Workers League (Ireland)

The Workers League was a Trotskyist political party in Ireland.

The group's origins lay in the League for a Workers Republic, an associate of the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI). As that organisation began to split between the supporters of the Socialist Labour League (SLL) in Britain and those of the Internationalist Communist Organisation (OCI) in France. The majority of the League for a Workers Republic sided with the OCI, but a minority broke away in 1970 to form the League for a Workers Vanguard.

When the ICFI split in 1972, the League for a Workers Vanguard changed its name to the "Workers League" and became an official affiliate of an ICFI dominated by Gerry Healy's Socialist Labout League. The Leagues activities involved general recruitment, the running of classes in Marxism, the selling of, first, The Workers' Press and, later, News Line- both published in England - and attempting interventions in industrial disputes'. In the mid-seventies, the League ran a Right to Work Campaign which involved a number of demonstrations in Dublin, one of which culminated in a 'mass' meeting in the Mansion House. Jack O'Connor, who would later become General President of SIPTU in 2003, and President of ICTU in 2009, was an activist and organiser with the League for much of the 1970s. In the early 1970s, the League's General Secretary was Donal O'Sullivan. For a while, the League published Marxist Journal a general magazine that dealt with political and theoretical issues, which was edited by Paul McGuirk. The League became moribund sometime around 1978.

Defunct political parties of Northern Ireland

Unionist / Loyalist	Commonwealth Labour Party Independent Unionist Association Northern Ireland Unionist Party Protestant Unionist Party UK Unionist Party Ulster Constitution Party Ulster Democratic Party Ulster Popular Unionist Party Ulster Progressive Unionist Association Ulster Unionist Coalition Party Ulster Unionist Labour Association Unionist Party of Northern Ireland United Ulster Unionist Council United Ulster Unionist Party United Unionist Coalition Vanguard Unionist Progressive Party Volunteer Political Party

Nationalist / Republican	All Ireland Anti-Partition League Federation of Labour Fianna Uladh Irish Anti-Partition League Irish Independence Party Irish Union Association National Democratic Party Nationalist Party National League of the North National Unity Northern Council for Unity Official Sinn Féin People's Democracy Red Republican Party Republican Socialist Collective Saor Éire Socialist Republican Party Unity

Left wing	Belfast Labour Party Communist Party of Ireland (Marxist-Leninist) Communist Party of Northern Ireland Democratic Left Independent Labour Group Independent Socialist Party Labour Coalition Labour Party of Northern Ireland Labour and Trade Union Group League for a Workers Republic Northern Ireland Labour Party Republican Labour Party Socialist Labour Alliance United Labour Party Workers League

Ulster nationalist	British Ulster Dominion Party Ulster Independence Movement Ulster Independence Party Ulster Movement for Self-Determination Ulster Third Way

Others	Democratic Partnership Newtownabbey Ratepayers' Association Northern Ireland Women's Coalition Social Credit Party of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Ulster Liberal Party Unbought Tenants Association

Excluding those left-wing parties avowedly nationalist / republican or unionist / loyalist.

Defunct political parties in Ireland

To 1918	All-for-Ireland League Catholic Union Home Government Association Home Rule League Independent Irish Party Irish Conservative Party Irish Liberal Party Irish Metropolitan Conservative Society Irish National Federation Irish National League Irish Parliamentary Party Irish Patriot Party Irish Reform Association Irish Socialist Republican Party Irish Unionist Alliance Protestant Nationalist Party Repeal Association United Irish League

Post 1918	Ailtirí na hAiséirghe All Ireland Anti-Partition League Aontacht Éireann British and Irish Communist Organisation Business and Professional Group Christian Centrist Party Clann Éireann Clann na Poblachta Clann na Talmhan Communist Party of Ireland (Marxist–Leninist) Córas na Poblachta Cork Socialist Party Cumann na nGaedheal Cumann na Poblachta Cumann Poblachta na hÉireann Democratic Left Democratic Socialist Party Donegal Progressive Party Farmers' Party Fathers Rights-Responsibility Party Independent Fianna Fáil Independent Health Alliance Irish Anti-Partition League Irish Dominion League Irish Independence Party Irish Workers' Group Irish Worker League Irish Workers' Party (1926) Irish Workers' Party (1948) League for a Workers Republic Libertas Monetary Reform Party Muintir na hÉireann National Centre Party National Corporate Party National Labour Party National League Party National Party (1924) National Party (1995) National Progressive Democrats Poblacht Chríostúil Progressive Democrats Republican Congress Saor Éire Sligo/Leitrim Independent Socialist Organisation Socialist Labour Party Socialist Party of Ireland Workers League

Famous quotes containing the words workers and/or league:

“Prosperous farmers mean more employment, more prosperity for the workers and the business men of ... every industrial area in the whole country.”
—Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945)

“He will deliver you from six troubles; in seven no harm shall touch you. In famine he will redeem you from death, and in war from the power of the sword. You shall be hidden from the scourge of the tongue, and shall not fear destruction when it comes. At destruction and famine you shall laugh, and shall not fear the wild animals of the earth. For you shall be in league with the stones of the field, and the wild animals shall be at peace with you.”
—Bible: Hebrew, Job 5:19-23.