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Irish Labour History Museum and Archives'History is not just the dead past awaiting research. It is happening now at this meeting and in all places where men and women are living. The history we are making here today may become important or significant if the persons here assembled and their organisations ponder enough on the truth that we as workers are always creating history and that the economic relations in our society are in large measure determining the moral value in our operative society and the kind of history we are passing on to those coming after.' 'The history we are making here today may become important or significant' applies once again today, for this event marks not the end, but the beginning of a journey. It is an opportunity presented to the Irish labour movement that will require vision and determination to carry through and we appeal to those of you gathered here today, and the organisations that you represent, to join with us in realising this opportunity to share and achieve our vision. This project is of the future, not the past. It commenced in 1985 with a Government Grant of £100,000 administered through the Department of Labour. We are grateful to Ruairí Quinn, TD, then Minister of Labour, and his successor Bertie Ahern, TD and their Department officials for their support,tolerance and forbearance over the years in drawing down and expanding this grant. Equal gratitude must be expressed to the officials of the Office of Public Works in relation to the development of the chosen premises here in Beggars Bush. A further grant £50,000 was awarded through the Department of An Taoiseach and the National Heritage Council towards the construction of the exhibition that graces today's formal occasion. As the catalogue guide indicates, the ILHS publicly acknowledges the contribution of the following agencies and organisations towards the creation of the Irish Labour History Museum: FÁS - Training and Employment Authority, Dublin North Region; Workers' Unity Trust; Services, Industrial, Professional and Technical Union; Irish Congress of Trade Unions and, in particular, their General Secretary, long standing ILHS Trustee, Peter Cassells; and Peter Funge and Elo Press. Contractors and consultants to the project were: T.P. Wallace Construcion; The Damp Store; P.W. Dunphy; Jack Restan Displays; Breen Kelly, architects; A.V. Cooney, quantity surveyor; Martin Lohan, structural engineer; Colm McGeehin, solicitor; Bank of Ireland, Ballsbridge; and Savings and Investment (Insurance). In addition we must thank the staff of the Labour Court and the Geological Survey for their assistance. A full list of organisations and institutions who gave permission to display material is given in the 'In Union Is Strength' catalogue, but, on behalf of the society, I must again publicly acknowledge the continuing generosity and support of our long standing friends in the National Archives, the National Library of Ireland and the Department of Archives, University College, Dublin, who currently house the Irish Labour History Archive. Recognition must, of course, be given to the Society's Archivist, Sarah Ward-Parkins, and her FÁS co-ordinates and trainees for their work in drawing together today's exhibition, 'In Union Is Strength', so ably mounted by Jack Restan Displays. But, a final and huge word of thanks must be given to John O'Dowd, Secretary of the ILHS when the initial grant was awarded, now General Secretary, Civil and Public Services Staff Union, and his successor, present ILHS Secretary, Charles Callan. Charles Callan has put in a trojan effort in capably dealing with the, at times protracted, administrative problems involved in drawing down the various grants, but also he has acted as Clerk of Works, physically managing the building project itself with a myriad attendant problems that has entailed. On another occasion in the past, the opening of the now non-existent Four Provinces, the Harcourt Street headquarters of the Irish Bakers', Confectioners' and Allied Workers' Amalgamated Union in 1946, John Swift said: 'A building such as Four Provinces symbolised the aspirations of a working class organisation to be something more than an instrument for improving the economic conditions of their members. It indicated that the union felt a responsibility in regard to the cultural, educational and social activities of their members. The day should be gone when trade unions regard the securing of a sufficiency of the elemental needs such as food, shelter, clothing to be final objective of working people. Trade unions should aspire to the highest standards of living for their members. They should encourage their members to insist on a higher cultural life and not a life tied to mere food, shelter and clothing.' The quotation is taken from John P. Swift's excellent biography of his father John Swift, An Irish Dissident which id forthcoming. For us today, the challenge is to hold the same vision that inspired Swift and members of the Bakers' Union to build and develop Four Provinces. Their dreams were shattered. If our vision is to be achieved, we will require your support. Already the trade union movement has responded. Next week at the ICTU Annual Delegate Conference a motion in the name of the National Executive Council invites affiliated unions to support the Society in their work and we would unashamedly canvass your support for that motion. We recognise, however, that we may require the support of both national and local government in our endeavours to transform this building into a cultural centre for our movement. The society wishes to develop an archival and learning centre here in common with similar centres long established in the Scandinavian countries, Netherlands, Germany, France, Italy, Britain and America. The preservation of labour records and their accessibility to scholars is a prime concern, together with a library facility. This building would then become a highly productive centre for labour history and labour studies. Again, however, this will require finance and staff. In world cup terms the original grants represent the 'qualifying groups'. The