Spanish Civil War veteran celebrates life of struggle

Bob Doyle

Spanish Civil War veteran Bob Doyle, the last surviving member of the Connolly Column, hosted a celebration of the struggle against fascism in Dublin last Saturday.

Entitled “No Pasaran” and billed as an evening of film, music, song and wine, the event attracted a large crowd of people of various nationalities to the Sinn Féin bookshop on Parnell Square.

With the death last year of Michael O’Riordan, Doyle, now aged 92, is the last remaining Irishman to have fought against Franco in Spain in the late 1930s.

He is also the author of a recent book, Brigadista, about his life and involvement in the anti-fascist war.

Following a showing of the film  Spanish earth, Doyle told a hushed audience that the judgement of whether the sacrifice of his friends and comrades was in vain depends very much on what today’s generation does to confront injustice, inequality, racism and the environmental threats facing the world.

Those attending were then treated to various songs of the Spanish Civil War.