Irish Labor Leader
(1868-1916)
This lifesize bronze sculpture monument of famed Irish Labor leader James Connolly,
was commissioned by Mr. Frank O'Lone, President of the Irish-American Labor Council
of Chicago, was placed in Union Park, Chicago, Illinois, on October 23, 2008. Another is planned for his birthplace.
The James Connolly award is given out annually by the Irish-American Labor
Council of Chicago and they asked Tom to capture this historical man in a
tribute bronze.
For one so linked to Irish history, Connolly was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. Raised in the city's "Little Ireland" slum area to emigrant-Irish parents, he became a vocal advocate of workers' rights in Scotland and Ireland, as well as the United States – particularly to those of Irish heritage. He founded The Worker's Republic newspaper in 1896, oriented toward socialism and developing the rights of the working class.
Connolly's legacy remains founded in workers' rights and an independent Irish Republic. In 2002, Connolly was named one of the "100 Greatest Britons" in history. This six-foot tall bronze sculpture, which stands on a base of equal height, is located in close proximity to Chicago's Union Row, a series of old labor and trade union headquarters, and may be the only full-length monument to Connolly in the United States.
There are several major buildings named for Connolly in Ireland, and there are plans to erect
a duplicate of this statue honoring Connolly in the city of his birth "to acknowledge the contribution of the broader Irish community and other immigrant communities to the development of the city of Edinburgh," according to Connolly Foundation chair Jim Slaven. "A statue to James Connolly in the city of his birth is long overdue."
They are currently in fundraising efforts for this project.For one so linked to Irish history, Connolly was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. Raised in the city's "Little Ireland" slum area to emigrant-Irish parents, he became a vocal advocate of workers' rights in Scotland and Ireland, as well as the United States – particularly to those of Irish heritage. He founded The Worker's Republic newspaper in 1896, oriented toward socialism and developing the rights of the working class.
Connolly's legacy remains founded in workers' rights and an independent Irish Republic. In 2002, Connolly was named one of the "100 Greatest Britons" in history. This six-foot tall bronze sculpture, which stands on a base of equal height, is located in close proximity to Chicago's Union Row, a series of old labor and trade union headquarters, and may be the only full-length monument to Connolly in the United States.