The 2010 Jim Connell Festival, Crossakiel
Festival Events - Comedy - Friday 30th April 2010
Friday Night will see The 2010 Jim Connell Festival kicked off in style with an amazing line-up of comedians!!... Taking place in Ballinlough House... "Lough In Ball Comedy Club" 5 Comedians, 1 great night, only €5 admin!!!...
Festival Events - Music - Saturday 1st & Sunday 2nd May 2010
Saturday & Sunday will see a range of Music from your Traditional Irish to your good old original and cover groups!... Headline Sunday 2nd GRADA!.. all happening in McCabe's of Crossakiel, view more!! >>
Parade & Additional Events - Sunday 2nd 2010
The Parade will take place in Crossakiel on Sunday 2nd May 2010 for full details view more!! >>
The Man Who Wrote 'The Red Flag'
Jim Connell was born in Kilskyre in County Meath in 1852. As a teenager, he became involved in land agitation and joined the Irish Republican Brotherhood. At 18 he moved to Dublin, where he worked as a casual docker, but was blacklisted for his attempts to unionise the docks. Failing to find any other work, he left for London in 1875, where he spent most of the rest of his life. He worked at a variety of jobs. He was a staff journalist on Keir Hardie's newspaper "The Labour Leader" and was secretary of the Workingmen's Legal Aid Society during the last 20 years of his life. He wrote "The Red Flag" in 1889 on the train from Charing Cross to New Cross after attending a lecture on socialism at a meeting of the Social Democratic Federation. It was inspired by the London dock strike happening at that time, as well as activities of the Irish Land League, the Paris Commune.. Read More >>