Sean Kingston was the treasurer of the Dublin South Inner City branch of People Before Profit for a long period. He passed away on December 28th, aged 79, after an extended illness.
Sean was not your typical socialist. His father had fought with Tom Barry, the famous IRA leader from Cork, before emigrating to New Zealand after the Irish Revolution, where he owned a small farm.
From a very early age, Sean worked hard milking cows, looking after the farm and getting very few days off.
At school, he was taught by an Orange supporter and advocate for the British Empire. After consulting some books and maps, Sean rejected his teaching and developed a long-standing love for the country of origin of his father.
He left New Zealand at a comparatively young age and trained as a carpenter in Cork. During the recession of the 1980s, he went to work in America and stayed for nearly sixteen years. In rehab he picked up on evangelical Christianity to ward off the demon drink.
After returning to Ireland, he met up with several other carpenters, including his friend, Henry Flynn, and they formed a tight social club. As Henry says, of the six who regularly met, only two are still alive.
In his later years, Sean worked as a traffic warden and a carer, looking after those who were incapacitated. He was extremely generous with what little money he had.
He also worked in the Ringsend Community Centre and joined an acting group to put on a play about the 1916 rising.
As a People Before Profit member, he played an active role in canvassing for Brigid Purcell and, before that, for Annette Mooney.
People Before Profit send our condolences to all who knew Sean, he will be missed.
RIP Sean Kingston
Community and socialist activist in south Dublin died December 28th.
