No words can define my sadness. We will continue reading your books, your pamphlets, your IMR articles with your voice in our heads John. We will remember those moments in this long struggle that made us who we are. We will continue the fight. That’s a promise. On shoulders of giants we rise and we will rise. Don’t you worry, it’s upwards and onwards. You were to talk to Freya about French Revolution. I guess I’ll have to do it. But nothing will fill your absence in my life. I guess that’s part of life. However much it hurts.
Dear friend, my comrade John Molyneux died of a sudden illness. John’s death is a great loss for me, both personally and politically. A deep friendship developed between John and I since he moved to Dublin in 2010. Along with others we founded United Against Racism.
John was a key Marxist theorist as well as a tireless revolutionary-socialist activist. He has been of great support and benefit to many revolutionary socialist movements all over the world. He made important theoretical and practical contributions to the development of our Marxist organization SWN (Socialist Workers Network) and our political party, People Before Profit in Ireland.
He touched so many people. He has contributed to the political development of many. He is irreplaceable, and that’s not a cliché.
We have been to Turkey a few times with John. We attended the Marxist summer camp and Marxism conferences in Istanbul. John’s international political interest and knowledge was an important source for all of us.
I will miss the long dinner nights with John after meetings. I will miss our long hours of deep conversations.
John was the editor of the Irish Marxist Review (IMR), our periodic journal of Marxist theory. We worked together from the first issue. Today IMR is in its fifth year.
We worked together in the Irish Anti-War Movement for many years. John was not just a theorist but a committed activist. He never had the attitude of “left-wing celebrity”.
He was warm and modest in his approach but firm in his politics. Sometimes, I think, his modesty was taken for granted.
When he had the idea to launch the Global Ecosocialist Network I knew he would dragged me into it. I am glad he did. We also worked together in Extinction Rebellion.
The 6 years we spent together in United Against Racism are full of unforgettable memories for me. I made me who I am.
We were guests in refugee homes.
I will never forget the days of Izmir with John.
We all learn from each other, change each other. John didn’t just change me, he influenced my politics.
John encouraged many people to write. He always tried to bring out the creativity in everyone.
Today, I miss John as a friend. But we are surrounded by anti-war, anti-racist activists, revolutionary socialists, climate activists, students, workers who refugees and many others who also miss John.
And John died just as he lived. He had just walked out of a campaign meeting, most likely with leaflets and copies of IMRs in his bag. He died as he lived, fighting.
The next day, we were going to meet at another meeting.
Fortunately for us, John left us his wonderful legacy and a hope for future.
How happy for us to have known John as our fiend and comrade.