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2 October 2003 Edition

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James Byrne - Dún Laoghaire's 1913 Lock-Out Martyr

Memorial to be unveiled on 1 November - BY JASON McLEAN

Near the Republican Plot in Deansgrange cemetery in Dublin lie the remains of one of Dún Laoghaire's forgotten sons. James Byrne was born and reared at 5 Clarence Street, Kingstown {Dún Laoghaire} and inspired by the leadership of James Connolly and Jim Larkin he became an active trade unionist in the ITGWU. By the time of the Great Lock Out of 1913, Byrne was a 38-year-old married father of six and Secretary of Bray & Kingstown {Dún Laoghaire} Trades Council and also the Kingstown ITGWU Branch Secretary.

The 1913 Lock Out was the most significant and tragic era of trade union history ever witnessed in Ireland. The mood and tragedy of that time is captured brilliantly in James Plunkett's serial drama Strumpet City, currently showing on Sunday evenings on RTE.

Trade Unionists from up to 45 different unions combined against the might of Dublin Employers, led by William Martin Murphy, owner of the Irish Independent and director of the United Tramways Company, the principal source of public transport in the capital at the time. The reason for this confrontation was simple; the refusal of Murphy and others to employ trade union members.

James Byrne was arrested and falsely charged with "intimidation" of a tram worker on 20 October 1913 by the Dublin Metropolitan Police, and remanded to Mountjoy prison. While there he embarked on a hunger and thirst strike in protest at the refusal of bail. After a number of days the British government gave in and Byrne was released on bail awaiting trial. However, due to the conditions prevailing in the jail at the time and helped in no way by his hunger and thirst strike, he caught pneumonia from which he died in Monkstown Hospital a mere two weeks since first arrested.

On 3 November 1913 James Byrne was laid to rest. Up to 3,000 people, along with 25 mourning coaches and cabs, accompanied by two trade union bands left Byrnes home at 1pm for the funeral walk. The procession took two hours to reach Deansgrange due to its size. Many of those attending had travelled on special trains from Dublin City Centre. It was reported in newspapers at the time that many houses had their blinds drawn and many shops closed in respect to Byrne.

It was also reported that due to size of the procession the tram service was held up for nearly an hour - a tragic irony considering why Byrne had been imprisoned.

Again, due to the size of the cortege, the funeral oration by James Connolly was delivered from the roof of a cab. He is quoted as saying "that their comrade had been murdered as surely as any of the martyrs in the long line list of those who had suffered for the sacred cause of liberty. The police vultures and master vultures were not content until they had got Byrne into prison. He had been thrown into a cold, damp, mouldy cell, but while in prison, so contemptuous had he been of those who put him there that he had refused food and drink. If their murdered comrade could send them a message it would be to go on with the fight for the sacred cause of liberty, even if it brought them hunger, misery, eviction and even death itself, as it had done Byrne."

Fast-forward to 1996 and research carried out by Dún Laoghaire/Rathdown Heritage Society came across the details and burial place of James Byrne, which was believed to be unmarked. Indeed Pádraig Yeates, the former Irish Times Industrial Correspondent, wrote as much in his excellent analysis of the times in his book Lock-Out Dublin 1913. On 3 November that year, trade union activists employed in the Dún Laoghaire area laid a wreath at the spot were James Byrne was buried.

In 2002, a joint SIPTU/IMPACT committee was established with the purpose of erecting a fitting memorial at the last resting place of James Byrne. It was decided to place a small hand painted wooden cross at the site while organising for the erection of a more permanent Headstone. During the course of clearing the area of Byrne's grave, the original headstone was found nearby under some bramble bushes and although cracked and in bad repair, it belied the belief held by all concerned that Byrne had lain in an unmarked grave. Accordingly, this original headstone was sent off for cleaning and repair and will be incorporated into the new memorial. Interestingly, this original headstone only mentions James Byrne but research has proven that a number of relatives also lie in this plot. Their details too will be included on the new memorial.

The new memorial will be unveiled by Des Geraghty, President of SIPTU on Saturday 1 November 2003, the 90th Anniversary of James Byrne's death. We will assemble at the gates of Deansgrange cemetery at 2pm and walk the short distance to the burial spot of one of Dún Laoghaire's most prominent, but least known sons. Everyone is welcome and all trade union activists are especially encouraged to attend.


An Phoblacht
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Ireland