Sabina Higgins speech at launch of MayFest 2019
City Hall, Dublin, Wednesday, 24th April 2019
It was great to convene here to celebrate the vital and distinctive contribution of the Irish Citizen Army to the Easter Rising and to our freedoms. The Freedom of humanity internationally from Imperial Powers.
The Lockout of 1913 – The ITGWU and the Irish Citizen Army with Larkin and Connolly awakened a class consciousness in the workers that demanded of themselves that they never cease to fight for their just demands for a good quality of life and a just society.
May Day / Labour Day is Workers Day of Solidarity. The Day workers UNITE Nationally and Internationally to show their solidarity with one another in their fight to attain and retain their rights as workers, and to celebrate in festivals their joy in the wonder of life.
May Day has always been, in many countries throughout the world, a day and time of celebration of spring and the start of summer. The Greeks celebrated it as a Dionysius & Aphrodite festival; the Celts and ancient Irish & Scottish celebrated the feast of Bealtine (The Irish for May, from 900AD).
Cromwell and the Puritans cancelled it as well as Christmas, in the 1640’s and it was part of their undoing and it was revived with the restoration of Charles II in 1660.
In England they had the May Pole and Morris Dancing Spring festivals.
In Ireland we had May Alters of Flowers and sang hymns to Mary “Oh Mary we crown thee with blossoms today, queen of the angels and queen of the May”.
In the 1850’s Socialists made it International Workers Day, and for Trade Unionists and workers it has remained May Day, Labour Day – Workers Unite day since then.
In 1955 Pope Pius 12 made May 1st the Feast of St Joseph to counterpoint International Workers Day.
(Sean Connolly – who was the 1916 Leader at Dublin City Hall, and the 1st participant to die – on the roof of the City Hall, was one of the foremost actors in the Abbey Theatre and played in James Connolly’s play in “Under Which Flag” here in City Hall on Good Friday before the Rising).
I am so pleased to have been invited to launch May Fest 2019, celebrating workers culture. I am thoroughly encouraged, as you all are, by the fact that the Trade Union Movement, along with Dublin City Council, were inspired 3 years ago to establish the May Fest and have been building on its success. They have moved the festival to a new level with an ambitious and wide-ranging programme of events.
It will open on May Day evening with a rally of Bands and Banners and marchers and conclude with musical entertainment etc at Liberty Hall in the Coise Life Bar. It will continue daily with a series of concerts, performances, tours, films, exhibitions, discussions and debates celebrating workers history, culture and policies.
On Sunday 12 May it comes to the grand closing event titled “Songs and Stories of James Connolly”, on the anniversary, 103 years later, of his execution on 12 May 1916. This will be an evening of talk, music and performance all linked to James Connolly’s life.
At this time of such instability in the world, and where there is so much insecurity for workers employed in such precarious working conditions, and living from contract to contract, and looking into a future where workers are replaced by technology – it is of absolute necessity that Trade Unions become stronger and build their numbers and find ways to campaign for all employees and all workers to be able to be in a Union.
As efforts are made to build a Social Europe every piece of law that strengthens workers’ rights must be seen to be enforced.
It is wonderful that SIPTU, FORSA, INTO, Mandate, the National Union of Journalists, Musicians Union of Ireland and my own union, Equity, have come together to combine their strengths, and co-operate for this May Fest. I have no doubt it must give them great pleasure and enjoyment.
I wish 2019 May Fest great success. I hope there will be a great turn out for all the events and that they are well advertised at the various Trade Union conferences and everywhere else.
We must set our sights at the May Fest growing and growing in strength to become a great inclusive rallying point for all workers.
Workers who play together, stay together!
It give me great pleasure to declare this May Fest 2019 launched.
Thank you.