Michael Joe Lavelle, who died recently aged 79, was a loyal and dedicated member of the Westport branch of the Labour Party for over 55 years. He gave long and faithful service to the Labour Party and made a real and tangible contribution to the Irish labour movement, and he was elected Westport branch president for life in 2007.
Michael Joe was an example of true socialism and began his involvement with trade unionism and Labour when he started work in the shoe factory in Westport. When that factory closed Michael Joe and others used their money to set up a co-operative to run the factory and kept the jobs in Westport for as long as they could. Michael Joe served with distinction in every official position in the Westport branch and served as chairman on numerous occasions. In his earlier years he was responsible for arranging many local and regional meetings with national political leaders. His regular attendance at the monthly Labour branch meetings were always of interest when he shared his experience and recollections of these earlier exploits with the assembled committee, he will be missed by his friends and colleagues in the party.
The regular monthly meeting of the Westport branch of the Labour Party that was scheduled for Tuesday November 3 was cancelled as a mark of respect to the late branch president.
