This is a fundraiser which began last year, when we started our second

level students’ essay competition to write on the Irish and the International Brigades in the Spanish Civil War, 1936-39.

      The winner and parent or guardian are flown out to the annual Battle of Jarama weekend commemorations in Madrid, where their essay is read, with translator, at the international gathering in the historic Ateneo building, two blocks from Parliament, staying in a four-star hotel.

 Apart from the direct costs of their visit, we have the usual host of expenses launching & running a countrywide competition, which covers all second level students, in academic or any kind of second level course, on either side of the border. This year’s winner was Muireann Hickey,from Scoile Ide agus Iosef, Abbeyfeale, Co Limerick, while second and third places were won by Donal Mac Uilliam from Belfast and Niamh McNally, also from Belfast.

 What has surprised us is both the spread of competitors across the country, and above all the extraordinarily high standard being achieved.

 It is a tribute also to the teachers in those schools.

We wanted to pass on the ideals and sense of the Brigaders’  commitment and especially of solidarity, to today’s youth who are growing up in a world where “It’s all about me” and union membership

has fallen, and when many feel that we are no longer citizens but consumers, that it doesn’t matter about those who don’t make it, it’s “Probably their own fault”, and if we’re grabbing loads of dosh, “It’s because we’re worth it!”

Yet these times are all too reminiscent of the 1930ies, with its terrible finale.However bad things were then, at least young and old had their grassroots movements, and sense of community. Today “it’s all about

the individual”, seems to be the message directed at young people.

    As wealth becomes more concentrated,so does political power. This time the fight that once required fascist coups and physical struggles

are being waged by wealthy law firms and PR agencies, by transnational corporations, and by their client governments.

We got a donation from Dublin Trades Council to start us off last year, and a decent donation from UNITE towards this year’s costs, but the rest is coming from our own pockets, and whatever we can fundraise.

The great things is that the idea is spreading not only here, but now a school in a town on the outskirts of Madrid, Rivasvaciamadrid, has a school which is launching its own competition. The annual ceremony is attended by a representative from the Irish embassy, who have supported our events commemorating the Irish volunteers fighting fascism since 1994, Aer Lingus have allowed us a cost reduction on charges for changing the names as we buy tickets before we know the final winners,

and the Madrid-based association of friends of the international brigades, the AABI, set up the whole weekend for us and delegations from the UK, USA, France, Germany, Italy and other countries.

The weekend runs from the Friday, 21st Feb with the reading of the essay in the Ateneo, a Saturday spent walking the historic battlefield and a long lunch in the Meson of the local town of Morata, the HQ for the brigaders back in February of 1937, and Sunday for sightseeing and the return flight home…