| Title: | Celt Notefile |
| Moderator: | TALLIS::DARCY |
| Created: | Wed Feb 19 1986 |
| Last Modified: | Tue Jun 03 1997 |
| Last Successful Update: | Fri Jun 06 1997 |
| Number of topics: | 1632 |
| Total number of notes: | 20523 |
Can anyone give me some background information on who Sir Robert Mc Alpine was/is and who were/are McAlpine's Fusileers discussed in the song of the same name (done by the Clancy Brothers and Dubliners)? Thanks Bill Scarborough
| T.R | Title | User | Personal Name | Date | Lines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 914.1 | McAlpine | MEALA::JOYCE | Wed May 29 1991 11:14 | 16 | |
McAlpines are a major U.K. construction firm. If you get the
words of the song it refers to the 1940's and 1950's when many
Irishmen emigrated to work on the buildings in London (and they
still do). The song depicts the life of the "navvies" - hard
work ("McAlpine's God was a well-filled hod" etc.) and plenty
of beer.
McAlpines are a family firm - the latest head of the firm was
close to Mrs Thatcher, and had his name among a list of prospective
IRA targets.
I've never seen this explanation of the song in print, but that's
how I always understood it.
Toby
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| 914.2 | P.S. | MEALA::JOYCE | Wed May 29 1991 11:17 | 9 | |
Postscript: Perhaps someone might enlighten us, but JOhn B. Keane
the playwright may have written the song (he worked on the buildings
himself).
The "Fusileers" part, I presume, is just an ironic comment on
McAlpine's employee relations policy!
Toby
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| 914.3 | Domo Behan | SIOG::WOODS | Tue Aug 06 1991 08:13 | 8 | |
The song as far as I know was penned by Dominic Behan (I think he died
last year). He`s brother was the late great Brenden Behan. At the
begining of the song there is a poem (?) . The song is basically a
satirical comment on the life of the emmigrants who worked for the big
construction firms such as McAlpine, Wimpy and John Lang.
Woody
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