Cornelius "Con" Lehane (also spelled O'Lyhane) (1877–31 December 1919) was a

socialist Socialism is an economic ideology, economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse Economic system, economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. It describes ...

active in the

Irish Socialist Republican Party The Irish Socialist Republican Party was a small but pivotal Irish political party founded in 1896 by James Connolly. Its aim was to establish an Irish workers' republic. The party split in 1904 following months of internal political rows Hi ...

, the

Social Democratic Federation The Social Democratic Federation (SDF) was established as Britain's first organised socialist political party by H. M. Hyndman, and had its first meeting on 7 June 1881. Those joining the SDF included William Morris, George Lansbury, James ...

, and the

Socialist Party of Great Britain The Socialist Party of Great Britain (SPGB) is a small socialist political party in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1904 as a split from the Social Democratic Federation (SDF), it advocates using the ballot box for revolutionary purposes and ...

Ireland

Lehane was born in

Coachford Coachford () is a village in County Cork, Ireland. It is located on the north side of the River Lee. The village is located in the civil parish of Magourney. Coachford is part of the Dáil constituency of Cork North-West. Coachford owes its ...

County Cork County Cork () is the largest and the southernmost Counties of Ireland, county of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, named after the city of Cork (city), Cork, the state's second-largest city. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster ...

in 1877. Although a graduate in Irish and

chemistry Chemistry is the scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a physical science within the natural sciences that studies the chemical elements that make up matter and chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules a ...

from Cork Technical School, by profession Lehane was a clerk (cf.

E. J. B. Allen Ernest John Bartlett Allen (29 March 1884 – 16 June 1945) was a British socialist active in the United Kingdom and New Zealand. Allen was born in South Hinksey, Berkshire (now Oxfordshire) and graduated from Oxford University. He joined the So ...

). Like

Valentine McEntee Valentine La Touche McEntee, 1st Baron McEntee CBE (16 January 1871 – 11 February 1953) was an Irish-born Labour Member of Parliament (MP) in the United Kingdom. Background McEntee was born in Kingstown (now Dún Laoghaire) near Dublin, th ...

, Lehane had been a member of

James Connolly James Connolly (; 5 June 1868 – 12 May 1916) was a Scottish people, Scottish-born Irish republicanism, Irish republican, socialist, and trade union leader, executed for his part in the Easter Rising, 1916 Easter Rising against British rule i ...

and indeed was one of the dozen or so most important members. As "Proletarian", he wrote many articles for the ISRP journal, ''The Workers Republic'', and designed the front cover for the ISRP's ''Workers’ Republic'' pamphlet series. (He may well have designed the cover of the SPGB's first pamphlet, which is carried out in a similar fashion). O'Lyhane, as he was then known, was the moving force behind the Cork branch (1897–1902).

Britain

He then moved to England, joining the

around the turn of the century. Cornelius Lehane anti-war rally

Lehane eventually left the SDF and was a founding member of the

in 1904. He was the first General Secretary of the SPGB (June 1904 to August 1905) and was a prominent public speaker for the Party. He was expelled along with most of the rest of Islington branch on 18 September 1906. His downfall came as follows. At the 1906 Annual Conference

Bexley Bexley is an area of south-eastern Greater London, England and part of the London Borough of Bexley. It is sometimes known as Bexley Village or Old Bexley to differentiate the area from the wider borough. It is located east-southeast of Ch ...

branch tabled a motion calling on the party to adopt a policy of socialist

industrial unionism Industrial unionism is a trade union organising method through which all workers in the same industry are organized into the same union, regardless of skill or trade, thus giving workers in one industry, or in all industries, more leverage in b ...

. This was voted down and charges brought against the branch. They were eventually expelled but

Islington Islington ( ) is an inner-city area of north London, England, within the wider London Borough of Islington. It is a mainly residential district of Inner London, extending from Islington's #Islington High Street, High Street to Highbury Fields ...

branch, led by Lehane, argued that the question should never have arisen and demanded that the Executive Committee should be removed for not rescinding the Bexley resolution and refusing to alter the record of the resolution. Islington ceased activity when this did not happen. Charges were hence brought against the branch. After being expelled the group continued to meet for a while as Islington branch of the SPGB and published two pamphlets (''Rocks Ahead'' and ''Another Political Wreck'') both signed by Lehane and his branch. Some time after leaving the SPGB he emigrated to the

U.S. The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguous ...

, where in 1913 he cooperated with

Jim Larkin James Larkin (28 January 1874 – 30 January 1947), sometimes known as Jim Larkin or Big Jim, was an Irish republican, socialist and trade union leader. He was one of the founders of the Irish Labour Party along with James Connolly and Willia ...

. The SPGB noted his presence there in 1915.''

Socialist Standard ''Socialist Standard'' is a monthly socialist magazine published without interruption since September 1904 by the Socialist Party of Great Britain (SPGB). The magazine is written in a simple, direct style and focuses mainly on socialist advocacy a ...

'', December 1915. In 1917, he was jailed for his opposition to the war. He died on 31 December 1919 in a

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

hospital shortly after being released from prison.

References

1904–1913 membership register *''

Justice In its broadest sense, justice is the idea that individuals should be treated fairly. According to the ''Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy'', the most plausible candidate for a core definition comes from the ''Institutes (Justinian), Inst ...

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lehane, Con 1877 births 1919 deaths Clerks Irish anti-war activists Irish atheists Irish socialists People from County Cork Lehan, Con Socialist Party of Great Britain members

Ireland

Britain

Further reading

References

External links