James Connolly - A Full Life

The definitive biography of James Connolly by Donal Nevin

“Hasn't it been a full life, Lillie, and isn't this a good end?,” were James Connolly's last words to his wife in Dublin Castle in the early hours of May 12, 1916 shortly before his execution in Kilmainham Jail.

The first fourteen years of Connolly's life were spent in Edinburgh and the next seven years in the King's Liverpool Regiment in Ireland.

In 1889 he returned to Edinburgh where he was a socialist activist and organiser for seven years. In 1896, at the age of 28, he was invited to Dublin as socialist organiser, founding the Irish Socialist Republican  Party and editing The Workers' Republic.

During seven years in America between 1903 and 1910, Connolly was in turn active with the Socialist Labor Party, organiser for the IWW ('Wobblies') and a national organiser for the Socialist Party of America.

Returning to Ireland in 1910 as organiser of the Socialist Party of Ireland, Connolly was appointed Ulster Organiser of the Irish Transport and General Workers' Union by James Larkin – succeeding him as acting General Secretary in October 1914.

As Commander of the Irish Citizen Army, Connolly joined with leaders of the Irish Republican Brotherhood in the Easter Rising in 1916, becoming Commandant-General of the Dublin Division of the Army of the Republic and Vice-President of the Provisional Government of the Irish Republic.

Donal Nevin’s definitive biography is largely based on Connolly’s own writings in twenty-seven journals and 200 letters. Nevin’s aim is that, as far as possible, Connolly himself should tell the story of his short but full life as soldier, agitator, propagandist, orator, socialist organiser, pamphleteer, trade union leader and insurgent, and tracing the evolution of his political thinking.

The result of Nevin's labour of love is a book of some 850 pages (including references and footnotes).

Speaking at the launch of the book in Liberty Hall in September 2005, historian and broadcaster, John Bowman, thanked publishers, Gill and Macmillan and SIPTU for enabling Nevin to produce this comprehensive work of scholarship.

Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, praised Donal Nevin for providing “an extensive journey” through the Connolly era, and for painting “a vivid picture of the many personalities of the time.” The book is available from all good bookshops. Its recommended retail price is €29.99 – but some shops have it on offer for less. SIPTU members can buy it from the Union for €15.  An additional charge of €4.00 should be added to cover postage and packing.