The Irish Labour History Society (ILHS) embarked on an ambitious programme to mark its fiftieth anniversary involving an international conference in Dublin titled ‘Visions of Labour and Class’ and a collection of essays exploring the role of labour history in Irish historical narratives – Labour History in Irish History (reviewed in Labour History Review). Both were graced by the involvement of Irish President, Michael D. Higgins, celebrated by the Mayor of Dublin with a civic reception and generously sponsored by the labour movement and the Irish authorities.

The third leg of the project is the publication by the ILHS, in association with Dublin’s Umiskin Press, of the full proceedings of the conference. Edited by a former teachers’ union leader Noel Ward and Umiskin’s founder and Principal Dr Jack McGinley, it was published just six months after the conference. Elegantly set, printed and illustrated, the volume runs to 329 hardbacked pages, includes all 29 papers (recast for publication with endnotes), contains a detailed conference report, President Higgins’ commemoration of labour leader Tom Johnson, and the presentations delivered at the concluding panel session. These included one by Dr Mike Mecham, a member of the SSLH Executive Committee, who conveyed the views of the British labour history societies on the theme of the panel, ‘Labour History in the 21^st Century.’

Generally acknowledged as a great success the events are seen as a landmark opportunity for Irish labour history and an important springboard for the future. This impressively produced volume had a limited print run of 150 copies.

Available from Umiskin Press.