A BOOK telling the story of an Irish community who worked in the deep gaseous mines of South Yorkshire has some strong Limerick connections.
“The Forgotten Irish – The history of a South Yorkshire Irish mining community 1906-60″, was written by 71 year-old Sean Carney.
He said: “Many people, like my own Dad, emigrated from Ireland penniless and without skills. They seized the opportunity of mining, pitting their lives against nature 3,000 feet below ground with all its inherent dangers. I’m one of the last who can still remember that generation of Irish miners. I want to preserve their memory and the contribution they made”
Sean’s book documents how Limerick man Jack Ryan had ‘a reputation for shoveling that was legendary.” It tells of the Bradish brothers, Paddy, Neil, Leo, and sister Philomena from Limerick City who emigrated to Maltby in the early 1950s.
Arguably the book’s most notable character is US-born Limerick-reared priest Fr John Mullan. “Many of Maltby’s Irish families feared him, and regarded him as a tyrant, while others thought he was a lovable rogue. His hobby was breeding and racing greyhounds and was known to have a great reputation as a boxer,footballer and hurler in his day,” said Sean.
The book can be purchased from www.kennys.ie: Galway City. For more information e-mail author at [email protected].
