THE death has occurred of a veteran trade union leader, Mr Seamus Redmond. He was general secretary of the Marine Port and General Workers Union for 18 years and finished writing a history of the union shortly before he died on day.
He was a distinctive figure, and not just for his impeccable dress sense and fondness for bow ties. He led the MPGWU through a stormy era. In 1973 he withdrew the union from the Irish Congress of Trade Unions after congress ordered him to return a group of members "poached" from the NEETU.
Mr Redmond became a national figure for a much bigger "poaching" row in 1977 at the Ferenka plant in Limerick.
In this case the dispute with the ITGWU helped to close the plant. Seamus Redmond never failed to impress by his ability to argue his case, which was essentially that people should be able to join the union of their choice.
By 1988 he had mended his fences with other unions and brought the Marine Port back into congress.
In the meantime he fought a desperate rear guard action in Dublin docks, where a mixture of new technology and volatile industrial relations saw MPGWU membership fall from 2,400 to a little over 100.
However, he pioneered the union's expansion into new white collar employments to make up for membership losses in the port.
Mr Redmond had wide interests outside the union. A keen painter, he set up the MPGWU Art Group, which won the coveted Calor Kosangas arts award in 1994. He formed a drug awareness programme.
Having been a member of the Naval Service, he was secretary of the Organisation of National Exservicemen for many years. He also served on the Dublin Port and Docks Board.
Mr Redmond, who had been in ill health for some months, is survived by his wife Theresa, daughters Myra and Hilda, and son Barry. His oldest son Paul died some years ago.
His funeral will take place to Palmerstown cemetery after 10 a.m. Mass this morning in Dolphin's Barn Church.