1970–1973 Republic of Ireland rent strikes

April 2025April 2025 strikes in Ireland strikes in Northern Ireland at a similar time Anti-internment rent and rates strike 1970 - 1973 8 Republic of Ireland Rent hikes lack of services in housing estates Rent reductions Easier tenant purchase of public housing Rent strike Tenant victory National Association of Tenants Organisations Ireland Government of Ireland Over 35,000 households From 1970 through to 1973, social housing tenants in the Republic of Ireland were on a rent strike. The action began as a series of smaller local rent strikes. In 1972, the National Association of Tenants Organisations officially called for a national rent strike across all of the Republic of Ireland. The rent strike largely ended in August 1973 after the government conceded. Background Land Acts (Ireland) B-scale rent system of the Housing Act 1966 resulted in increased rent burden on tenants living in social housing.Tubridy Bohan 2024 62Tubridy 2024 1027 Additionally, a lack of services in social housing estates, and desire for greater control over the estates by the tenants added further difficulties. In 1967, the National Association of Tenants Organisations (NATO) was founded as an umbrella of local tenants' organisations. The organisation positioned itself as nonpartisan, primarily to prevent co-option by Fianna Fáil.Tubridy Bohan 2024 63 Strike action Grievances culminated in March 1970 when rent strikes broke out Ballyphehane, Cork, and Ballymun, Dublin. In late 1972 the National Association of Tenants Organisations called for an all-out national rent strike. At the peak of the strike, 35,000 households were participating, totalling 350,000 people. Following the 1973 Irish general election, the NATO successfully negotiated with the Fine Gael-Labour coalition government an end to the strike and achieved rent reductions, better terms for tenant purchase of social housing, and for official recognition of the NATO in representing social tenants.Tubridy Bohan 2024 62-63 Despite this, strike action in Cork partially continued under the Joint Cork Corporation Tenants Council.Tubridy Bohan 2024 64 Relationship with other political forces Tensions existed between the NATO and trade unions leadership despite support from trade union membership. Trade union members would often mobilise to support striking tenants in resisting eviction attempts. There were also tensions with the Irish Women's Liberation Movement. Labour Party had a complex relationship with the rent strike, with Labour councillors often adopting positions that conflicted with one and other. Rent strike action was supported by parties further left, with such parties participating in the rent strike to an extent. One member of the NATO's executive was also a member of Official Sinn Féin although the strike received only limited coverage in the Official Sinn Féin's newspaper.Tubridy Bohan 2024 63-64 The Communist Party of Ireland reported frequently on the strike in its newspaper, and one Communist Party figure chaired the Ballyfermot Community Association – one of the largest NATO affiliates. There was some hesitance, even by those with partisan affiliations, to have these parties be too involved.Tubridy Bohan 2024 65 Regardless of partisan affiliation of the individuals involved in strike action, participants were deeply invested in the movement. Legacy In 2019, the tenants' union Community Action Tenants Union was established with organisers partially inspired by the NATO and the rent strike of the early 1970s.1970-01-01 A New Tenants' Union Calls for an Extension of the Covid-19 Eviction Ban http://dublininquirer.com/2020/07/01/a-new-tenants-union-calls-for-an-extension-of-the-covid-19-eviction-ban/ 2023-06-19 Dublin Inquirer en-US 2022-09-29 Collecting memories of housing activism in Limerick https://www.limerickpost.ie/2022/09/29/collecting-memories-of-housing-activism-in-limerick/ 2023-06-19 Limerick Post Newspaper en-GB CATU has shown interest in researching the 70s rent strike,Tubridy 2024 1028 and prior to CATU-assisted research into the rent strike, very little literature or records existed on the rent strike.Tubridy 2024 1030-1031 In 2024, a documentary film covering the events titled Rent Strike was produced by the Upstate Theatre Project with assistance from CATU.Roddy Margaret 20 August 2024 New documentary 'the rent strike' chronicles Ireland's historic 1970s tenant protests, screening in Dundalk https://www.independent.ie/regionals/louth/lifestyle/new-documentary-the-rent-strike-chronicles-irelands-historic-1970s-tenant-protests-screening-in-dundalk/a1239677938.html 15 April 2025 Independent Ireland See also Anti-internment rent and rates strike Dublin Housing Action Committee Derry Housing Action Committee References Works cited Tubridy Fiadh May 2024 Militant Research in the Housing Movement: The Community Action Tenants Union Rent Strike History Project Antipode en 56 3 1027–1046 10.1111/anti.13014 0066-4812 free 2024Antip..56.1027T Tubridy Fiadh Bohan John 28 October 2024 The party in the flats: Relationships between housing movements and the political party form in the 1970s Irish rent strikes https://radicalhousingjournal.org/2024/the-party-in-the-flats/ Radical Housing Journal 6 2 55–73 10.54825/ESFP3948 free Further reading Tubridy Fiadh Rent Strike 1970-1973: Reclaiming the history of Irish tenants' struggles September 2023 CATU Category:Rent strikes Category:1970s in Irish politics Category:Housing in the Republic of Ireland Category:Protests in Ireland Category:1970s labor disputes and strikes