Connolly Youth Movement

Communist youth organisation in Ireland

Connolly Youth Movement

Ógra Uí Chonghaile

Chairperson| Morgan Ó hÉigceartaigh
Founded| 1963
Ideology|

* Marxism–Leninism
* Irish republicanism
* Euroscepticism

International affiliation| WFDY
Magazine| Forward
Website| www.cym.ie
Part of a series on

Irish republicanism

Concepts

* Abstentionism
* Anti-imperialism
* Armalite and ballot box strategy
* Dissident republican
* Éire Nua
* Irish nationalism
* Irish republican legitimism
* New Departure
* Radicalism
* Republicanism
* United Ireland

History

* Irish Rebellion of 1798
* Acts of Union 1800
* Irish rebellion of 1803
* Young Ireland rebellion
* Fenian Rising
* Fenian raids
* Fenian dynamite campaign
* Easter Rising
* 1918 general election
* Irish revolutionary period
* Irish War of Independence
* Irish Civil War
* 1932 general election
* S-Plan
* Border Campaign
* The Troubles
* Arms Crisis
* 1981 Irish hunger strike
* Good Friday Agreement
* Dissident Irish republican campaign

People

* Gerry Adams
* Cathal Brugha
* Neil Blaney
* Tom Clarke
* James Connolly
* Seamus Costello
* Éamon de Valera
* Robert Emmet
* Cathal Goulding
* Thomas J. Kelly
* Seán Mac Stíofáin
* Seán MacBride
* Terence MacSwiney
* Constance Markievicz
* Bernadette Devlin
* Martin McGuinness
* Ruairí Ó Brádaigh
* Dáithí Ó Conaill
* Peadar O'Donnell
* John O'Mahony
* Patrick Pearse
* Seán Russell
* Bobby Sands
* James Stephens
* Wolfe Tone
* Moss Twomey

Active parties

* Aontú
* Éirígí
* Fianna Fáil
* Irish Republican Socialist Party
* Republican Network for Unity
* Republican Sinn Féin
* Saoradh
* Sinn Féin

Defunct parties

* All Ireland Anti-Partition League
* Anti H-Block
* Aontacht Éireann
* Clann na Poblachta
* Clann Éireann
* Communist Party of Ireland (Marxist–Leninist)
* Córas na Poblachta
* Cumann na Poblachta
* Cumann Poblachta na hÉireann
* Fianna Uladh
* Independent Fianna Fáil
* Irish Anti-Partition League
* Irish Independence Party
* Irish Socialist Republican Party
* Irish Workers' Group (1976)
* National Corporate Party
* Northern Council for Unity
* Republican Congress
* Republican Labour Party
* Republican Socialist Collective
* Saor Éire
* SLISO
* Socialist Republican Party

Militant groups

Active

* Arm na Poblachta
* Continuity IRA
* Cumann na mBan‎
* Fianna Éireann
* Irish Republican Liberation Army
* Irish Republican Movement
* New IRA

Inactive

* Irish National Liberation Army
* Óglaigh na hÉireann (Real IRA splinter group)

Defunct

* Connolly Column
* Irish Brigade
* Irish Citizen Army
* Irish National Invincibles
* Irish People's Liberation Organisation
* Irish Republican Army (1919–1922)
* Irish Republican Army (1922–1969)
* Irish Republican Brotherhood
* Irish Revolutionary Forces
* Irish Volunteers
* Official IRA
* Provisional IRA
* Real IRA
* Republican Action Against Drugs
* Republican Defence Army
* Saor Éire (1967–1975)
* Saor Uladh
* Society of United Irishmen
* South Armagh Republican Action Force
* Young Ireland

Active Organisations

* 32 County Sovereignty Movement
* Anti-Imperialist Action Ireland
* Cabhair
* Connolly Association
* Connolly Youth Movement
* IRPWA
* Irish National Congress
* IRSCNA
* NORAID
* National Graves Association, Belfast
* National Graves Association
* Revolutionary Housing League
* Wolfe Tone Societies
* Ógra Fianna Fáil
* Ógra Shinn Féin

Defunct Organisations

* Clan na Gael
* Clann na hÉireann
* Comhairle na Poblachta
* Dungannon Clubs
* Emmet Monument Association
* Fenian Brotherhood
* Friends of Irish Freedom
* Irish Republican Voice
* Irish Socialist Federation
* League of Communist Republicans
* Northern Resistance Movement
* People's Democracy
* Phoenix National and Literary Society
* Troops Out Movement

