'The Rent Strike' documentary is set to be screened at Dundalk's an Táin

Upstate Theatre Project, in collaboration with the Community Action Tenants Union Ireland (CATU), says it is thrilled to announce the special screening of its latest documentary, The Rent Strike, in Dundalk's An Táin Arts Centre, Tuesday 3rd September at 8pm.

This evocative film commemorates the historic rent strikes in Ireland and Louth from 1970 to 1973, spotlighting the collective efforts of council tenants against unfair rent policies and substandard living conditions.

The Rent Strike shines a light on an important but little-known piece of local and national working-class history, activism that has relevancy today.

Public housing tenants across Ireland faced significant challenges in the late 1960s, including rent hikes imposed by the new ‘B scale’ rent system under the Housing Act of 1966.

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These economic pressures, combined with poor housing standards and a lack of community amenities, led to widespread tenant unrest. The movement, which began with strikes in Ballyphehane, Cork, and Ballymun, Dublin, in March 1970, quickly grew under the coordination of the National Association of Tenants Organisations (NATO).

By 1972, the movement had expanded nationwide, with over 35,000 households participating and NATO's membership swelling to over 350,000. This unified resistance resulted in a groundbreaking agreement with the Fine Gael-Labour coalition government in August 1973, fulfilling the tenants’ demands and marking a significant victory in Ireland’s housing history.

Among the many contributors to this powerful movement were the tenants of Ballsgrove, a relatively new housing estate at the time.

Paddy Smith shares his vivid recollections of the campaign in Drogheda, providing invaluable personal insights into the local fight against the "differential rents" or B-Scale rent system.

“People were getting very frustrated. And they just couldn't afford to pay the rent” Paddy Smith, Ballsgrove, Drogheda said.

The Rent Strike comes to An Táin Arts Centre on Tuesday 3rd September at 8pm.

Tickets are €3.50 plus €1.50 booking fee per ticket per person, and can be purchased from An Táin Arts Centre’s Box Office on Crowe Street, over the phone on 042 9332332 or online at www.antain.ie