31,800 --> 00:21:35,320 Speaker 1: because different factions will separate off because of disagreements, and 395 00:21:35,359 --> 00:21:37,919 Speaker 1: then within that faction they will separate into two or 396 00:21:37,920 --> 00:21:41,159 Speaker 1: more branches, and it continues like that, but at the 397 00:21:41,200 --> 00:21:44,320 Speaker 1: time of the Limerick Soviet the volunteers and chin Fain 398 00:21:44,440 --> 00:21:48,359 Speaker 1: were closely aligned. And as a reminder, Bobby Byrne, whose 399 00:21:48,400 --> 00:21:50,880 Speaker 1: death had been the catalyst for this whole event, had 400 00:21:50,880 --> 00:21:53,080 Speaker 1: been a member of shin Fain and a member of 401 00:21:53,080 --> 00:21:55,719 Speaker 1: the Limerick Trades and Labor Council, and it had been 402 00:21:55,760 --> 00:21:58,239 Speaker 1: a group of volunteers. You'll often see it set as 403 00:21:58,280 --> 00:22:01,560 Speaker 1: an IRA mission that land his escape from the hospital. 404 00:22:02,040 --> 00:22:05,200 Speaker 1: The strike committee itself sought to distance their efforts from 405 00:22:05,200 --> 00:22:07,880 Speaker 1: shin Fain and use the Workers Bulletin to do so. 406 00:22:08,440 --> 00:22:11,800 Speaker 1: On Monday April, the bulletin random blurb that said quote, 407 00:22:11,800 --> 00:22:14,560 Speaker 1: the English press is doing its level best to dub 408 00:22:14,600 --> 00:22:17,640 Speaker 1: the striker shin Fain one and hopes that the English 409 00:22:17,640 --> 00:22:20,960 Speaker 1: working class will be fooled. This strike is a workers strike, 410 00:22:21,000 --> 00:22:23,000 Speaker 1: and it's no more shin Fain than any other strike 411 00:22:23,040 --> 00:22:27,480 Speaker 1: against tyranny and inhuman oppression. And Tommy the British soldier 412 00:22:27,560 --> 00:22:29,639 Speaker 1: is not our real enemy, and we wish him to 413 00:22:29,760 --> 00:22:34,440 Speaker 1: understand he is merely a tool of his imperialistic capitalistic government. 414 00:22:35,400 --> 00:22:38,280 Speaker 1: In the midst of discussions with the National Executive of 415 00:22:38,320 --> 00:22:42,280 Speaker 1: the Irish Labor Party, Trade Union Congress. An entirely new 416 00:22:42,320 --> 00:22:45,520 Speaker 1: idea was floated as an alternative to pursuing a national 417 00:22:45,560 --> 00:22:48,120 Speaker 1: strike to the Labor Party really really did not want 418 00:22:48,640 --> 00:22:51,600 Speaker 1: and it was really just increasingly apparent that they were 419 00:22:51,640 --> 00:22:54,639 Speaker 1: not going to let that happen, and this plan was 420 00:22:54,680 --> 00:22:58,399 Speaker 1: to completely evacuate the city of Limerick. The idea was 421 00:22:58,440 --> 00:23:00,880 Speaker 1: that in leaving the city an empty show, it would 422 00:23:00,880 --> 00:23:03,320 Speaker 1: make a strong statement visually, and it would also send 423 00:23:03,320 --> 00:23:06,000 Speaker 1: a message that the people of Limerick would rather leave 424 00:23:06,040 --> 00:23:09,200 Speaker 1: their homes than live under British martial law. And though 425 00:23:09,240 --> 00:23:12,040 Speaker 1: this was a bold idea, it was also fairly nutty. 426 00:23:12,160 --> 00:23:15,200 Speaker 1: It did not fly for a number of reasons, including 427 00:23:15,200 --> 00:23:18,639 Speaker 1: the immense logistical load of finding places to relocate an 428 00:23:18,800 --> 00:23:24,080 Speaker 1: entire city's population, even temporarily. Meanwhile, British trade unions were 429 00:23:24,119 --> 00:23:28,040 Speaker 1: working actively against the strike. Some of these unions managed 430 00:23:28,080 --> 00:23:31,080 Speaker 1: workers in Ireland and were able to exert their influence 431 00:23:31,119 --> 00:23:34,920 Speaker 1: to urge anyone in their unions to forego participation. There 432 00:23:35,160 --> 00:23:38,520 Speaker 1: was support for Limericks