CATU to hold a screening of The Rent Strike at the Garter Lane Arts Centre
Tickets are prices start at €5 to see the film.
A pivotal yet often overlooked chapter of Irish history will be revisited in Waterford with the screening of 'The Rent Strike', a documentary chronicling a transformative housing revolution.
From 1970 to 1973, over 100,000 tenants across Ireland launched a rent strike to combat rising rents, poor housing conditions and the mounting cost of living. This large-scale protest, led by the National Association of Tenants Organisations (NATO), persisted for three years and culminated in a landmark victory in August 1973, which reshaped Irish housing policy.
Produced by Azzy O'Connor, Fiadh Tubridy, and Declan Mallon, 'The Rent Strike' documentary delves into this historic campaign through interviews with those who organized and participated in the movement, along with their loved ones. Despite its significance, this chapter of Irish working-class history has been largely undocumented, making the documentary an essential addition to the nation’s collective memory.
The film will be screened at Garter Lane Arts Centre on O’Connell Street, Waterford City, on January 9, 2025, at 7.30pm. The event will include a 45-minute film followed by a Q&A session with tenant advocates and filmmakers.
Tickets are priced €5 for unwaged individuals, €10 for waged attendees, and are free for members of the Community Action Tenants Union (CATU) Waterford. Tickets are available online at garterlane.ie.
The documentary highlights the importance of tenant solidarity and collective action in securing rights, drawing a clear connection between the successes of the past and the ongoing struggle for tenant protection today.
The screening will present an opportunity to reflect on a transformative movement that forever altered Irish housing policy and to explore its relevance in the present day.
