The contribution that the Irish Navvy made to the infrastructural development of Britain is the subject of this publication. A very heavy work (both literally and physically), it is the sort of publication that can only be read in small doses. This however, does not detract from the quality of the work.
The author opens with an analysis of the factors which lead to emigration to Britain which in turn gave rise to the phenomenon of the Irish Navvy. The role of the navvy and the social conditions in which he operated are extensively dealt with industry specific examples and stories, including a chapter on the McAlpine firm, well known as an employer of Irish manual labour. All of this is covered whilst never losing sight of the appalling working and living conditions which the navvy had to endure.
The most fitting contrast to the opening chapter is said, without words, on the final page of the book. It is a reproduction of a FAS (Irish job training agency) advert from 1997 advertising for construction workers to come to Ireland to build the now dead Celtic Tiger.
As a contribution to Irish industrial heritage, there is little of interest in the book. That said, as an understanding of conditions which the industrial labourer faced, the work is excellent and the images reproduced in the book, while of British subject matter, are nonetheless interesting.