The Tailor of Anfield: James Larkin and the 1911 Transport Strike

Before the 1913 Lockout made James Larkin a household name, there was the 1911 Transport Strike — a bitter, bloody confrontation that pitted the Irish Transport and General Workers' Union against the Dublin United Tramways Company and its powerful chairman, William Martin Murphy. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how a Liverpool-born docker with a gift for oratory built Ireland's first major industrial union, led 30,000 workers out on strike, and faced down police batons, blackleg labour, and a hostile press. They dig into the specifics: the 'Tramway Embargo' that crippled Dublin's streets, the arrest of Larkin on charges of sedition, and the role of the Irish Women Workers' Union. They also examine the limits of Larkin's victory — how the strike secured union recognition for some workers but left many others broken and divided. A story of courage, compromise, and the high cost of solidarity. #JamesLarkin #1911TransportStrike #DublinTramways #WilliamMartinMurphy #ITGWU #IrishTransportStrike #IrishLabourHistory #IrishWorkers #DublinHistory #Larkin #1911 #Ireland #LabourMovement #IrishUnionism #FexingoHistory #History #Europe #Podcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo