It is with deep regret that the Communist Party of Ireland announces the passing of our comrade and friend Séamas Ó Brógáin: a member of our party for almost 50 years and a central figure in the Editorial Group of Socialist Voice.
Séamas served our party at every level, from branch officer to a leading member of our National Executive Committee. He was responsible for drafting our previous Constitution. He was also sub-editor of Socialist Voice and one the people delegated to establish a new vehicle for the propagation of the ideas and strategy of Irish communism, responsible for its design and layout up until very recently. Séamas was also a very active contributor to Socialist Voice as a writer.
Séamas was the editor of the CPI website, that won widespread recognition for its bilingual presentation. For many decades, Séamas laid out all books, pamphlets, and leaflets published by the CPI, raising the level of professionalism of CPI publications.
He was an outstanding supporter of the Irish language in which he was an expert, including fiction, non-fiction and schoolbooks. His professional work was highly regarded by authors and publishers. He had an unparalleled knowledge of Irish history, and in particular Irish revolutionary history. This knowledge brought him into disagreement with the content of and presentation of Irish history in many of the publications he had to edit. He was absolutely opposed to the revisionist current within Irish historical research that attempted to revise, undermine and underplay the historic struggle of the Irish people for national independence and that down played the role of colonialism and imperialism in Ireland.
Séamas was also a political activist and was involved in all major struggles in our country over the past five decades. In particular, he was an active campaigner against EU treaties, seeing them as a significant threat to the democracy of the people of Ireland, that could only lead to further diminution of the sovereignty and independence of the Republic and the erosion of the neutrality of the state. History has proven him right.
He was a staunch anti-imperialist and a great supporter of revolutionary Cuba. His last participation in a public event was in a pro-Palestinian march in December 2023.
A highly self-educated comrade, both politically and culturally, he was a great example and mentor to young members.
We express our profound sympathy with his life-long comrade and wife Deirdre and to his three children, Colm, Fionnuala and Ruairí, and extended family.
Séamas has left our ranks, but his exemplary revolutionary contribution will live on in all those who benefited from is knowledge and experience. His expertise, political insights will be greatly missed by all those involved in the production of Socialist Voice. He made a tremendous contribution to the working class movement in Ireland and to the Communist Party of Ireland in particular.
Ní bheidh a leithéid arís ann.
Farewell, dear comrade.
