The Pick The Shovel and the Open Road

We hear so much about what the Windrush generation did for the good of Britain, but never anything about the Irish, and they literally built most of post-war Britain with their bare hands.

My Father a Limerick man was in the sheild on the Blackwell Tunnel as a leading miner in 1967 and he drove numerous headings all over the UK but his health deteriorated in his mid 50s between hard work and hard living ........a common theme for the Irish as they were poorly advised back then and exploited by there own ? What i can tell you is if the Irish were currently working on the HS2 it would be finished on time or ahead of schedule thats for sure and they'd have time for a few pints along the way also 😂😂 Im 50 now and i cut my teeth with my Connemara uncles back in the 80s myself and they made a man out of me thats for sure 💯 THE IRISH MEN & WOMEN WERE THE GREATEST WORKERS TO EVER GRACE THESE SHORES AND THEY'LL NEVER BE THE LIKES OF THEM AGAIN !!!!! RIP DAD BRILLIANT UPLOAD BTW 👏

My brother Eamonn worked the tunnels in London. Leaft Ireland at 19yrs, I remember the day do well. Eamonn died in Critlewood at 57. Rest In Peace dear brother. Watching this has made me realise how hard it must have been for him. 🙏

My father is a Tipperary man. He was in the Irish Army for 3 years, gave 6 months in Congo in 61 as a UN peacekeeper, dug trenches in the Congo. When he came back there, he finished his time in the Congo. He had previously been in England as a 15 year old in mid 50s working for Loyds foundry in Burton on trent. He went home again. After the army he gave from 61 to 69 working in Cricklewood, Kilburn, Hendon. All kinds of jobs, worked driver a dumper for a year, he said that was a handy job, got a job on a high rise painting girders, no fall arrest equipment, saw a couple of lads falling, worked under the roads digging trenches for pipes and cables. When he came home he was driving tombstones all over Ireland in a truck and worked in the Silvermines in Nenagh Tipperary as a miner up to 1980. The man worked hard all his life, still tippin away at nearly 83.

9:50 The Irish Subbie, The Big Merc , The Big Man , The Big Ego , The Big Mouth. Lovely lads to work for. These guys had absolute contempt for their own. Treated Irish lads worse than the English ever did. A smug bastard.

Father and his six brothers came over from Sligo, from the late fifties onwards ,not anywhere is their a statue erected to the toil of the 1 million migrant workers that rebuilt London's infrastructure ,from the ground up from the post war period .They were used and forgotten .

Respect to all the Irish there all grafters and them men were real men

My dad done this 1954 had 6 kids in England God bless is beloved Ireland x

Worked for Murray telecom, late 80s early 90s. 90% were Irish. Seamus Laffey was one of the agents. He made that much recovering old lead cables, he walked into Road range, Mercedes dealers in Liverpool, with a tesco bag full of money. Drove out in a brand new car, straight onto the ferry back to Dublin.

My God, this brings back memories. I did this work in London in the 70s, hard grafting in tunnels, 6 by 12 hour shifts a week. Although I didn't think so at the time, they were great days, great workmates, but Irish Foremen were the worst when given a little bit of power. I'm an engineer now at the other end of the work, the design and planning, but I always respect the men who graft on the job, because I've been there!

Grew up in Cricklewood and my father and brothers worked for green McNicolas. My father worked from Pat McN, Kevin McN father . Lots of Mayo men working for m McNicolas

Dad had fond memories of working with Irish lads on the gas board, digging in the late 60’s/early 70’s. Allowed him to sleep off his stag night hangover in the back of the van infact. An interesting documentary. Thanks.

I remember actually watching this in London when it came out as I was living and working in south east London in 1991 ... went back a few times over the years since, but London isn't the same anymore - it has changed and not for the better.

My grandfather was from Tipperary and his wife had 4 set of twins to look after Plus others ♥️♥️♥️♥️💯

I'm English but worked for loads of Irish firms , MC NICHOLAS , MURPHY , SULLIVANS , AND MC GINTY , great times

Hard working men Ireland could to with these men today were going to be a dieing breed a man who can push hard and get the work done

Old school was the best school☘️👏🏻

It's all so different now... The Irish lads will be the engineers and accountants

Cricklewood was a great craic back in the 90s..

Thanks for uploading this video. My father came over from Co Kerry in the 50s and was into this type of work. The building recession of the 1980s finished most of these guys unfortunately.