Exiles

by Dónall Mac Amhlaigh, Mícheál Ó hAodha (Translation)

 Two Irish migrants on the cusp of new lives in post-war Britain. Two young people who dare to dream of a better life, and dance the music of survival in their adopted homeland. Afraid that his wife and children will arrive over any day, Trevor is in a hurry to settle old scores with his rivals and to prove himself the top fighting man within his London-Irish community of drinkers and navvies while Nano seeks to escape the stifling conformity and petty jealousies of her peers and forget her failed love-match at home. Will Trevor finally prove himself “the man” and secure the respect that he feels is his by virtue of blood and tribe? Does Nano have it in her to break free of the suffocating bonds of home and community and find love with Lithuanian beau Julius? Written at a time when the Irish were “building England up and tearing it down again,” and teeming with the raucous energy of post-war Kilburn, Cricklewood and Camden Town this novel is one of the very few authentic portrayals of working-class life in modern Irish literature. Up to one in four UK citizens claims Irish heritage. For each decade of the 1950s alone – a time of British postwar boom and Irish economic decline – over half of Ireland’s population, those coming of age in that decade, emigrated: the majority to England. And while Irish-owned companies today account for one tenth of the almost £100bn British construction industry, those navvies who built our homes, roads and hotels comprise a forgotten generation, alongside the nurses that made the crossing alone to power our nascent Welfare State. Dónall Mac Amhlaigh was among them, working on construction sites throughout London and the Midlands, including the M1 and M6 motorways. In this autobiographical novel are the people who later calcified into stereotypes of Irish immigrants and their haunts: the navvy, the drinker, the fighter, the nurse. As with the Polish builder, Romanian gangster or Spanish nurse of today, such caricatures have their source in real lives adapting to economic reality.

Genres: Fiction

350 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1986

Reviews

[Bagus · Rating 4 out of 5]

The relations between Ireland and Britain might be one of the most complicated ones in history. As always, neighbours might find some difficulties reaching out to each other. Upon finishing this book, I was kinda surprised to find out that this work has just been recently translated from Irish to English, even though the Irish edition has been published decades ago. This is indeed a wonderful story that chronicles the extent of Irish migration to Britain, especially concerning the everyday life of Irish workers across the Irish Sea soon after the end of World War II.

Donall Mac Amhlaigh wrote in the style of Christian Socialist tradition. His subjects in this book mainly touch the daily life of working-class migrants from Ireland to Britain. It reminds me somehow of Graham Greene with his works, who happened to be a British writer who was a contemporary of this book’s author. Donall’s words are simple, yet captivating the readers through each sentence without putting too much negative judgment in each character. He describes, but he leaves the readers to judge for themselves what kind of qualities that each character possesses. And his vivid description about the feelings of the dispossessed is superb, in the way that the legacies of Irish workers in the past could be entangled with present-day Europe with its concern in wider migration.

Soon after World War II ended, there was an increasing demand to build the cities in Britain that are torn apart by the wartime bombings. Fundings are poured into war-torn Western Europe through the Marshall Plan, which proved imminent to recover the damage caused by the war. With both factors included, Britain flourished and suddenly jobs were everywhere. This background is set against the impoverished state of Ireland during the same period. It was barely 30 years since Ireland unleashed its independence movement from Britain, and it was clear that the economy was not well which caused half a million workers to leave their hometown in search for a better life in Britain, swallowing their pride in Irish nationalism.

This book particularly focuses on the mass migration of Irish migrants from Connemara and West Kerry to Britain, which resulted in the lost sense of community back home as everyone was leaving in search for a better life. There is endless depiction about longing for home that never was. The characters were forced to leave their home in Ireland for some reasons, and it goes all beyond the economic spectrum. The clash between “old values” that were held dearly in Ireland and “new values” in Britain is something frequently repeated throughout this book. Upon their brief returns, they could no longer recognise their old home as someplace that they used to hold dearly.

The translation of Michael O’Haodha does the job well in describing the harsh truth facing the displacement experienced by millions of foreign workers in post-war Britain. Not only Irish workers, but Britain also received millions of refugees from Eastern Europe who fled Soviet domination after the war. Geographically speaking, Ireland is the closest country to Britain and it even fell under Britain’s domination for centuries. Yet for the Irish workers described here in this book, even life in England could feel like an exile at times. We got three main characters in this book, Niall O’Connell, Trevor Bartley, and Nano Keane who happened to cross their fate at one point during a brief journey on the train, but then went their separate ways. Yet it was through the viewpoint of everyday life of workers such as them that we could analyse fully to what extent migration affect post-war Britain and Ireland.

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I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Steve Essick · Rating 5 out of 5]

#Exiles, written by one of Ireland’s most prominent twentieth century authors, Dónal Mac Amhlaigh, was originally published in 1986, three years before his death. The original was written in its native Irish',making it inaccessible to English readers until this excellent translation by Micheál Ó hAodha displaying its poignancy and brutal beautiful storytelling. Originating in Ireland in 1950, the book tells the story of its three main characters: Nano, a young woman who emigrates to England to make an income as a nurse’s assistant; Trevor, a rugged man who abandons his wife and sons to move to England to be a 14 hour a day trench digger for the repair of London’s subway; and Niall, who has just gotten released from Ireland’s Army and is bound and determined to find a job and remain in his native Galway. Although the three never meet in real life', their stories are very much intertwined by Ireland’s impoverishment and the alcoholism', brawling' and dysfunctional relationships this leads to. Although the characters are all flawed, I was sorry to finish the book because I felt tied to all of them. They’re written so splendidly, I would bet that you feel tied to them too.

