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I remember vividly my parents, aunts and uncles, talking about meeting these signs when they first went to London in the late 1950's. My mother's face would close up as she turned away. My father's voice would take on a hearty 'divil may care' tone. Often he would draw a deep breath and begin to sing Paddy works on the railway. Gradually, tin whistle, banjo, guitar and other voices would join in.
They sang about things they couldn't say in words. They sang of the cruelly hard work that they did. They sang of the contempt they met from some people. They sang of the endless struggle to keep a roof over their heads and children fed. They sang out the shame they felt when they did not understand English ways. They were able to sing the thoughts and feelings that strangled words. And the singing carried them over into a new day so that they could do it all again. But they did not heal....
6 Comments
Eileen Al-Hadad
9/3/2012 11:56:27 pm
It brings back the words my late father used to say to me when I'd come in upset at being called the thick Irish.Eileen tell them I'm Irish and proud.. 9/4/2012 05:13:32 am
How wonderful Eileen, that your father was so supportive and understanding. I hope that his words made the racism you experienced easier to handle. Martine
In the 80s and 90s we were blamed for every explosion or attack in England. Pregnant, and asking for a Perrier in a pub, I was told: "We don't serve muck here - we don't like the French and we don't like the Irish." 11/14/2012 10:29:26 pm
I remember it well Mary as I was in London at the same time. I was targeted at work with hate mail in our letterbox. I remember being terrified of opening up the office in the morning on my own. But thankfully my employers at the time were very supportive. It always got worse during recessionary times but eased off again when things improved.
Jill
3/23/2013 03:47:27 am
It wasn't just the 1950s that we saw that sign. I remember my older brothers, university students, in the late 1960s talking about meeting that sign. They were looking for a place to live in London whilst they worked summer jobs. They pointed out that the order on the sign was significant as the Irish were viewed as lower than the dogs! 3/23/2013 09:52:54 pm
The signs were heartbreaking Jill. I remember my mother telling me how hard it was for her to find a place to live when she and my father were first married. Leave a Reply. |
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