Ultan Cowley talks about Irish Navvies from Nicky Getgood on Vimeo.
One part of the St Patrick’s Festival I did manage to make was this presentation by Ultan Cowley, bringing to life the world of the 20th century Irish navvy. Here’s some blurry highlights. It was insightful stuff that rang true for a lot of the many people there, some stories were quite sweet and touching but a lot shed light on what was a life of back-breaking hard work.
THIS WAS A SECRET WORLD OF ‘TUNNEL TIGERS’, ‘HEAVY DIGGERS’, AND ‘MCALPINE’S FUSILIERS’; OF ‘HEN HOUSES’, ‘COCK LODGERS’, AND ‘THE LANDLADIES’ BREAKFAST’; OF ‘PINCHER KIDDIES’, ‘LONG DISTANCE MEN’, AND ‘SHACKLING UP’; OF ‘DEAD MEN’, ‘WALKING PELTERS’, AND ‘MURPHY’S VOLUNTEERS’; OF ‘THE SHAMROCK’, ‘THE GALTYMORE’, ‘THE BUFFALO’ AND ‘THE CROWN’; OF EXILE AND ISOLATION AND LONELINESS AND DESPAIR.