Media

* An Phoblacht
* Evening Press
* Guerrilla Days in Ireland
* IRIS Magazine
* Irish Freedom
* Republican News
* Saoirse Irish Freedom
* Sinn Féin
* The Gaelic American
* The Hibernia Magazine
* The Irish Felon
* The Irish People
* The Irish Press
* The Nation
* The Phoenix
* The Starry Plough
* The Sunday Press
* United Irishman (1848 newspaper)
* United Irishman (1948 newspaper)

* Politics portal
* Ireland portal

* v
* t
* e

The Connolly Youth Movement (Irish: Ógra Uí Chonghaile, often abbreviated as CYM) is an all-Ireland Marxist–Leninist youth organisation[1] named after revolutionary socialist, James Connolly. Until 2021 it was affiliated with the Communist Party of Ireland. It is a member of the World Federation of Democratic Youth.

## History and current status[edit]

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The Connolly Youth Movement (CYM) was founded in 1963 by young people who were influenced by the Communist Party during the Dublin Housing Action struggle. In 1970, with the merger of the Irish Workers' Party and Communist Party of Northern Ireland, to form the Communist Party of Ireland (CPI), the Northern Ireland Young Communist League joined the CYM, with Madge Davison as its general secretary. The CYM disbanded in 1991 due to a reduction in membership following the dissolution of the Soviet Union and eastern and central European bloc and the resulting political crisis in the World Communist Movement. However, following the resurgence of the left and anti-capitalist movement in Ireland, the CYM re-formed in 2002, grouped mainly around young members of the Dublin Branch of the CPI and student activists in NUI (National University of Ireland), Galway. The Connolly Youth Movement has relations with a number of young communist organisations around the world. The CYM attends the Meeting of European Communist Youth Organizations (MECYO).[2]

The CYM supported the programme of the Communist Party of Ireland until a vote of the membership rescinded it at an Extraordinary Ard Fheis on 9 January 2021.[3] The Communist Party issued a statement saying that, shortly before the split, several dual (CPI-CYM) members had been expelled for breaches of discipline and factional behaviour.[4]

## Policies and ideology[edit]

The CYM is constitutionally a Marxist-Leninist organisation. It opposes the Good Friday Agreement and the European Union.[5] In July 2022 it published a new programme, Cause of Youth, Cause of Ireland. This included a commitment to Irish unity, revival of Irish culture and promotion of the Irish language, civil rights, free education, free healthcare on an all-Ireland basis, action on climate change, a public housing programme, international solidarity, and "a comprehensive system of worker's rights".[6]

In 2020 the CYM's then General Secretary Alex Homits stated that "poverty and trafficking are the leading creators of sex workers."[7] The CYM have offered solidarity to those engaged in sex work, and support for decriminalisation of the purchase of sex.[8]

The CYM condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine as an "inter-capitalist conflict" and a "highly dangerous and irresponsible course of action which will lead to the loss of many lives and create a fusebox of conflict". It criticised the Ukrainian government and said the eastward enlargement of NATO was a cause of the war. The CYM also recognizes the Russian-controlled breakaway states of the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic in Ukraine.[9]

The CYM has denied China's human rights abuses against Uyghurs.[10]

## Activities[edit]

In 2017, members of the Cork branch of the Connolly Youth Movement occupied and re-purposed three derelict buildings near UCC as part of an initiative to highlight rising levels of homelessness.[11][12] In 2018, two of these buildings were repossessed by the Garda Emergency Response Unit acting in conjunction with a contractor for the O'Dwyer Asset Management Company that owned the vacant properties.[13][14][15] The first occupation, still ongoing as of 2021, is referred to as Connolly Barracks by the organisation.[16]

The Connolly Youth Movement was involved in highly publicised instances of direct action in 2018[17] and 2019[18][19] when members of the movement disrupted Fine Gael public meetings in Cork in protest of government policy on homelessness and wealth inequality. One such action was criticised by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, who stated "I think no matter what political party you come from or what your political views, we should all be committed to democracy and freedom of speech and trying to shout other people down and trying to shut down their meetings is profoundly anti-democratic".[20] The CYM responded that it had a right to challenge and question the government on policy issues.[21] In a March 2020 interview, CYM General Secretary Alex Homits said "Socialism will not and cannot be delivered through the ballot box and the CYM and its membership will not lie about this or endorse those who do".[7]

In July 2020, Connolly Youth activists supported members of Saoradh, the Irish Republican Socialist Party and Lasair Dhearg who smashed an Irish Freedom Party stall in Belfast.[22]

