Memories of The Men Who Built Britain

In association with The London Irish Centre Ultan Cowley draws on his personal archive of recorded voices, from the Golden Age of the Irish Navvy, to evoke the life and times of the men who built Britain. 'You told it as it was. It brought anger, sadness, and tears. It also brought back memories of pride, joy, and laughter, of men who earned their bread by the sweat of their brow. God rest those who are gone'. Personal Letter

[@johnforrestal9975]

Thank you for sharing

[@vincenthigginbotham8729]

They were the men

[@timfoley9842]

Who is reading the poem at 11 mins and what is the name of the verse? I see bits of the spoken intro to Mc Alpine’s Fusileers, but this is a bit different.

[@UltanCowley]

Tim Foley This was, I think, John Moran of Rathmore, on the Cork/Kerry border. He recited from memory and had learned this in England prior to WW11. McA. was originally written by Martin Henry of Rooskey in East Mayo. From a long line of spailpins, he was following an oral tradition, where nomadic labouring men composed verses describing their life & times. There are many such...Dominic Behan sexed it up and copyrighted it. The Dubliners popularised it. Not one listener in a thousand recognises that it is, in essence, a work song...

[@vincenthigginbotham8729]

They were men

[@patriot6251]

As always Ultan brilliantly put across . We spoke some time ago through emails and you gave me good advice about doing my memoirs . thanks Ruane