Protesting at the Dail

Last year saw many protests take place at the gates of Dáil Éireann. In the context of austerity one of the issues people took to the streets over was poverty.

Another issue that brought people to the gates of the Irish parliament, again against a background of austerity was the abominable treatment meted out to the residents of Priory Hall in North Dublin who were forced from their homes by the actions of an unscrupulous developer.

Not all protests were galvanized by austerity, however. Women marched on Dáil Éireann outraged by the treatment of Savita Halappanavar who died in a Galway hospital during a complicated pregnancy.

Protests at the seat of government are not a new phenomenon in Irish life. Our archive photo shows a protest in March 1976 by Cork shoe workers unhappy at the collapse of the industry in the city.

Purchase Prints @ Irish Photo Archive