Joe’s archive

Joe Mullarkey,  (1942-2022) co-founder of the Irish in Britain Representation Group and  trade unionist, made an important contribution to the  radical history of working- class  people in this country. Joe  was  Chair of Bolton IBRG as well as national Vice President of IBRG.  He was also a shop steward in his workplace for thirty years.

After he died his daughter Nuala contributed to the IBRG archive Joe’s letters, books, leaflets, and memorabilia. Joe left school at an early age and his education was gained through a lifetime of learning, through his political activity in IBRG and his trade union.

Joe’s story is part of the radical history of working-class people in this country. It is a chapter in the history of the Irish in Britain who have  campaigned for a better society over here as well as challenging the role of the UK in the occupation of part of Ireland.

Documents shows how he worked through the local Bolton Community Relations Council urging them (and they did) take up anti-Irish racism in all its forms across the borough. They also went with Joe to retrieve his belongings at the local police station after a “burglary” at his house when he was on holiday with his family. The police had attended and seized a bag of publications from  his home. When Joe attended the interview, he noticed they had labelled his belongings as “IRA material.” In the archive is this document.

Police document

Joe and Margaret (cannot speak of Joe without her) recognised the importance of giving Irish people an understanding and love of their own culture. They set up and ran the first Bolton Irish festival.  They also lobbied for an organisation to take up issues around local Irish people providing support services.

Joe worked hard in IBRG to encourage Irish people of all generations to understand their history; past and present.

His small library  reflects the many  issues that he campaigned on as a member of IBRG. Including Justice for Robert Hamill, the shooting of children by plastic bullets, prison policy, and  strip searching.  They represent just a small number of the many campaigns he was involved with.

This archive is important in showing how working -class people can educate themselves, that they can organise and win campaigns, and make this a better world for all people to live in.

“Independence is my happiness, and I view things as they are, without regard to place or person; my country is the world, and my religion is to do good.”

Thomas Paine “Rights of Man.”

Find out more about IBRG in the archive at the WCML https://www.wcml.org.uk/blogs/Lynette-Cawthra/The-Irish-Collection-a-new-chapter-the-role-of-the-Irish-in-Britain-Representation-Group-Part-1/

Read more about Joe here https://lipsticksocialist.com/2021/04/05/my-review-of-memoir-my-early-life-by-joe-mullarkey-2021/