The Dunnes workers who protested against apartheid and met Desmond Tutu

How do some events from 30 years ago look through the lens of hindsight, asks Mick Clifford

The protest of Dunnes workers against South Africa's apartheid regime was one of the most compelling stories of 1985. Pictured are protesters being arrested during the strike outside Dunnes on Henry Street. File picture: RollingNews.ie

This article was originally published on December 11, 2017.

The excavation of the past has not been a comfortable exercise for the nation. So much has been discovered that remained hidden for decades. The potential of so many lives was buried under stifling mores and warped power structures. So many were effectively sacrificed because they represented an uncomfortable truth that was publicly denied.