At a time when it is tempting to use the analogy of ‘lunatics running the asylum’ or should that be ‘Sociopaths running Society’, I drew inspiration and joy from this powerful tale of solidarity.

On 24 January 1919, staff and patients barricaded themselves inside the Monaghan Lunatic Asylum in Ireland and declared a soviet (workers’ council). The asylum workers had already shown militancy during a 1918 strike when they chased away visiting staff who attempted to cross the picket line.

By 1919, attendants and nurses were working a 93-hour week and earning just £60-£70 per annum. They invited Peadar O’Donnell, a leading militant in the Irish Transport and General Workers Union, to negotiate on their behalf. And when negotiations failed to resolve their grievances, they hoisted the red flag and ran the asylum in cooperation with the patients. O’Donnell implemented a 48-hour working week and locked one attendant in a padded cell for “defeatism.” The staff and patients showed extraordinary resolve to maintain the occupation even when surrounded by 125 armed police.

Unusually, no great animosity seems to have existed between police and strikers, and during the occupation they co-organised dances and football matches. Nevertheless, when a rumour circulated that military police were about to force entry, the occupiers sealed windows, barricaded corridors, swapped clothes with patients (to confuse the attackers), and attempted to arm themselves with shovels, spades, and pitchforks. When authorities offered to meet wage demands for male workers only, the occupiers refused to concede, insisting on parity for women workers.

In the end, the standoff was resolved peacefully, with the total capitulation of the Asylum Committee. The occupiers held a victory dance in one of the dining halls, which was attended by many local townspeople as well as some of the police force. The following morning, February 4, they returned to work.

Thanks to True Level Media and Working Class History