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Help: Irish-Canadian Labour Songs

29 Jan 00 - 10:15 PM (#170248)
Subject: Irish-Canadian Labour Songs
From: GUEST,Matthew Adams tchaikovsky2@hotmail.com

Hello, Can anyone help me find songs that discuss the problems that the Irish had when they came to Canada finding jobs. Any traditional songs that discuss Irish-Canadian labour issues would be of great help. Thanks, Matthew Adams tchaikovsky2@hotmail.com St.Catharines, Ont. Canada

30 Jan 00 - 10:04 AM (#170417)
Subject: RE: Help: Irish-Canadian Labour Songs
From: Willie-O

Hmmm...questions like this and the one about "Ballade de Louis Riel" make me aware that the Canadian songbook section of my collection consists of about zero volumes. But a couple of ideas...

  • it has been suggested that the Black Donnellys of Lucan Ontario were demonized and ultimately massacred largely because they were pugnacious Irish immigrants...lots of songs about them.
  • look into the Ballygiblin riots, near Carleton Place Ontario in 1824--violent altercations between Scots and Irish immigrants. There's a folk music club in C.P called the Ballygiblin Music Society--I don't know of any songs about the riots, but there must be.
  • a book called "Bytown" (I think--it's in the Perth Public Library) tells some of the colourful early history of Ottawa including a lot of detail about the relative situations of the different groups of settlers vis-a-vis the timber trade.
  • also it's probably not an excessive generalization to say that the Rideau Canal was designed by Scots and dug by the Irish.

    good luck...

    Willie-O

30 Jan 00 - 06:06 PM (#170645)
Subject: RE: Help: Irish-Canadian Labour Songs
From: GUEST,Paddy

Drill Ye Tarriers Drill Recorded by Makem & Clancy A good song about the miners in Canada

31 Jan 00 - 12:27 AM (#170838)
Subject: RE: Help: Irish-Canadian Labour Songs
From: Amos

Miners in Canada? I always thought tarriers were drilling American railroad tunnels!!! But come to think of it, there's nothing in there that says so! Any particular evidence for it one way or the other??