Bernadette Devlin calls for unity amongst the political parties of the Irish left.
Left wing parties from north and south of the border meet in the Mansion House in Dublin in an attempt to form a common policy and a united organisation.
The Mid Ulster MP Bernadette Devlin was just one of the speakers at a James Connolly anniversary memorial meeting on the theme of 'An Irish Socialist Republic' held at the Mansion House in Dublin on 12 May.
Addressing the gathering, Bernadette Devlin talks of her hopes for a socialist democratic republic and the need for the left to unite.
It is a time for us to finally stop arguing among ourselves, work out what we the left agree on and set about the work of educating, of organising, of agitating and of destroying both the system North and South and establishing the socialist workers' republic.
Bernadette Devlin also speaks of divisions within political parties in Ireland and says these splits are because none of their policies represent the needs and wants of the people of Ireland.
Not everyone at the meeting heeded Bernadette Devlin's call for unity. Disorder erupted when one attendee started to quote a passage from Mao Tse Tung's little red book resulting in scuffles.
The event was organised by the Fintan Lalor branch of the Labour Party. Other speakers at the event included Dr Conor Cruise O'Brien, Eamonn McCann, John Swift and Tomas MacGiolla. The meeting was chaired by Jim Quinn.
This episode of 'Seven Days’ was broadcast on 6 October 1970. The reporter is John O'Donoghue.
