The Working Class Movement Library  collects badges as part of archiving the history of the labour movement. Recently a new collection of Irish badges was donated.

As a member of the Irish in Britain Representation Group whose archive (and badge collection) is now in the WCML I immediately wanted to view the collection and see if I recognised them. I was unable to find out who donated them and therefore the story, so far, about how and why they were collected is a mystery.

This new collection records the Irish struggle in Ireland; none of the badges refer to campaigns in this country.  It is hard to find, in the labour movement, few badges that record women’s struggles and it is a similar story in the history of Ireland.

This badge (above) is unusual in recording  the campaign of Irish women political prisoners in Armagh Jail. Armagh was the only women’s prison for political prisoners. Most women were under 25 and the population of the prison varied from 60-120.

When the British Government withdrew Special Category Status ( being treated as political prisoners) alongside the men in Long Kesh Prison (their protest had started in 1978)   the women responded by a “No work protest” and the women refused to wash, use the toilet, empty chamber pots  or clean their cell.  The worsening sanitary conditions led to abuse by the prison guards. In 1980 three women took part in the Long Kesh Hunger Strike. There are many badges about the men’s Hunger Strike but this is the only one that I have seen that records the women’s protest.

The Hunger Strikes of 1981 sparked protests across the world- and in the Irish community over here. It led to a group of people, from different generations of the Irish community, to decide to set up an organisation that would give a voice to the demands of Irish people and make the link between British colonialism in Ireland and the state and status of the Irish in Britain. This organisation was the Irish in Britain Representation Group.

Between 1980 and 1986 the strip searching of female republican women  prisoners in Armagh Prison  became a local, national, and international issue. The women interpreted its use as a weapon of war against them personally and the wider republican community.

Three years after IBRG was set up the Minutes record at the Ard Feis/AGM that a motion was passed, sponsored by Manchester IBRG calling for “The ending of strip searching in Armagh Jail and the organisation of a campaign in Britain against strip-searching.”

A national campaign against strip searching was set up in Britain and meetings were held across the country. Organisations that were involved included the IBRG, Women and Ireland Groups,  Troops Out Movement, London Irish Women’s Centre, and  Labour Women for Ireland.

On 23 March 1985 the IBRG held their AGM/Ard Fheis at Brent Town Hall, Wembley. It agreed to affiliate to the National Committee to Stop the Strip Searches.

1985 was the year when IBRG President Moira O’Shea and others were arrested.  It was the year when IBRG member Bernadette Hyland attended the annual Women’s Delegation to the North of Ireland and spoke about the use of strip searching at Armagh Prison on a local  BBC Manchester community radio programme called Irish Line  and run by Manchester IBRG. It led to the replacement of the programme  by a more docile show and presenters in a new Irish community programme called Come Into the Parlour.

1985 Women’s Delegation to Ireland

The use of strip searching of Irish women did not just happen  in the North of Ireland. It was used against other Irish women prisoners in England  including Moira O’Shea and many women active on Ireland.

In 1985 at a regional IBRG meeting (Ard Choiste) in London a motion protesting the strip searching of Irish political prisoners in Brixton Jail of Ella O’Dwyer and Martina Anderson was passed.

In 1987 a Women’s Committee was set up in IBRG. Women were prominent in the organisation from its beginnings but were not represented in officer roles.

Women from IBRG went on the annual Women and Ireland delegations to the North of Ireland to stand with the women at Armagh Prison and extend solidarity with the republican community. Bolton working class IBRG member Margaret Mullarkey went on the delegation in 1986. Here is her report.

Strip searching was an issue that was constantly on the agenda in IBRG national and local meetings. Members were asked to join the campaign and attend the pickets of Brixton prison where Irish political prisoners Martina Anderson and Ella O’Dwyer were being held.

On 20^th March 1988 the IBRG March for Justice went   from Hyde Park to Kilburn with over 1,000 marchers. The speakers at the rally included Teresa McCann from the Strip Search campaign.

March for Justice 1988

In the same year the IBRG magazine an pobal eirithe featured an article by National Officer Virginia Moyles on a conference she had attended on the “Campaign against Strip Searching”. Organised by the London Strategic Policy Unit on 5 December 1987 at Lambeth Town Hall. Speakers highlighted the way in which it was now being used against many individuals and groups.

A resolution was passed saying “It is a technique of repression used systematically against Irish republican women and it is now being used increasingly against Black and Asian women, Black youth, political activists, lesbians and gay men, and against people in prisons and at customs, in police custody at military establishments and even in the streets.”

In 2023 the use of strip searching is widespread – even against children. In March 2023 a report by the Children’s Commissioner highlighted that ‘strip searches of children under stop and search powers have a pronounced and deeply concerning ethnic disproportionality’.

Find out more about the IBRG archive at the WCML here https://www.wcml.org.uk/whats-on/events/online-talk-the-irish-in-britain-representation-group-archive-at-the-wcml-a-major-addition-to-the-irish-collection-/