The Bottom Dog
Subtitle:The working class paper of North Munster
Years Published:19751981 c.
  Issues in the Archive:4
Discuss:Comments on this publication

About

The Bottom Dog was a Limerick-based newspaper, published from 1975 and subtitled “the working class paper of North Munster”.

A number of digital issues are available from Limerick council Local Studies, where it states:

In 1975 a group of young Limerick workers active in the trade union movement and radical left-wing politics decided to bring out a rank and file newspaper that was relevant to the industrial struggles of the working class of Limerick city and North Munster. Calling itself ‘The Bottom Dog’, the paper reported on strikes, fight-backs against factory redundancies and struggles for trade union recognition. It also dealt with womens’ issues, family planning and government policies on matters such as social welfare and unemployment.

Named after a Limerick working class paper published between December 1917 and November 1918 which ran for forty-eight issues, the first edition of the 1975 reincarnation of ‘The Bottom Dog’ was numbered Vol. 3, No 49.

Limerick Local Studies 

Documents

Show: Covers | Chronological list

Contributors

Joe Harrington, Tom Hayes, Dave Lee, Jim McNamara, Pat O'Connor

Note: This list is not exhaustive. Only named authors with entries in the archive are listed here.

External Resources

Digital archive

Limerick Council Local Studies Collection

Contains digital copies of a number of issues of The Bottom Dog.


Comments 2

  • Pádraig Malone

    The Bottom Dog

    By: Pádraig Malone | 10th February 2022, 2:22pm

    The Bottom Dog paper that was published in Limerick 1976-81 was most definitely not published by the Limerick Council of Trade Unions. Rather, it was the work of a collective of trade union and political activists of various left political backgrounds (RMG/MSR/PD, SWM, Labour, Official SF, Provisional SF and IRSP) Indeed, for the most part it was very much at odds with the official trade union movement. Its editor was Joe Harrington, who was twice elected to Limerick City Council under the banner of Peoples' Democracy and who also served a term as Mayor of Limerick in the late nineties.

    Reply to this comment

    • Aonrud

      Re: The Bottom Dog

      By: Aonrud | 13th February 2022, 10:20am

      Thanks Pádraig - it looks like we conflated the contemporary revival's page when it says "The Bottom Dog, a publication of the Limerick Council of Trade Unions, was first published on 20th October 1917" . I've updated the description.

      Reply to this comment

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