Thomas H. O'Shea
Encyclopedia
Thomas H. O'Shea was an Irish Revolutionary and one of the founders of the Transport Workers Union
of America (TWU), subway workers in New York City that expanded to represent members in other forms of transit nationwide. O'Shea was appointed the first President of the TWU in 1934 and later ousted and replaced by long time TWU President Michael J. Quill. O'Shea subsequently spent many years battling reported Communism within the union culminating in his 1940 testimony before the House Committee on Un-American Activities chaired by Rep. Martin Dies of Texas and commonly referred to as the Dies Committee at the time.
), County Cork, Ireland on October 21, 1898 son of a former Royal Irish Constabulary
officer and Royal Navy clerk Patrick O'Shea and farm owner Mary Kirby. A school trained chemist, his Irish Republican Army
activity during the Irish War of Independence
began in 1915 with the 1st Cork Brigade and ended shortly after the Irish Civil War
came to a close in 1923. He spent several months after the official end of the war engaged in guerrilla activities. During his time in the war of independence and the Irish Civil War, he conducted numerous raids against the British Army, RIC
, Black and Tans
and Royal Defense Corps and manufactured land mines and grenades, using them with frequency. Incarcerated 5 times during the wars he led a hunger strike
at Wormwood Scrubs (HM Prison)
in London from April to May 1920, escaped from Cork Male Prison with 30 men in August 1922 and led a 2nd hunger strike in October 1923 at Mountjoy Prison
that, despite Irish Free State
media suppression, spread across Ireland with 8000 jailed strikers participating. The 4th arrest was immediately after release from Mountjoy at Sinn Féin
Headquarters at Dennis Barry's funeral. He escaped Cork Court House two weeks later. On May 9, 1924 he was arrested for the fifth and final time but released shortly thereafter in a general amnesty.
: Daithi O'Brien, Thomas Walsh, Gerald O'Reilly, Austin Hogan and Mick Leahy. By early 1932 O'Shea was involved with the expat movement Clan na Gael
, attempting to organize New York City subway employees and soon seeking the support of the Communist Party USA
in the formation of the TWU. The TWU declared its aim to represent all public transit workers in the City, regardless of craft and fight all wages cuts. Many of the unions early secret meetings took place at O'Shea's apartment in the Bronx. Two incidents furthered strengthened the TWU: strikes of 1935 and an attack on O'Shea, Quill and other organizers by beakies that, ironically, led to the TWU men's arrest, creating much popular support.
In April 1940 O'Shea testified at the Dies Committee or the House Committee on Un-American Activities against his former union compatriots, particularly Michael Quill. He said that the union was in the complete control of US communists and among their goals was revolution through strikes. Quill vehemently denied the charges but later purged communists from the TWU after the 2nd World War.
Bouts with alcoholism and other problems landed O'Shea homeless on the Bowery for the mid to late 1950s finally taken in by the Bowery
Mission. 1960 his wife, Hilda, accepted the sober O'Shea back to the home in the Bronx. He died June 6, 1962.
Transport Workers Union
Transport Workers Union may refer to:* The Transport Workers Union of America* The Transport Workers Union of Australia* The Swedish Transport Workers' Union...
of America (TWU), subway workers in New York City that expanded to represent members in other forms of transit nationwide. O'Shea was appointed the first President of the TWU in 1934 and later ousted and replaced by long time TWU President Michael J. Quill. O'Shea subsequently spent many years battling reported Communism within the union culminating in his 1940 testimony before the House Committee on Un-American Activities chaired by Rep. Martin Dies of Texas and commonly referred to as the Dies Committee at the time.
Early Years in Ireland
O'Shea was born in Queenstown (now CobhCobh
Cobh is a seaport town on the south coast of County Cork, Ireland. Cobh is on the south side of Great Island in Cork Harbour. Facing the town are Spike Island and Haulbowline Island...
), County Cork, Ireland on October 21, 1898 son of a former Royal Irish Constabulary
Royal Irish Constabulary
The armed Royal Irish Constabulary was Ireland's major police force for most of the nineteenth and the early twentieth centuries. A separate civic police force, the unarmed Dublin Metropolitan Police controlled the capital, and the cities of Derry and Belfast, originally with their own police...
officer and Royal Navy clerk Patrick O'Shea and farm owner Mary Kirby. A school trained chemist, his Irish Republican Army
Irish Republican Army
The Irish Republican Army was an Irish republican revolutionary military organisation. It was descended from the Irish Volunteers, an organisation established on 25 November 1913 that staged the Easter Rising in April 1916...
activity during the Irish War of Independence
Irish War of Independence
The Irish War of Independence , Anglo-Irish War, Black and Tan War, or Tan War was a guerrilla war mounted by the Irish Republican Army against the British government and its forces in Ireland. It began in January 1919, following the Irish Republic's declaration of independence. Both sides agreed...
began in 1915 with the 1st Cork Brigade and ended shortly after the Irish Civil War
Irish Civil War
The Irish Civil War was a conflict that accompanied the establishment of the Irish Free State as an entity independent from the United Kingdom within the British Empire....
came to a close in 1923. He spent several months after the official end of the war engaged in guerrilla activities. During his time in the war of independence and the Irish Civil War, he conducted numerous raids against the British Army, RIC
RIC
-Companies:* Reliance Infocomm* Rickenbacker International Corporation , or merely short for Rickenbacker* RIC TV Rede Independência de Comunicação)- Brazilian network television...
