The Irish Navvies

Survivors of the Irish Famine theirs is a tale of woe They built the British Railways many decades ago But not one known memorial for to honor them today They only celebrate war heroes at least it seems this way Known as The Irish Navvies they slaved for pittance pay They were the great survivors of them in truth one can say They knew of hunger and famine and they knew of poverty Sad but true hard working people never make human history Known as The Irish Navvies picks and shovels and crowbars for working with they used By those who had power over them in many ways abused On the shaping of Great Britain a huge part they did play But in the graves of the forgotten their bones forever lay For to be an Irish Navvy was never an honorable thing The British Government never thanked them and none their praises ever sing Their sons too worked on the railway tracks laying heavy timber sleepers down But the life journey of most every Irish Navvy never did lead to renown The sons of old Hibernia they built many a British railway track Known as The Irish Navvies strong of arm and of back Yet never a memorial in any British village, city or town To honor the men who lay the heavy timber sleepers and the steel iron tracks down Racism and prejudice against them they experienced regularly Though this is in the distant past and the past is history They knew about the hard life many of them did not live to grow old But they were mighty working men and their stories should be told