CONNOLLY, James. Labour in Irish History (First American edition)

New York: The Donnelly Press, 1919. 8vo. pp. 158. Original publisher’s dark green cloth, title stamped in gilt to upper cover and spine. A bright and well-preserved copy; binding firm and clean with only light handling wear. Internally fresh and crisp throughout. Very good in the original cloth.

First American edition of Connolly’s influential historical study interpreting Irish history through the development of class struggle and labour organisation. Written during his years in the United States and published shortly after his execution following the Easter Rising of 1916, the work became one of the foundational texts of Irish socialist thought.

Connolly argues that Ireland’s national struggle cannot be understood apart from the economic struggles of the working class. Moving from early agrarian unrest through the United Irishmen and the political movements of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, he presents Irish history as a continuous contest over land, labour, and political power.

The book is particularly notable for its radical reassessment of figures such as Daniel O’Connell and the United Irishmen, placing them within a broader social and economic framework rather than purely nationalist narratives. It remains one of the most cited works in studies of Irish labour history.

Published in New York by The Donnelly Press, the edition reflects the strong connections between Irish nationalism and the Irish-American labour movement in the early twentieth century.

A cornerstone text of Irish political and labour history.

[L4 10C]