Serious strike

The most serious strike began on 13 February 1955. A ganger was dismissed after a dispute with an official over overtime and fourteen workers downed tools – ten gangers, three rock blasters and one dumper driver. Five days later the strike escalated when a further 150 ceased work in sympathy. That same day, the contractors laid off a further 150 men including eighty carpenters and a large part of the construction work was closed down indefinitely. All labourers and carpenters residing at the camp were told to leave. Work still continued at Carrigadrohid where engineers, mechanics, drivers and clerical staff numbering about a hundred in all continued working at the main site.

Many of the men laid off hailed from different parts of the country and as a result of the closing of the hostel, the majority returned home. Some, however, took another way out and headed straight for the boat to seek work in England. The strike was unofficial and the Unions did not support the strikers. No pickets were posted but large numbers of workers gathered outside the site entrance each day. In case there would be any trouble, members of the Garda Síochana were on duty. On 18 February 1955, a skeleton staff of a hundred including engineers, mechanics, drivers, and office staff turned up for work as usual. Soon after starting time, however, the drivers and their assistants refused to continue and work scheduled for that day came to a standstill. They then proceeded to join the men who had taken unofficial action earlier and this brought about the complete closure of the site.

The Lord Mayor of Cork was asked to intervene which he did but without success. The plight of the striking men must have been severe, as they received no unemployment benefit. The strike dragged on for six weeks before a resumption of work was effected, but not before a big shake-up in the operation of the contract took place.

To be continued…

Adapted from Kieran McCarthy & Seamus O'Donoghue, forthcoming, "Generations, Memories of the Lee Hydroelectric Scheme, County Cork", Lilliput Press, Dublin, An ESB funded publication.

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