labor strike throughout Ireland and many 433 00:23:38,520 --> 00:23:40,840 Speaker 1: people donated money to the cause, but there was just 434 00:23:40,920 --> 00:23:44,760 Speaker 1: no way for these funds to reach the striking workers. Additionally, 435 00:23:44,800 --> 00:23:47,360 Speaker 1: it was fairly apparent that even though the Strike Committee 436 00:23:47,440 --> 00:23:50,560 Speaker 1: was doing pretty well and running things, that the situation 437 00:23:50,600 --> 00:23:54,600 Speaker 1: could not last forever. Limerick just didn't have the infrastructure 438 00:23:54,600 --> 00:23:59,280 Speaker 1: to continue to operate independently for very long yeah independently 439 00:23:59,760 --> 00:24:03,040 Speaker 1: by lining barricades. It was just not gonna work. With 440 00:24:03,160 --> 00:24:06,960 Speaker 1: no national strike forthcoming and resources being stretched pretty thin. 441 00:24:07,560 --> 00:24:10,520 Speaker 1: A meeting took place with multiple local leaders as well 442 00:24:10,560 --> 00:24:14,080 Speaker 1: as the strike Committee in attendance, where Stephen O'Meara, who 443 00:24:14,119 --> 00:24:18,240 Speaker 1: was Limericks Mayor, Dennis haleinan Catholic Bishop of Limerick, and 444 00:24:18,280 --> 00:24:22,160 Speaker 1: General Griffin, commanding officer of the Limerick Garrison. And after 445 00:24:22,200 --> 00:24:25,359 Speaker 1: these negotiations, an agreement was reached that if the Strike 446 00:24:25,400 --> 00:24:28,120 Speaker 1: Committee called an end to the strike, and then if 447 00:24:28,119 --> 00:24:30,560 Speaker 1: there was no trouble in the days that followed, the 448 00:24:30,640 --> 00:24:33,320 Speaker 1: law often see it listed as a week, the barricades 449 00:24:33,440 --> 00:24:36,359 Speaker 1: and the checkpoint set up would also end. So on 450 00:24:36,440 --> 00:24:40,760 Speaker 1: April the strike ended and a week later Limerick residents 451 00:24:40,800 --> 00:24:43,200 Speaker 1: needed no permits to move in and out of their city. 452 00:24:43,720 --> 00:24:46,320 Speaker 1: While the strike ended without a loss of life and 453 00:24:46,320 --> 00:24:48,880 Speaker 1: the workers and Strike Committee could consider it a win, 454 00:24:49,400 --> 00:24:51,119 Speaker 1: there are also plenty of people who see it as 455 00:24:51,119 --> 00:24:53,720 Speaker 1: a loss. In the last hundred years, there's been a 456 00:24:53,760 --> 00:24:56,600 Speaker 1: great deal of theorizing about what might have been if 457 00:24:56,600 --> 00:24:59,840 Speaker 1: the Committee had continued to develop a worker led government 458 00:24:59,840 --> 00:25:03,760 Speaker 1: in stead of compromising with the British authorities. On May 459 00:25:03,800 --> 00:25:06,640 Speaker 1: twenty nine of two thousand nine, the Robert Byrne Memorial 460 00:25:06,720 --> 00:25:10,960 Speaker 1: Park was opened. In a documentary about the Limericks Soviet 461 00:25:11,080 --> 00:25:12,879 Speaker 1: was made, and just a couple of months ago, as 462 00:25:12,880 --> 00:25:15,320 Speaker 1: I referenced at the top of this episode, the city 463 00:25:15,320 --> 00:25:17,879 Speaker 1: of Limerick marked the one hundred year anniversary of the 464 00:25:17,920 --> 00:25:21,479 Speaker 1: strike with a huge series of events titled Limericks Soviet 465 00:25:21,560 --> 00:25:25,359 Speaker 1: one hundred a Festival of Art and Activism. Do you 466 00:25:25,400 --> 00:25:28,080 Speaker 1: have a listener mail to take us out? I do, 467 00:25:28,440 --> 00:25:33,200 Speaker 1: and just by magical coincidence, it is also about Ireland. Uh. 468 00:25:33,200 --> 00:25:36,000 Speaker 1: It is from our listener Laurie, who sent us a 469 00:25:36,040 --> 00:25:40,680 Speaker 1: lovely care package because she has also been traveling. She said, 470 00:25:40,760 --> 00:25:42,840 Speaker 1: greeting Stracy and Holley. I've been meaning to write you 471 