It is hard to accept the death of Peter Graham. The many tributes which he received indicate that this feeling is widespread. His death might seem to be of minor importance when placed in the context of the maelstrom imposed on the North of Ireland by British imperialism, and its Unionist allies; when it is reflected that he came from a nation which has borne more than its share of martyrs; and that he died a member of the Fourth International which has had to bear the bitter loss of many comrades in the struggle, most notably Leon Trotsky and this son Leon Sedov, and most recently the forty Bolivian comrades who lost their lives resisting the foul right-wing coup. But for us his death has a poignance which stems not merely from the fact that we knew him personally, but because he personified those revolutionary qualities which everywhere have made it necessary for capitalism and imperialism to murder, that they might put off the day of their own death; and in mourning him we mourn all of the fighters who have been sacrificed in the struggle to which he dedicated his life.
A Class-Conscious Worker Peter Graham was a good comrade in the fullest sense of the word, his sense of humour, his patience, his honesty, his complete unselfishness made it easy for him to be part of a team, to work with others; and usually the full significance of his contribution would not be apparent; such comrades are essential to the building of a revolutionary organisation and such comrades are all too rare.
Peter was a class conscious worker. A Dublin electrician, he came from the militant tradition of the Irish working class; that he should devote his life to his class was something which he took for granted, all that he ever questioned was how best he might serve it. It was this which made him more than just a class conscious worker, he understood the need for action to be guided by theory, and he struggled to become a revolutionary intellectual. This constant struggle was one of the most striking things about Peter, he would seldom be seen without a book in his hand or in his pocket, ready to snatch a few minutes of reading over a meal or on a journey. Theory was something of prime importance to him, which he approached with tremendous seriousness. He formed his ideas through intense work, and defended them just as intensly. And yet in all of the many debates his comrades had with him, despite the vigour with which he would defend any disputed position, he would go off, read, think and study so that he might defend his ideas more effectively. If through this he changed his position his acknowledgement was full and generous, and usually he would in the process deepen the analysis, and contribute fresh insight into the problem.
Member of the IMG-British Section of the Fourth International We saw all of these qualities in his work as a member of the International Marxist Group. He joined the IMG in the Autumn of 1970; he had come in contact with us first in the early summer of that year when he moved to London from Dublin. His decision to join the IMG was the result of a long process of political self-clarification, but once he had made the decision he plunged into working for the Group with all of his Photos: This Week talents and energy. Contributing to the leadership of the IMG in London, and to building the Group in North West London. He worked for a time in the printshop, where it was nothing for him to work through the night on some important job There was never any holding back with Peter all of his energy and time were at the disposal of the movement.
Return to Ireland It was in this spirit that he returned to Ireland in summer of this year, when it became apparent that there were opportunities opening up for the creation of an Irish section of the Fourth International. Irish Trotskyism had seemed in a dead end, a previous effort to build the movement-the Irish Workers Group-had ended in a bitter split, and fragmentation. A grouping had emerged from this of which Peter was a member, but before his stay in London he had become increasingly dissatisfied with the narrow range of its politics and theory. In joining the IMG he was expressing his conviction that there could be no Trotskyism in one country, and he want back to Ireland to fight to win over Irish revolutionaires to the Fourth International.
His work was directed towards overcoming the two key con tradictions in Irish Trotskyism, its international isolationism, and its low level of theory. He helped to form the Marxist Discussion Group which is composed mainly of former members of the existing Trotskyist group, and members of the Young Socialists. The MDG has carried out some intensive work on such historical questions as the formation of the Irish working class, which is of tremendous importance for understanding the role of Irish Republicanism.
His work in Dublin included serious activity in building the Young Socialists, as a vigorous revolutionary marxist youth movement, and Peter was in the lead when in August this year they were faced with the outbreak of struggle in the North following internment. He ensured that the YS did not stand idly by, and the support which they gave to the IRA at that time showed a maturing of their political understanding. This support was political, through the pages of the South County Dublin YS paper The Plough, and practical, through assisting Republicans to raise money for the North.
Irish Trotskyism The death of any revolutionary is a tragic loss, but it is even more tragic when they are silenced just as they are beginning to show their full potential. This was the case with Liam Mellowes, murdered by the Free State just as he was beginning to grapple with the need for a socialist orientation for the Republican struggle. It was the case with Malcolm X, assassinated after a year in which he moved from being simply a religeous nationalist to becoming a revolutionary socialist. It might seem vain to compare Peter to these examples, but for those who knew him it is just. The rapidity of his political development was such that he completely transformed the relationship of forces within the Trotskyist left in Ireland, only a very short time after his return. His writings, which will be IMG Political The Fourth Internationa assassination of comrade P International has suffered of the Irish Revolution; th yet another loss in its long rule.
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The circumstances surrou dubious. We note that the sections of the Republican of the Irish working class.
of its previous record of re fall on the reactionary Fia apparatus of the twenty-si We extend our fullest co of comrade Graham. Foll express our renewed a soli Young Socialists and parti Group. The building of th International will be inspir comrade Peter Grahaml