Category Archives: young people

History of the Irish in Britain Representation Group by Patrick Reynolds. Part 1:1981

Posted on May 22, 2020 by lipstick socialist

  Patrick Reynolds was one of the founders of IBRG and played a key role in its history. He is now writing up that history and putting it into the context of radical history in Britain and Ireland in the … Continue reading →

Posted in education, human rights, Ireland, Irish second generation, labour history, Manchester, North of Ireland, working class history, young people | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

My review of “Joan Maynard Passionate Socialist” Kristine Mason O’Connor (2003)

Posted on April 29, 2020 by lipstick socialist

What do you want to do ? New mailCopy Joan Maynard (1921-1998) lived her life through her politics. In the course of  her  76 years she was a parish councillor, a rural district councillor, a county councillor, a Justice of … Continue reading →

Posted in anti-cuts, biography, book review, Communism, education, feminism, human rights, Ireland, Irish second generation, labour history, Manchester, North of Ireland, political women, Socialism, Socialist Feminism, trade unions, Uncategorized, women, working class history, young people | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

My review of “They Divided the Sky” A Novel by Christa Wolf. (2013)

Posted on April 18, 2020 by lipstick socialist

What do you want to do ? New mailCopy Christa Wolf (1929-2011) was an East German (GDR) novelist. Born into the Nazi era,  like many of her generation (in the east and the west) she embraced socialism after the war … Continue reading →

Posted in book review, Communism, education, human rights, novels, political women, Socialism, Socialist Feminism, Uncategorized, women, working class history, young people | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

My review of “Class Power on Zero Hours”

Posted on April 8, 2020 by lipstick socialist

In this new book a group of self identified communists demand a revolutionary approach to changing society. It sounds far fetched and outrageous,  but we are living in a society where revolutionary change by  capitalism  has already taken place,  as … Continue reading →

Posted in anti-cuts, book review, Communism, education, feminism, human rights, interesting blog, Ireland, Irish second generation, labour history, Socialism, Socialist Feminism, trade unions, Uncategorized, women, working class history, young people | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

IBRG at the WCML;part six. A Welcome for IBRG at St.Brendan’s Irish Centre.

Posted on March 17, 2020 by lipstick socialist

  In the 1980s when IBRG branches were being   set up across the country one of the biggest problems was finding somewhere to meet. There were many  Irish Centres,  but most of them did not want an Irish group with … Continue reading →

Posted in Cathy Crabb, education, feminism, human rights, Ireland, Irish second generation, labour history, Manchester, North of Ireland, political women, Uncategorized, women, working class history, young people | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

IBRG Archive at the WCML; N.E.Lancs IBRG and Irish Women in Britain.

Posted on February 5, 2020 by lipstick socialist

IBRG was an organisation that reflected the history of the Irish in this country but one that was not frightened off linking up the present with the past – unlike many other Irish organisations in the era of 1981-2003. Branches  … Continue reading →

Posted in education, feminism, human rights, International Women's Day, Ireland, Irish second generation, labour history, Manchester, North of Ireland, political women, Uncategorized, women, working class history, young people | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Margaret Mullarkey; working class, Boltonian, IBRG activist

Posted on January 19, 2020 by lipstick socialist

  In archiving the history of IBRG it is noticeable how many women were active as national officers as well as playing a more hidden role as the backbone of the organisation at a branch level. Margaret was one of … Continue reading →

Posted in education, feminism, human rights, International Women's Day, Ireland, Irish second generation, labour history, North of Ireland, political women, Socialist Feminism, Uncategorized, women, working class history, young people | Tagged , | 1 Comment

My review of Dayglo: The Poly Styrene Story by Celeste Bell and Zoe Howe

Posted on August 27, 2019 by lipstick socialist

Poly Styrene  (3 July 1957 – 25 April 2011),  (real name Marianne Joan Elliott-Said) was one of the most unique performers who came out of the punk era. Watch this video here In this affectionate and revealing biography written by … Continue reading →

Posted in biography, book review, drama, feminism, films, Uncategorized, women, working class history, young people | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

My review of “The Metal Mountain” by John Healy

Posted on July 26, 2019 by lipstick socialist

IT  is 30 years since John Healy wrote his classic “Grass Arena”  his autobiography of growing up Irish in London. Published at a time when the Irish in Britain were going through a time of renaissance from politics in groups … Continue reading →

Posted in book review, Catholicism, education, feminism, human rights, Ireland, Irish second generation, labour history, North of Ireland, Uncategorized, women, working class history, young people | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

My review of “Last Witnesses Unchildlike Stories” Svetlana Alexievich

Posted on July 19, 2019 by lipstick socialist

        PUBLISHED in 1985 in the Soviet Union this first English edition is a very painful reminder of the affects of war on children. In the 1970s  Alexievich  started interviewing the generation of children who had  lived … Continue reading →

Posted in book review, Communism, human rights, Uncategorized, working class history, young people | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment