Over 100 people packed into Liberty Hall on the 27th of June 2006 for the launch of Bob Doyle's memoirs, Brigadista: An Irishman's Fight Against Fascism. Bob is the last remaining member of the International Brigades in the 1936-39 Spanish civil war.

Proceedings started with an introduction from a representative from Currach Press and she introduced Labour T.D Michael D. Higgins to speak first. He gave a strong speech, highlighting the need to remember the reactionary thirties and incidents like the burning of Connolly House where after a sermon, a crowd of people set fire to the building and cut off fire hoses so that it would be burnt to the ground, irrespective of the people inside who had to climb onto the adjoining roof tops. It was from this era of reaction that a gallant few men like Bob Doyle left Ireland to defend the Spanish Republic.

Bob Doyle himself was then asked to speak, apologizing to the people present that he was `rusty' from lack of public speaking in recent times, Bob handed over to someone else to finish his speech. In it he thanked his family and friends and gave an account of his first meeting with his wife at a dance for the International Brigades in Britain and how after a meeting with Marie McLaughlin he decided to write his memoirs from the notes he had taken while in Spain.

Next to speak was Manus O'Riordan whose late father, Michael had made a bet with Bob Doyle to see who would be the last remaining International Brigade member from Ireland.

The function came to a close with Ronnie Drew giving a rendition of Viva La Quince Brigada.

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http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c24/PaddyFarrell/DSC00043.jpg Ronnie Drew