Item 627 - 8 February 1960

1 item

Typed letter to Fr. T. Fehily from Fr. Michael O’Neill, St. Columban’s, Navan. Fr. O’Neill’s informant is not prepared to give an opinion on the Irish Workers’ Union at present. Pat O’Donovan has been expelled. There is a split in the Connolly Association, led by O’Donovan and the Trotskyites. Believes that the IWU came into being as a result. The key man in IWU is Michael Callinan. Does not know if there is a link between the Socialist Labour League and the IWL. It seems that the Trotskyites hoped to use the Irish Workers’ Union as a front for recruiting just as the British CP used the Connolly Association, but failed.