By Emmett Farrell
Fifty years after the Marxists organised around the Militant socialist paper began to develop a serious base in the labour and trade union movement, in Derry, Belfast, Dublin, Galway and Cork, that generation who looked to revolutionary socialism to solve the problems of society, now in their seventies and older, are leaving us – ‘shuffling off this mortal coil’.
Ted Gannon, who died on 19 November after a struggle with aggressive pancreatic cancer, grew up in Dublin’s south inner city, trained as an electrician and worked for a couple of years for small contractors. Growing up during the early ’70s, with the country in turmoil, North and South, Ted was interested in how the problems facing working people, North and South, could be resolved.
In 1975, he first encountered the Militant during a paper sale. Impressed by the clarity of the analysis, the ideas of Marxism and the people involved, he quickly became involved in the activity of the group and the study of Marxism. He was also active in the ITGWU, taking a job as a bus conductor and at his request, the flag of that union was draped on his coffin.
Active in Labour Youth, then a serious socialist youth organisation, he was elected to represent Labour Youth on the Administrative Council of the Labour Party. He played an important role in spreading the ideas and influence of Militant and building support for Militant through his years of wide political activity.
Ted read, studied and had a good understanding of Marxism, was able to develop ideas and took nothing for granted, as in his analysis of the struggle of Irish working people against British imperialism, applying the method of Leon Trotsky in ‘Ireland and the Permanent Revolution’ (Militant Jul/Aug 1983)
Changing personal circumstances led him from political activity and later to a full-time writing career during which, as a script writer for RTE’s Fair City and others, he hardened the soap to better reflect real working-class life. At Ted’s funeral, a Fair City scriptwriter from Ballymun spoke of her fears starting her first team meeting, given her accent and background. She was reassured when approached by Ted, who said, “You speak like me, I’ll look out for you”, and he did. Another from this milieu (MM) wrote: “a truly wonderful writer with so much sensitivity to and compassion for what it is to be human … and so supportive, generous and loyal as a colleague”
Ted never regretted his time involved with Militant, remained a socialist and never veered from his wish to see a socialist society. He leaves behind his wife Dympna and son William.
Ted Gannon 1955-2025 A Luta Continua!
