A NEW edition of a seminal book documenting the experience of Irish construction workers in Britain will be launched this month.
Ultan Cowley’s The Men Who Built Britain: A History of The Irish Navvy was first published in 2001.
A special edition of the popular title will be launched next week, featuring a newly added dedication to the on-site Chaplains of the Irish Episcopal Commission for Emigrants.
The priests were responsible for ministering to the Irish men working across Britain’s construction industry in the twentieth century.
Often in adverse conditions, they would be on-site where the men were working, ready to offer prayer, counsel and support.
Author Mr Cowley explained: “Experiencing the harsh conditions and stoical endurance of the Irish navvies engendered in these priests a degree of respect and admiration in marked contrast with the negative attitudes of many in the wider society - both in Britain and in Ireland.”
He added: “Like the navvies, these men were a special breed, and their like will not be seen again.”
The late Father Owen Sweeney, who was chaplain on the Spencer Steelworks project at Llanwern in South Wales between 1959 and 1962, spoke highly of the men he came across in his unique role.
“I came to appreciate the inestimable value of their contribution to human wellbeing. I came to regard them as the true nobility of society - humble, hard-working men, who rarely complained about their lot,” he said.
The Men Who Built Britain, featuring a newly added dedication to the on-site Chaplains of the Irish Episcopal Commission for Emigrants, will be re-launched this month.
For more details call Ultan Cowley on 00353 51 563377 or email [email protected]