society has qualified. If we are now to get to the final, we will need additional resources, massive support and sympathetic encouragement. In inviting the President, Dr. Patrick Hillary, to formally open the premises, on behalf of the Irish Labour History Society, may I again thank everyone for their support so far, call upon you to share our vision and join with us in enthusiastically pursuing its achievement. In that way the history we have witnessed here today, will indeed be truly 'important and significant'. An tUachtarán na hÉireann, Dr. Patrick Hillery, then addressed the gathering: 'Tá áthas an domhain orm bheith libh inniu chun an músaem maisiúil seo a fhógairt ar oscailt. Déanaim comhghairdeachas ó chroí le baill Chumann Staire Lucht Saothair na hÉireann as an ngaisce atá déanta agaibh anseo. Molaim go hard na spéire sibh as bhur ndíseacht. Tá toradh na dúthrachta agus an tsaothair sin le feiceáil go soiléir agus ábhar bróid agus maíte a bheas ann I gcónaí. Ná lagaí Dia sibh. Tá éacht déanta agaibh. The establishment of this splendid Museum and Archive is a most laudable achievement and I congratulate the members of the Irish Labour History Society most sincerely on their vision in conceiving the project and on their dedication in seeing it through to completion. A particularly pleasing aspect of the venture is the manner in which this old building, which is itself of considerable historical importance, has been lovingly restored and used for this purpose. It will complement and enhance most appropriately the Museum that it accommodates. The important role which the trade union movement has played in the evolution of our democratic structures is an aspect of our history which, I think, has not always received the recognition that it merits. There is, however, I am happy to say, a growing interest in Irish labour history and, since its inception, the Irish Labour History Society has done much to promote and develop labour history as a rewarding academic discipline. The Society, by its activities and through its journal Saothar has also brought about a much greater degree of awareness among trade unions and other bodies of importance of their records as source material for labour historians. There is increasingly a greater consciousness of the need to preserve all aspects of our past for the benefit of our own and future generations and, in this regard, the work of the society is invaluable and indeed sets a headline. It is fitting that this Museum should be opened in the year which marks the centenary of the first Mayday march in Dublin. Following a recommendation made the previous year that the first of May be designated International Labour Day, the first demonstration in Dublin took place on 1 May, 1890. It is very much associated with the arrival in the city of what is known as the 'new unionism'. This was the name given to the organisation of unskilled, semi-skilled and general workers, who unlike craft workers had not been effectively organised. The new unions catering for un-skilled and low paid workers differed in several respects from the established craft unions. In particular they were much more militant and political. The past century has been one of momentous change and development in virtually all areas of human endeavour. In that period trade unions have made an immeasurable contribution to progress in society. Great credit is due to the movement which played such an influential role in the introduction of so many social reforms and of the rights and privileges that we enjoy today. The trade union movement is going through a period of change at present. The rapid pace of technological evolution, the introduction of new work practices and declining membership have forced unions to examine their organisation, role and structures. In the past few years there has been widespread movement among unions towards rationalisation. Many unions with long, distinguished traditions are going out of existence as a result of mergers and amalgamations. There is a danger that valuable trade union records may lost sight of because of these changes. It is opportune, therefore, that a Museum of Labour History Society should be established at this time as it will enable those records to be identified and persevered. The opening of this Museum and Archive is a significant addition to the cultural resources of this city. It will help to create a greater awareness and appreciation of the lives and activities of working people and the contribution that they have made to the development of the Ireland of today. The premises will serve as the new headquarters of the Irish Labour History Society and will also have facilities for lectures, conferences, visiting exhibitions and rectials. The importance attached to the Museum project is evidence by the number of bodies that have provided support and assistance towards its creation: Government Departments, the National Heritage Council, the National Archives and the Irish Congress of Trade Unions have all played their part in the task and FÁS have approved a Community Youth Training Project to carry out some further renovation work on the building. I congratulate all those who contributed to this very worthwhile undertaking, in particular the Irish Labour History Society and its very hard working Museum Sub-Committee. I have great pleasure in declaring this Museum of Labour History officially open'. Having cut the tape to declare the premises formally opened, the President was thanked by the President elect of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, Chris Kirwan, who reffed to the significance of the occasion and to the need to consider the funding aspects of the project very carefully. He pledged whatever support that the labour movement could muster and attention was drawn to the motion before the following week's Congress in Tralee. A final piece of formality was the presentation to the President, Dr. Hillery, of a boxed set of Saothar by ILHS Secretary, Charles Callan. Guests then enjoyed the exhibition and the refreshments provided by the James Larkin Unemployed Centre sponsored by the ITCU. |
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