My knowledge of Jimmy Gralton goes away back as far as two months. Like Declan Bree who presents the prologue to this booklet I had never heard of this remarkable man. Ireland for such a small country has produced more than its fair share of remarkable men and women.
Jimmy Gralton was born in 1886 in Effernagh Co Leitrim, one of seven children brought up on twenty five acres of rush covered boulder clay. The booklet tells us that the big estates were a short distance away and situated on the fertile limestone soil. His story is not one of daring dos like Breen, O,Malley or Tom Barry, although he became actively involved in the I.R.A.
In his job as a training officer he not only trained his men to shoot but to think politically and socially. He was very involved with the Gowel land committee and the direct action committee. When he built a hall named the Pearse-Connolly Hall on a piece of his father’s land he incurred the wrath of the local clergy who denounced it as a den of iniquity and a communist enterprise. This was at a time when the church was whipping up a "red scare".
Gralton, a blunt speaking straight talking, hard working man who through his involvement with the revolutionary workers group also irked the church influenced De Valera government. Gralton stood up to church and state (wonder how he told them apart). Peadar O Donnell no shrinking violet himself called Jimmy 'a dammed fool to take on the clergy in such an obvious manner.'
In 1933 Jimmy’s actions and beliefs, and the whispering clerics led the De Valera government to deport him. Jimmy Gralton is the only Irish person to be deported from his own country. This is not the end of the Jimmy Gralton story for he continued his involvement in working class issues through the Irish Workers Club until his death in 1945.
The booklet has two poems dedicated to Jimmy. I love this verse from Christian Charity:
they hunted you Jim Gralton from your fathers ancient home.
And shipped you like their cattle across the ocean foam
Those rich men are so holy they decreed that you must fly.
So in their Christian charity you are left alone to die.
It’s a communist edition published in 2012. Buying it will not necessarily send one to hell.
Sad wee country this at times. Jesus was a bit of a commie i think feeding thousands with fishes and loaves and turning water to wine for free. Whatever would the big corporations think...oh no..wait, isn't that what the Vatican is? Sad and screwed up wee country this at times.
ReplyDeleteI read of Jim Gralton whilst in jail. He was a highly principled man of the working people who espoused strong socialist views. In the Ireland of his day he was condemned by the establishment as a communist and a godless man. The first was essentially true and nothing to be ashamed of; the second, I can not vouch for.
ReplyDeleteA society based upon his ideas would place people at the heart of the economic and political processes for the greater good. Gralton believed in the Irish Republican ideals of Freedom, Democray and Socialism.
I have to admit, I never heard of him, I had to google the name.
ReplyDeleteA communist at heart.
He ran a dance hall in Effrinagh where he arranged free events where he expounded his political views. There were violent protests against these dances led by Catholic priests, which culminated in a shooting incident. Following this, on 9 February 1933, he was arrested, and later deported to the United States of America, on the basis that he was an alien. This led to public protests organised by the Irish Republican Army.
So, What if he was a communist?, he was an Irishman.
The Church nolonger has a hold which it did on them, and, us.
The proof is in the pudding, The popes butler says it all, Corruption within the vatican, thats why he leaked those secret documents, and he has admitted it.
He has stated, he had seen enough.
He should be given a GOLD MEDAL, corruption always starts at the top.
Alec "he was a communist and a godless man,the first was essentially true and nothing to be ashamed of,the second I cannot vouch for" hopefully he was Alec Godless that is,He went to the local priests house once and asked the housekeeper to fetch the parish priest for" I am Jimmy Gralton here to have my horns fitted",agreed Alec his vision of society was a far fairer one than which we inhabit today,Itsjustmacker the Pearce -Connolly hall which was burnt down has been rebuilt,and Jimmy Graltons name has joined the long long list of legends of this country(how many shall go remembered by just those who knew them,stories untold, thats why the B.C. tapes were imo so important)the names of the abusers and facilitators have long since slipped into oblivion.Jimmy Gralton got the last laugh.
ReplyDeleteI always think its prudent to point out that the catholic church bear a great responsibility for the suffering and the tragic history inflicted by outsiders upon the Irish nation. Under the guise of humility and benevolence, this paedophilic, corporate cabal, have managed over the centuries to instil within the psyche of our people, such deference to our abusers,that we ask for forgiveness for obscenities perpetrated upon us.
ReplyDeleteThus we had yesterday at St. Patricks church, the 'Ku Klux Klan' of this orange statelet, burning with fervour, arrogant and bestriding, keeping us in our place. And what was the response of the catholic church?
Fr Sheehan: 'they showed respect' 'they marched with dignity down the road' 'although they played their drums a bit loud at times'
Shame on you Fr Sheehan.
Shame on you catholic RUC/PSNI.
Shame on you PSF for delivering us this evil humiliation.
Marty,
ReplyDeletegood review. I don't think I ever heard of him either. I read quite a lot of what Alec read but I missed out on this one.