Newstalk Documentaries

Radio documentary ‘The Power of The People’ examines the significant impact of the ‘Dunnes Strikers’ on Ireland’s relations with South Africa and their contribution to the abolition of apartheidOn 19 July 1984 Mary Manning, a shop worker in Dunnes Stores on Henry Street in Dublin, refused to handle two grapefruit which had been imported from South Africa following an instruction from her union as a protest for the apartheid policies in place in the country. Mary was suspended and thus started what would become one of the longest running strikes in trade union history.A new radio documentary produced by Kelly Crichton revisits the story, highlighting the tinder box atmosphere in Dunnes which helped lead to the strike, the evolution of the strikers' motivation and understanding as well as the dramatic and dangerous events that took place over the period of the strike.The documentary follows the journey of the strikers, from the lack of support they received from politicians, the government, the church and other