Larkin makes comeback in City of the Tribes

Big Jim Larkin was one of the hits of the Galway St Patrick’s Day parade — after being rejected by the city that prides itself on his legacy.

A float with an actor depicting the country’s most famous trade union leader was deemed inappropriate for the Dublin parade, but found immediate favour with the organisers of the Galway parade.

While Larkin is renowned for leading union members during the infamous Dublin Lockout of 1913, the centenary of which is being celebrated this year — and a statue of the big man stands in O’Connell St — he was refused entry to the main thoroughfare of the capital on the national holiday.

Yesterday the body that organised the float, Equal Ireland, said it had was “completely baffled” by the decision not to allow the depiction of Larkin’s contribution to the Irish labour force.

The organisers of the parade through the City of the Tribes clearly made no distinction between workers and employers as they had invited those bearing the names of the 14 merchant families who dominated the commercial, political and social life of Galway from the 13th to the 19th centuries, to march.

Flags specially created for the individual tribes were held aloft in an invitation to all those of the same name to return to the West for the Gathering.

Also making a special trip West for the big parade were 40 members of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachussetts, the oldest chartered military organisation in North America.

Guests of honour at the parade were the Galway hurling heroes who won the county’s back-to-back All Ireland titles in 1987 and 1988.