Summer 1984. Dublin. A women approaches the checkout at Dunnes, holding two grapefruit. The 21-year old at the till apologises. The fruit is from Apartheid South Africa. She won't ring them up. The Dunnes Store Strike is about to begin.

"We weren't looking for money. We weren't looking for new uniform. It was a discussion to be had... around the sale of this product".

In the mid-1980s, Mary Manning and Vonnie Monroe worked at Dunnes, a well-known Irish department store.

In 1984 they went on strike to defend their right not to sell goods from apartheid South Africa.

What began as a local dispute would become an epic struggle over a fundamental human right equality before the law - regardless of the colour of your skin.

"We had the church talking against us... the priests in Mass used to stand up and say, 'go into Dunnes'".

Their journey would ultimately see them push Ireland to become the first Western nation to ban apartheid imports.

But first, they'd be assaulted by colleagues condemned by the church and even branded terrorists.

"As time has gone on, it was getting more difficult because I couldn't pay my mortgage".

In this episode of Activism in the 80s, Mary Manning and Vonnie Monroe recall how a simple protest saw them strike for almost three years, and play a pivotal role in the international struggle against Apartheid.

Hosted by Ardent Theatre Company Creative Director Andrew Muir.

In this Episode:

1:46 - Living and working in Dublin in the 1980s

4:58 - The Background: Union policy on South Africa, and bullying at Dunnes

5:46 - How it began - refusing to checkout South African grapefruit

10:14 - Picketing Dunnes with placards

11:45 - Vonnie Monroe struggles to pay her mortgage with strike pay

13:41 - South African exile Nimrod Sejake joins the picket

19:42 - Abuse and violence against the strikers

23:25 - Meeting Archbishop Desmond Tutu

25:51 - Flying to Apartheid South Africa - and being met by armed soldiers

33:18 - Was the strike worth the sacrifice?

Activism in the 80s is a Creative Kin production for Ardent Theatre Company.

Executive Producer & Producer: Jason Caffrey

Production music: Ellie Parker

Mixing and Mastering: Adam Double

This production has been supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Links:

https://www.ardenttheatre.co.uk/strike-about

https://www.creativekin.co.uk/

https://www.heritagefund.org.uk/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunnes_Stores_strike

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Striking-Back-Untold-Anti-Apartheid-Striker/dp/1848893248

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nimrod_Sejake

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-caffrey/

https://www.ardenttheatre.co.uk/andrew-muir

http://www.adamdouble.com/about

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellie-parker-9ba9aa195/

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