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Donall Mac Amhlaigh is one of the most important Irish-language writers of the 20th century, but sadly I had never heard of him. This novel has now finally been translated into English and I was delighted to get the chance to discover this fascinating novel describing the experience of two young Irish people who escape the lack of opportunity in their impoverished native land to embark on a new life in England where jobs are plentiful. One a nurse, one a navvy, they are willing and able to work hard – often in contrast to their British counterparts. The book is a remarkable chronicle of the life of such migrants, of whom little has been written, making this account even more valuable. The author knew what he was writing about first-hand. He too joined the flood of Irish migrants, working on construction sites in London and the Midlands, including the M1 and M6 motorways. Such Irish navvies comprise an almost forgotten generation, as do the nurses who came over to work in the newly formed NHS. Some scenes are set back in Ireland, highlighting the backwardness and lack of opportunity there with the optimism and freedom of post-war England. It’s not always a happy experience as these young people can feel deracinated and alienated, and their relationships with their co-workers can be difficult. Other immigrants are also featured in the novel, demonstrating that the immigrant experience has changed little since the 1950s. The Irish communities of 1950s London, especially in Kilburn and Camden Town, and in the pubs and dance halls there is convincingly portrayed and altogether this is an atmospheric portrait of Irish life in exile. It’s an autobiographical novel up to a point, which obviously adds to its sense of authenticity and I found it an absorbing and compelling read.

[Ciaran McLarnon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exiles by Dónall Mac Amhlaigh is a wonderfully authentic account of the trials and tribulations typically experienced by the Irish who left Ireland to seek work in England and the contrasting experience of those who stayed at home. In this delightful book, Nano finds herself dealing with crushing loneliness and frustration after taking up a job in a hospital outside London, whilst Trevor would actually prefer to live in London leaving his wife feeling abandoned at home in Ireland. Niall has just left the Irish army and decides to stay in Ireland and make a life at home; he quickly realises that this is not as easy as he expected.

In Exiles, there are strong themes of family, love, abandonment and patriotism but also inevitably alcohol abuse and the fighting culture figures prominently too. The best intentions and character flaws are exposed with great skill by the author.

This is a great translation of the original Irish; a fantastic almost historical record of the difficult choices facing Ireland's adults in the 1950's and later years.

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet love story about Irish refugees in the UK post WWII. Deals with their lives and dilemmas in being Exiles from their own country due lack of work.

[Eileen Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

England is re-building her post-war cities; Irish laborers are emigrating to answer the need for hard-working men and women, eager to escape their homeland that provides little opportunity and low wages. MacAmhlaigh’s novel introduces Irish citizens who are faced with this choice. Trevor, abandoning his wife and children at home, finds himself in a world free of entanglements whose only challenge is to brawl with those who disdain his fellow Connemara men. His greatest threat is from the wife who writes him constantly that she is coming over to establish their family in England. Nano, committed to a man back home who will marry her when his possessive mother is no longer an impediment, works in a hospital where she meets men and women with more progressive mindsets. Her attraction to a Lithuanian gardener is troubling. Niall, leaving the army, plans to join a buddy in starting a small concern together, only to find his friend has absconded with Niall’s investment to flee to England. Unable to find any work, despite his attempts, he finds himself standing with the other men “on the dole.” The vivid experiences and the familiar, often humorous, dialogue make these characters unforgettable. The melancholic tone and the often desolate points of view are enriched through the translation.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an electronic ARC through NetGalley for review.

This is an interesting novel that deals with several overlapping stories about Irish workers in England in the 1950s. The stories are interwoven, with characters occasionally encountering one another and then reappearing several chapters later in their own narratives.

This is a translation from the Irish, and I can't speak to the quality of the translation as I am not familiar with the source language or text.

[Rebecca Ambrose · Rating 5 out of 5]

This translation of Dónall Mac Amhlaigh's 1989 novel is a masterful snapshot of life of the working-class Irish in 1950, specifically those affected by the disastrous economy at the time. Set in the West of Ireland and parts of England, the novel explores the difficulties faced by Irish people, both at home and abroad, but also how these people have a resilience and determination to succeed, no matter the obstacles.
Emmigration is fact of life, there are certain expectations of those who do stay at home, and life is difficult for everyone we meet.
Niall, recently after leaving the army, faces for home with a plan for his own business, but can't predict just how bad things have become.
Nano leaves a home she is relatively happy in, but for ess than ideal circumstances, and even while away she feels bound by the ties to home - does she need to break away from these ties, and if yes can she?
Trevor wanted to get away from his desolate life in Ireland and is happy to leave the country and its ties behind. He's making a name for himself in London, for work and his strength, and is proud of how he is viewed there, but can he really outrun responsibilities and leave Ireland totally behind?
Absolutely recommend this book, I've not read anything like it. Ó Haoda's translation really keeps the spirit of the Irish language alive in this.
Huge thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC, in return for my honest review

[Micheal O'HAodha]

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[Greg · Rating 3 out of 5]

* I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book. *

Set in 1950, this is a book about the Irish diaspora in the wake of the Second World War. Trevor is a powerhouse navvy working on the manifold post-war construction projects in England, having left his wife and child behind in Ireland. Nano is working in England as a hospital assistant, having left her indecisive boyfriend behind. Niall, having just left the army, finds himself stuck in dead-end job queues with no hope of work, and no future, just as much an exile as those who have left.

Mac Amhlaigh describes their lives with tenderness, highlighting the inescapable forces holding them down, and the various ways that they find to survive in a world that doesn't want them for anything other than to exploit them.