00:25:42,880 --> 00:25:44,560 Speaker 1: for over a year now, but life seemed to get 472 00:25:44,560 --> 00:25:48,400 Speaker 1: in the way too often. I know that feeling, she says, 473 00:25:48,400 --> 00:25:50,560 Speaker 1: I have been a listener for many years and finally 474 00:25:50,560 --> 00:25:52,800 Speaker 1: have a connection to a podcast to write you. I 475 00:25:52,920 --> 00:25:55,879 Speaker 1: visited Ireland in March with my best friend of thirty 476 00:25:55,960 --> 00:25:59,040 Speaker 1: years to celebrate turning forty that year. Imagine my delight 477 00:25:59,080 --> 00:26:01,240 Speaker 1: when your classic epio so before I left, was on 478 00:26:01,240 --> 00:26:04,240 Speaker 1: the Easter Rising in Dublin. While visiting Dublin, I was 479 00:26:04,320 --> 00:26:06,359 Speaker 1: able to visit many of the sites associated with the 480 00:26:06,359 --> 00:26:10,240 Speaker 1: War for Irish Independence. St. Stephen's Green, the General post Office, 481 00:26:10,280 --> 00:26:13,840 Speaker 1: and Killing Him Jail. While at the Little Museum of Dublin, 482 00:26:13,880 --> 00:26:16,240 Speaker 1: they had a copy of the nineteen sixteen Proclamation for 483 00:26:16,320 --> 00:26:18,600 Speaker 1: Independence up on the wall, and I picked up a 484 00:26:18,600 --> 00:26:21,560 Speaker 1: postcard copy of it for you. Uh. And then she 485 00:26:21,640 --> 00:26:23,840 Speaker 1: talks about kind of the history of Dublin that they 486 00:26:23,880 --> 00:26:26,080 Speaker 1: learned about while they were here, and she sent us 487 00:26:26,440 --> 00:26:28,879 Speaker 1: some great stuff. UH. Some of which she talks about 488 00:26:28,920 --> 00:26:33,840 Speaker 1: was Vikings being in uh Dublin before. Uh. Most of 489 00:26:33,840 --> 00:26:37,440 Speaker 1: the history we have talked about related to Irish history. Uh. 490 00:26:37,480 --> 00:26:41,040 Speaker 1: As she said, there's a postcard with this uh fabulous 491 00:26:41,080 --> 00:26:44,040 Speaker 1: proclamation on it, as well as a beautiful postcard a 492 00:26:44,080 --> 00:26:46,840 Speaker 1: couple of other beautiful postcards as she sent. So it 493 00:26:46,920 --> 00:26:48,960 Speaker 1: was super duper fun to get this. It was actually 494 00:26:48,960 --> 00:26:50,840 Speaker 1: sitting on my desk when I got back from Ireland 495 00:26:50,840 --> 00:26:54,720 Speaker 1: and it felt like magically Ireland had arranged it, but 496 00:26:54,880 --> 00:26:56,720 Speaker 1: that was not the case. So thank you, thank you, 497 00:26:56,760 --> 00:26:59,359 Speaker 1: thank you Lorie Um for all of these delightful treats 498 00:26:59,720 --> 00:27:01,440 Speaker 1: and are kind of making it feel like my trip 499 00:27:01,480 --> 00:27:03,960 Speaker 1: lasted longer than it actually did. If you would like 500 00:27:03,960 --> 00:27:05,639 Speaker 1: to write to us, you can do so at history 501 00:27:05,680 --> 00:27:08,160 Speaker 1: podcast at how stuff works dot com. You can also 502 00:27:08,200 --> 00:27:10,960 Speaker 1: find us everywhere on social media as Missed in History 503 00:27:11,240 --> 00:27:14,199 Speaker 1: and Missed in History dot Com is also our website. 504 00:27:14,720 --> 00:27:16,879 Speaker 1: You can subscribe to the podcast. We sure would like 505 00:27:16,920 --> 00:27:18,840 Speaker 1: it if you did, and you can do that at 506 00:27:18,880 --> 00:27:22,119 Speaker 1: the I Heart Radio app, Apple podcast or wherever you 507 00:27:22,200 --> 00:27:30,080 Speaker 1: listen to podcasts. Stuff You Missed in History Class is 508 00:27:30,119 --> 00:27:32,840 Speaker 1: a production of I Heart Radios How Stuff Works. For 509 00:27:32,920 --> 00:27:35,440 Speaker 1: more podcasts for my heart Radio, visit the I heart 510 00:27:35,520 --> 00:27:38,520 Speaker 1: Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your 511 00:27:38,520 --> 00:27:39,240 Speaker 1: favorite shows.