Public Meeting on Deported Leitrim Socialist Jim Gralton

sligo | worker & community struggles and protests | event notice Thursday January 13, 2005 02:06 by D. Hevers - Connolly Forum S.U.T.C. Castle Street, Sligo.

The writer and former RTE radio presenter Mr Pat Feeley, will speak at a Connolly Forum public meeting on ‘Jim Gralton – the Leitrim Socialist’, which will be held in the Trades Club, Castle Street, Sligo, on Wednesday the 19th of January at 8.30.p.m.

Jim Gralton, a native of Effernagh, Co. Leitrim, emigrated to America as a young man. It was in the U.S.A. that he became involved in the labour struggles of the time. Never breaking his links with Ireland he was active in the Connolly Club in New York, which also counted among its members Jim Larkin, Nora Connolly and Liam Mellows.

When he returned to Leitrim in 1932 to help his aged parents, he became immersed in political activity. He joined the Revolutionary Workers Group, spoke at numerous anti-eviction meetings and re-opened the Pearse-Connolly Hall in Gowel, Co. Leitrim. When a massive Red Scare enveloped the country in 1933, Gralton became the victim of a political witch-hunt and was deported from Ireland as “an undesirable alien”. He became the only Irishman ever to be deported from his native land.

The Leitrim socialist was never allowed to return to Ireland and spent the remaining days of his life in the American Labour movement. He again became involved in the Irish Workers Clubs in New York, reprinted Connolly’s pamphlets, raised funds for the International Brigades in Spain and participated in the many campaigns of the period. He died in New York on December 29th 1945 and was buried in Woodlawn cemetery.

Mr Pete Murtagh, Chairperson of the Connolly Forum, will preside at the meeting which is open to the public.