Dublin City Council votes to honor Rosie Hackett

(Brussels 04 September) Dublin City Council has voted to name the newest bridge across the Liffey after trade union activist Rosie Hackett. Dublin City Council voted on Monday to call the new bridge over the Liffey at Marlborough Street after Rosie Hackett, a trade unionist who co-founded the Irish Women Workers’ Union (IWWU) in 1911. This is an important step in recognising the contribution of women to the history of the city, and in the history of the country at large, where the historical landscape is dominated by male figures.

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The task of choosing the name “wasn’t easy” according to councillor Nial Ring. “However, Rosie Hackett was the winner and now we will soon have a bridge over the Liffey named after a woman, a trade unionist and a rebel all in one” Mr Ring said. “A huge amount of canvassing was done by the public and it was great to see such interest in this process, and in the end Rosie’s name was picked and we will soon have the Rosie Hackett Bridge over the Liffey and I am sure the Dublin public will warm to the new name and appreciate why Rosie was selected ahead of such eminent names” he added. “It is great that someone so closely associated with the 1913 Lockout and the 1916 Rising has been selected, although I am not so sure officialdom would have wanted Rosie’s name as it will be constant and long term reminder of our past history which it seems the Government want to draw a line under after their so-called “decade of commemorations”.

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