The figure of James Connolly looms large in the pantheon of Irish historical figures. Streets, buildings, and train stations are named after him in Dublin, statues are built in his honour.

It is less well known, however, that Connolly was a revolutionary Marxist committed to the destruction of capitalism. This fact alone is a source of embarrassment to an Irish elite intent on claiming him as their own.

The 100th anniversary of the Easter Rising and Connolly's death gives socialists the world over the chance to relate to a new audience engaging with Connolly for the first time and to rediscover his unique contributions to the international socialist movement.