This is a collection of articles on Education struggles in Ireland and elsewhere from the late 1980s through the early 2000s. Most have been written by anarchists and are first hand accounts of struggles the authors were involved in. We are making them available so new generations of activists could learn what worked and did not work in these earlier struggles.

Sit down protest at the Dail circa 1988, 16 students were arrested

Education struggles; yesterday, today and elsewhere

Riot police attack students after they occupy Department of Finance in Dublin - Nov 2010
Riot police attacked students in Dublin today with dogs, armoured vehicles and horses after the students protesting against government cuts occupied the Department of Finance and threw eggs at the Dail.

Student activism in 2002/3 - the CFE
The CFE was the Campaign for Free Education. It existed the summer of 2002 and the summer of 2003 and was predominantly based in UCD. Mary (MOF) spoke to two activists from the CFE campaign to find out what student activists today can learn from their experiences.

Dublin student activism at the end of the 1980's
I was a student at Trinity College Dublin in the last four years of the 1980's. The following account is based entirely on my recollections of student activism in those years, unfortunately I don't seem to have archived any of the actual leaflets or papers produced back then. At the time we were always disappointed with the level of struggle, itÂ’s only in hindsight that I realize that period was one of relative militancy in terms of student struggles in Ireland.

Resisting the education cut's - fighting to win
The Education Cuts announced in the Budget have unleashed a wave of protest across the country. 12,000 parents and teachers protested outside the Dail on Wednesday 29th October. Regional protests have since been held in Galway (attended by over 8,000), Tullamore (4,000), Cork (30,000) and Donegal (8,000). The national demonstration in Dublin on 6th December brought a massive 60,000 people onto the streets. All in all, over 120,000 people have joined the protests to say loudly and clearly that our children should not have to pay for the financial crisis. In addition there have been local demonstrations and pickets outside the clinics of Fianna Fail and Green Party TDs across the country.

Student demonstration in Dublin, circa 1988

If you are aware of other accounts we should re-publish or link to please contact us.

Banner hanging on a TCD Library during 1989 occupations