In March 2023, members of the Connolly Youth Movement disrupted an event in Dublin City University where Bertie Ahern was receiving an honorary doctorate, calling him an "architect of the financial crisis" before being removed from the venue.[23]

In June 2023, Connolly Youth activists holding an anti-NATO banner disrupted a forum discussing Irish defence policy. Micheál Martin, who was giving a speech, accused them of being undemocratic and trying to shut down debate.[24]

## Publications[edit]

The CYM irregularly publishes a print magazine titled Forward, with online articles published under the same title.[25]

## Affiliations[edit]

* World Federation of Democratic Youth

## Prominent past members of CYM[edit]

* Madge Davison[26]
* Declan Bree[27] – served as Chairperson of the CYM
* Manus O'Riordan[28] \- served on the executive committee of the CYM[29]

## References[edit]

1. ^ "Constitution". Connolly Youth Movement. 28 March 2018. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
2. ^ "Message of support of the Communist Youth Organizations". Communist Party of Greece. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
3. ^ "CYM Statement on Disaffiliation". Connolly Youth Movement. 18 January 2021. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
4. ^ Statement on CPI-CYM relations, Communist Party of Ireland, 9 February 2021.
5. ^ "Cause of Youth, Cause of Ireland". Connolly Youth Movement. 2022. pp. 17–19.
6. ^ "Programme | Clár -". 7 November 2018. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
7. ^ a b Norton, Alexander (4 March 2020). "Red ambition: the Connolly Youth Movement in 2020". Morning Star. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
8. ^ CYM Editorial Team (4 June 2020). "When Sex Workers Win, All Women Win". cym.ie. Archived from the original on 19 August 2020.
9. ^ "The CYM condemns war in Ukraine". Connolly Youth Movement. 25 February 2022.
10. ^ "Uyghurs and China: The Facts". Connolly Youth Movement. 27 February 2021.
11. ^ "Group squat in Cork house to highlight crisis". Evening Echo. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
12. ^ "Students face eviction from liberated building | University Express". UCC Express. 8 November 2017. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
13. ^ "Gardaí evict anti-homelessness protestors". Evening Echo. 1 August 2018.
14. ^ "Armed Response Unit Break Up Political Protest in Cork, Ireland". CYM. 26 July 2018.
15. ^ Mullally, Una. "North Frederick Street looks like proof that the system is conspiring against the people". The Irish Times.
16. ^ "Cork's Connolly Barracks". Hot Press. 23 January 2020.
17. ^ "Connolly Youth Movement Disrupt Simon Coveney Event in UCC | University Express". UCC Express. 10 October 2018. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
18. ^ Duffy, Rónán (May 2019). "'Have you a job? Have you a job?' – Tense exchanges as FG Cork meeting disrupted by protesters". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
19. ^ Roche, Barry. "Varadkar calls protesters who halted Fine Gael meeting 'anti-democratic'". The Irish Times. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
20. ^ Roche, Barry (1 May 2019). "Varadkar calls protesters who halted Fine Gael meeting 'anti-democratic'". Irish Times. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
21. ^ "Taoiseach brands Cork protest 'profoundly undemocratic'". Breaking News. 2 May 2019. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
22. ^ "Activists 'evict' Far-Right Irish party as it sets up stall in centre of Belfast". Belfast Telegraph. 27 July 2020.
23. ^ McConnell, Daniel (2 March 2023). "Student protestors disrupt Bertie Ahern conferral saying he 'does not deserve any award'". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
24. ^ "Martin hits out at 'incoherent' protesters who were removed during forum speech in Cork". Irish Examiner. 22 June 2023.
25. ^ "Forward". CYM.
26. ^ "Communist Party of Ireland". www.communistpartyofireland.ie. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
27. ^ Yearbook on International Communist Affairs. Stanford University. 1980. p. 177.
28. ^ "Manus O'Riordan obituary: A man of high intellect with many passions". The Irish Times.
29. ^ "Heckling Dev". History Ireland.

## External links[edit]

* Official website
* Archive of Forward Issues

* v
* t
* e

Political youth organisations in Ireland

All Ireland|

* Connolly Youth Movement
* Labour Youth
* Ógra Fianna Fáil
* Ógra Shinn Féin
* Socialist Youth
* Young Fine Gael
* Young Greens

Northern Ireland|

* Alliance Youth
* Democratic Unionist Association
* SDLP Youth
* Young Labour
* Young Unionists

Authority control databases |

* VIAF

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