Honorary Freedom of South Dublin County to be awarded to the Dunnes Stores Strikers against Apartheid 1984-1987.

02/05/2014

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Honorary Freedom of South Dublin County to be awarded to the Dunnes Stores Strikers against Apartheid 1984-1987.

Mayor Dermot Looney on behalf of the Members of South Dublin County Council will host a Civic Reception in County Hall, Tallaght on Tuesday 6th May 2014 at 6.30pm to confer the Honorary Freedom of the County to the following individuals:

Mary Manning,
Karen Gearon,
Cathryn O’Reilly,
Thomas (Tommy) Davis
Theresa Mooney,
Brendan Barron
Veronica McCue
Sandra Griffin
Alma Russell
Michelle Gavin
Elizabeth Deasy

The Honorary Freedom of South Dublin County is the highest civic honour that the County Council can award to an individual. The award is to acknowledge the eleven strikers significant contribution to the anti- apartheid movement 1984- 1987.

In July 1984 Mary Manning an employee of Dunnes Stores implemented a union instruction not to handle South African goods, in protest at the apartheid regime and the late Nelson Mandela’s incarceration. When Ms Manning was suspended from her position for refusing to handle the goods, she and 10 of her colleagues went on strike. The strike lasted two years and nine months and lead to Ireland being the first country to ban goods from South Africa in 1987.

This award follows the passing of a resolution to confer this prestigious honour by the elected members at a meeting of South Dublin County Council held on 14th April 2014.

Commenting on the award, Mayor Dermot Looney said, “I am honoured as Mayor to be conferring the Freedom of the County to eleven inspirational figures from the anti-apartheid movement. I and many others have been inspired to get active in politics by the bravery of campaigners such as the Dunnes Stores Workers, who took a stand for human rights in a strike which began 30 years ago this year. I want to thank Cllr. Gino Kenny for proposing the original motion, and the Councillors of South Dublin County Council who unanimously agreed to confer the Freedom of the County. I believe it is a fitting honour to inspire future generations, in South Dublin and beyond, to stand up for human rights and equality."

Ends

Images attached. Image 2 includes group shot with Mr Vukile Mdlalo, First Secretary Political from the Embassy of the Republic of South Africa.

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