McAlpine's Fusiliers
McAlpine's Fusiliers is a famous Irish ballad set to a traditional air, written in the early 1960s by Dominic Behan.[1] The song relates to the mass migration of Irish labour from Ireland to Britain that took place prior to, after and especially during[citation needed], the Second World War. The ballad's title refers to Sir Robert McAlpine, a major employer of Irish workmen.[citation needed] John Laing and Wimpey (also referred to in the opening monologue; an integral part of the ballad although not included in some cover versions of the song) were other major construction companies employing many Irish 'navvies' (a British term referring to building labourers and originally coined for the labourers who built the British canals or 'navigations')
There are several colloquial and local references in the monologue and the song's lyrics, some of which are often misunderstood or misinterpreted by listeners and some who have reproduced the lyrics. A 'spike' was a hostel or 'reception centre' (originally a casual ward in a Workhouse) for men with no fixed abode or homeless, often used by Irish navvies who could not find or afford digs (lodgings). Shuttering (sometimes wrongly reproduced as 'shuddering') is a rapidly constructed wooden casing made to hold concrete while it sets: ironically shuttering 'chippies' (carpenters) were rarely Irish as the incredibly rapid rate of work required made this a relatively well paid sector of the workforce and the exclusion of 'unskilled' Irish labourers due to skill demarcation lines (and racism) from such work was common. Holyhead (referred to in the monologue) is a port on Anglesey (Ynys Môn) in Wales where the main ferry service across the Irish Sea from Dun Laoghaire used to dock and Cricklewood is a district of North West London (near to Kilburn and Brent) with a large Irish population. The Isle of Grain is a desolate area in Kent where the River Medway joins the Thames Estuary east of London which was a large construction site for some years while an enormous power station was being constructed there.
The song offers a satirical, but on the whole accurate, view of the life and work of the Irish labourers of the times and as such proved extremely popular, resonating strongly with the Irish populations of London and other British cities.[citation needed]. It is regarded by many folk singers as the anthem of construction industry workers.
According to remaining members of Behan's family, the song was written with The Dubliners in mind.[2] At this time Behan was engaged by Phil Solomon, the owner of Major Minor Records, to provide mentoring services for many of the label's acts, including the Dubliners, David McWilliams and Christy Moore.[citation needed]
Solomon realised the Dubliners had many of the capabilities required to become massively successful but they needed a more cohesive and polished act. Behan was tasked by Solomon with preparing them for a major UK launch. Over a three-month period, Behan provided the Dubliners with a new two-hour set structure and many new songs, among their most successful being McAlpine's Fusiliers and The Black Velvet Band. The song went on to become a staple of the Dubliners live set and has been covered by many artists since.[citation needed]
In its original form, the song was performed in two parts, a spoken monologue (originally Spoken by Ronnie Drew of the Dubliners self-accompanied by his simple flamenco guitar) followed by the sung verses supported by the full band.[3]
References
- ↑ This forum posting cites an earlier source which Behan may have used
- ↑ Conversations with Mrs. Josephine Behan and her son Stephen Behan
- ↑ Lyrics at mudcat.org
