Roddy Connolly was the son of James Connolly and a significant political figure in his own right. In a career that lasted over 60 years, he played a central role in many of the Irish Left?s most important political initiatives. This book examines for the first time his career and evaluates his contribution to Irish politics in the 20th century.

This book is the first biography of Irish Labour politician, Roddy Connolly. His was a career wholly unique in Irish politics, spanning 65 years and linking the revolutionary politics of the 1916-23 era with the more moderate Irish Labour Party politics of the 1970s. Connolly took part in the Easter Rising, formed Ireland 's first Communist Party, had a brief involvement in the short-lived Workers Party of Ireland in 1926, and ended up joining the Irish Labour Party with the intention of taking it to the left. In the 1940s he was a twice-elected Labour TD, and in the 1970s returned to the fore as party chairman and Senate member. Roddy Connolly died in 1980. Author Charlie McGuire details the career of one of the Irish Left 's most important figures and offers a window into the development of the organizations and parties in which he was involved. In the process, he sheds light on and challenges existing interpretations of many of the key periods in twentieth century Irish history.