Ireland

This chapter explains the circumstances surrounding the emergence of a radical left in Ireland in the 1980s, when the Workers’ Party rose to prominence. It details the fall of the WP and the rise of small Trotskyist parties – SP/AAA/Solidarity and SWP/PBPA – in the 1990s. It assesses the recent impact of austerity policies on Ireland and examines the limited success of the Trotskyists in responding to austerity by mobilising people on grounds of class, not national identity (as with Sinn Féin). It provides detailed information on the two Trotskyist parties and their efforts to coordinate their activities despite bitter rivalry. It examines efforts to mobilise and sustain a broader movement against austerity and comments on the role of Independents in revitalising a radical Irish left.