Pauline McClenaghan (Editor)
This publication arose out of the initiative of a group of socialists and trade unionists in organising a conference in Derry to commemorate the fortieth anniversary of the 5 October civil rights march in the city. Spirit of ’68: Beyond the Barricades reflects the conviction of this group that the events in Derry in 1968 were shaped not just by the interplay of Orange and Green traditions but, at least as importantly, by class politics and by the struggle of working-class people throughout the world for economic and social rights. Contributors examine the international and local context of the events, the impact of the march and its aftermath on working-class Protestants, and the issues which the Northern Ireland civil rights movement raised for the trade union movement, for republican socialism and for the struggle for gay and women’s rights.
Contributors include: Peter Bunting (foreword), Goretti Horgan, Jeanette, Michael Kerrigan, Bernadette McAliskey, Eamonn McCann, Dermie McClenaghan, Pauline McClenaghan (editor), Emmett O Connor and Terry Robson. Cover photograph: Women workers from Essex International marching in protest to RUC barracks. (Courtesy Martin McCay.)