, Black and Tans
Black and Tans
The Black and Tans was one of two newly recruited bodies, composed largely of British World War I veterans, employed by the Royal Irish Constabulary as Temporary Constables from 1920 to 1921 to suppress revolution in Ireland...
and Royal Defense Corps and manufactured land mines and grenades, using them with frequency. Incarcerated 5 times during the wars he led a hunger strike
Hunger strike
A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance or pressure in which participants fast as an act of political protest, or to provoke feelings of guilt in others, usually with the objective to achieve a specific goal, such as a policy change. Most hunger strikers will take liquids but not...
at Wormwood Scrubs (HM Prison)
Wormwood Scrubs (HM Prison)
HM Prison Wormwood Scrubs is a Category B men's prison, located in the Wormwood Scrubs area of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, in inner west London, England. The prison is operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service....
in London from April to May 1920, escaped from Cork Male Prison with 30 men in August 1922 and led a 2nd hunger strike in October 1923 at Mountjoy Prison
Mountjoy Prison
Mountjoy Prison , founded as Mountjoy Gaol, nicknamed The Joy, is a medium security prison located in Phibsboro in the centre of Dublin, Ireland. It has the largest prison population in Ireland.The current prison governor is Mr...
that, despite Irish Free State
Irish Free State
The Irish Free State was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by the British government and Irish representatives exactly twelve months beforehand...
media suppression, spread across Ireland with 8000 jailed strikers participating. The 4th arrest was immediately after release from Mountjoy at Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
Headquarters at Dennis Barry's funeral. He escaped Cork Court House two weeks later. On May 9, 1924 he was arrested for the fifth and final time but released shortly thereafter in a general amnesty.
TWU
O'Shea spent the next 3 years in Liverpool mobilizing Irish revolutionary expatriates. He immigrated to New York in October 1927 along with a number of former Irish VolunteersIrish Volunteers
The Irish Volunteers was a military organisation established in 1913 by Irish nationalists. It was ostensibly formed in response to the formation of the Ulster Volunteers in 1912, and its declared primary aim was "to secure and maintain the rights and liberties common to the whole people of Ireland"...
: Daithi O'Brien, Thomas Walsh, Gerald O'Reilly, Austin Hogan and Mick Leahy. By early 1932 O'Shea was involved with the expat movement Clan na Gael
Clan na Gael
The Clan na Gael was an Irish republican organization in the United States in the late 19th and 20th centuries, successor to the Fenian Brotherhood and a sister organization to the Irish Republican Brotherhood...
, attempting to organize New York City subway employees and soon seeking the support of the Communist Party USA
Communist Party USA
The Communist Party USA is a Marxist political party in the United States, established in 1919. It has a long, complex history that is closely related to the histories of similar communist parties worldwide and the U.S. labor movement....
in the formation of the TWU. The TWU declared its aim to represent all public transit workers in the City, regardless of craft and fight all wages cuts. Many of the unions early secret meetings took place at O'Shea's apartment in the Bronx. Two incidents furthered strengthened the TWU: strikes of 1935 and an attack on O'Shea, Quill and other organizers by beakies that, ironically, led to the TWU men's arrest, creating much popular support.
Dies Committee
Growing dissolution with the Communist Party, a tendency to advocate for violence as an organizing device and losing the presidency to Quill led to O'Shea's expulsion from the union.In April 1940 O'Shea testified at the Dies Committee or the House Committee on Un-American Activities against his former union compatriots, particularly Michael Quill. He said that the union was in the complete control of US communists and among their goals was revolution through strikes. Quill vehemently denied the charges but later purged communists from the TWU after the 2nd World War.
Bouts with alcoholism and other problems landed O'Shea homeless on the Bowery for the mid to late 1950s finally taken in by the Bowery
Bowery
Bowery may refer to:Streets:* The Bowery, a thoroughfare in Manhattan, New York City* Bowery Street is a street on Coney Island in Brooklyn, N.Y.In popular culture:* Bowery Amphitheatre, a building on the Bowery in New York City...
Mission. 1960 his wife, Hilda, accepted the sober O'Shea back to the home in the Bronx. He died June 6, 1962.
Sources
- McCarthy, Keiran, Republican Cobh & The East Cork Volunteers, Dublin: Nonsuch Publishing, 2008
- O'Shea, Thomas Humphrey, Military Service Certificate - Service Pensions Act, 1934, Dublin: Military Archives Cathal Brugha Barracks
- Freeman, Joshua B., In Transit: The Transport Workers Union in New York City 1933-1966',' New York: Oxford University Press, 1989
- Whitemore, L.H., The Man Who Ran the Subways, New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1968