Historian Desmond Ryan explains the significance of the 1913 Lockout and why it continues to capture the imagination.
The 1913 Lockout was a labour dispute that began when the influential employer William Martin Murphy banned his workers from being members of the Irish Transport and General Workers’ Union (ITGWU). Employers had been growing concerned about the growth of trade unionism and in particular the ITGWU and its charismatic leader, Jim Larkin, who had been organising Dublin’s low-paid workers, many of whom lived in slums. Murphy’s business interests included the Dublin Tramway Company and its drivers and conductors responded to the union ban by going out on strike for better pay. Murphy locked out all workers who
were members of the ITGWU and soon other employers followed suit. The Lockout lasted from August 1913 until January 1914 and affected more than 20,000 workers.
Broadcaster Proinsias Mac Aonghusa asks historian Desmond Ryan to explain the significance of the 1913 Lockout and why “we remember it so vividly”. Ryan says that the 1913 Lockout was an awakening, “the beginning of an Irish revolution” and “a revival of the Irish Labour movement”. He says that after 1913, the employers were "chaste men”.
Title: |
The Great Lockout |
Clip Duration: |
00:02:59 |
Material Type: |
Audio |
Clip Title: |
“The Beginning of an Irish Revolution.” |
Information: |
‘The Great Lockout’ was a 30-minute radio documentary made for the 50th anniversary of the 1913 Lockout, presented by Proinsias Mac Aonghusa and produced by Brian Malone. It tells the story of the Lockout through the recollections of eyewitnesses and key figures from the period. ‘The Great Lockout’ was first broadcast on Radio Éireann on 8 September 1963 and repeated a week later on 15 September. The accompanying image shows Jim Larkin shortly after his return to Dublin from America in 1923. The photographer was Joseph Cashman. © RTÉ Archives 0510/053 |
Local Keywords: |
Industrial disputes, Trade unionism, Strikes, 1913 Lockout, William Martin Murphy, Irish Transport and General Workers' Union, ITGWU, Jim Larkin, Dublin Tramway Company |
Coverage: |
Ireland |
Genre: |
Factual |
Topic: |
Society and Social Issues |
Provider: |
RTÉ |
Contributor(s): |
Proinsias Mac Aonghusa (Presenter) |
Publisher: |
RTÉ |
First Broadcast Channel: |
Radio Éireann |
Production Year: |
1963 |
Country of Production: |
Ireland |
Original Identifier: |
LQD0169A |
IPR Restrictions: |
Rights Reserved - Free Access |
Rights, Terms and Conditions: |
Copyright RTÉ. This material may not be replicated in any form or manner without the prior express permission of RTÉ. Any form of reproduction in print, television, video, multimedia, web site or other electronic media or any form of dissemination for commercial or non-commercial use must be licensed by the RTÉ Archives. If you wish to licence video or audio clips, still images or text, or would like further guidance please contact us. RTÉ Archives are committed to respecting the copyright of others and have attempted to source and credit the copyright owners of all material used here. RTÉ would like to hear from any copyright owners who are not properly identified here so that the necessary corrections can be made. If you feel your copyright has not been respected please contact us. |
Item Type: |
part/extract |
Sound: |
Mono |
Language: |
English (eng) |
Original Language: |
English (eng) |
