Socialist Labour Party (Ireland)

Socialist Labour Party

Leader	Noël Browne Matt Merrigan
Founded	1977 (1977)
Dissolved	1982 (1982)
Split from	Labour Party
Ideology	Democratic Socialism
Political position	Left-wing
Politics of the Republic of Ireland Political parties Elections

The Socialist Labour Party (SLP) was a minor political party in the Republic of Ireland formed under the leadership of Matt Merrigan (Dublin Secretary of the ATGWU) and Noël Browne, TD in 1977. Another key figure was the radical journalist Brian Trench, now head of the Communications Department at Dublin City University along with the former Clann na Poblachta TD Jack McQuillan. The founders came from the Liaison Committee of the Labour Left, which in 1975/76 had tried to build the "Left Alternative",^[1] a coalition of progressive organisations and individuals, aimed at addressing what they saw as the cultural and economic impoverishment of Irish society by the establishment parties of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.

The SLP regarded itself as highly progressive. It allowed for the right of factions to organise within the Party. The most notable were the Socialist Workers Tendency, organised around members of the Socialist Workers' Movement which left in 1980, the Workers Alliance for Action organised around members of the Irish Workers' Group which left in 1979 and the Republican Socialist Tendency, organised around members of People's Democracy, which also left in 1979.^[1]

In the 1981 general election the party fielded 7 candidates, with Noël Browne elected for Dublin North–Central. Following a continuing decline in membership, the SLP was dissolved in 1982.

Candidates in the 1981 Irish general election

Constituency	Candidate	1st Pref. votes	%	Notes
Dublin North–Central	Noël Browne	5,031	12.4	Elected
Dublin North–East	Michael O'Donoghue	309	0.95
Dublin North–West	Bill Keegan	209	0.64
Dublin North–West	Matt Merrigan	473	1.46
Dublin West	Ivor Nolan	63	0.13
Dún Laoghaire	Dermot Boucher	575	1.19
Wexford	John Teehan	447	0.9

References

1 2 Goodwillie, John (Aug/Sept 1983). "Glossary of the Left in Ireland". Gralton: an Irish Socialist Review 9: 17-20.

Defunct political parties in Ireland

To 1918	All-for-Ireland League Catholic Union Home Government Association Home Rule League Independent Irish Party Irish Conservative Party Irish Liberal Party Irish Loyal and Patriotic Union Irish Metropolitan Conservative Society Irish National Federation Irish National League Irish Parliamentary Party Irish Patriot Party Irish Reform Association Irish Socialist Republican Party Irish Unionist Alliance Repeal Association United Irish League

Post 1918	Ailtirí na hAiséirghe All Ireland Anti-Partition League Aontacht Éireann British and Irish Communist Organisation Business and Professional Group Christian Centrist Party Christian Solidarity Party Clann Éireann Clann na Poblachta Clann na Talmhan Communist Party of Ireland (Marxist–Leninist) Córas na Poblachta Cork Civic Party Cork Socialist Party Cumann na nGaedheal Cumann na Poblachta Cumann Poblachta na hÉireann Democratic Left Democratic Socialist Party Donegal Progressive Party Farmers' Party Fathers Rights-Responsibility Party Independent Fianna Fáil Independent Health Alliance Irish Anti-Partition League Irish Centre Party Irish Dominion League Irish Independence Party Irish Worker League Irish Workers' Group Irish Workers' Party (1926) Irish Workers' Party (1948) League for a Workers Republic Libertas Monetary Reform Party Muintir na hÉireann National Centre Party National Corporate Party National Labour Party Natural Law Party National League Party National Party (1924) National Progressive Democrats Poblacht Chríostúil Progressive Democrats Republican Congress Saor Éire Sligo/Leitrim Independent Socialist Organisation Socialist Labour Party Socialist Party of Ireland Unionist Anti-Partition League United Left Workers League World Socialist Party

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