Page 6, 22nd January 1965
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AN IRISH EXILE'S DIARY
AN IRISH NAVVY, by Donal] Mac Amlaigh. Translated by Valentin Iremonger (Routledge and Kegan Paul, 25s.).
Reviewed by MARY VAUGHAN
IN the Gaelic in which it was originally written this boat: was an outstanding success, and Mr. lremonger has once again turned his poet's pen to giving a notable book to a wider public. He avoids the literal translation which always sounds so phoney but uses a lilting Irish English with stiperb skill.
This "Exile's Diary" is an engrossing account of an Irishman in the involuntary exile of so many millions of his countrymen throughout the centuries. Unlike many of them, he has no hate for England, where he still earns his living. He even exempts that old brute Cromwell from total responsibility for every Irish misfortune since the sack of Drogheda. Indeed, he frequently praises England and considers that "it has many qualities that are much closer to Christian values than much at home in Ireland".
As dishwasher — casual labourer and—by choice—navvy, he meets many types and nationalities of men and observes them shrewdly and, whenever possible, with affection, toleration and amusement. But he finds Welshmen, Hungarians. many Americans, and—curse him—Poles and Dubliners unloyeable. He has sound reasons for finding Chesterton and Shaw overrated and for deploring "closed minds" and finds them regrettably often among the "best" educated. He has a strong weakness for the people of Comtemasa, where he spent his youth, and Kilkenny, where his family later settled, and for all Gaelicspeakers.
He has much good to say of English doctors, labour exchange officials and trade unions; and he can even sympathise with the objections of many English people to the drinking-and-fighting habits of a noisy minority of Irish workers.
Not that he doesn't take many a congenial jar himself and fully appreciate the companionship of his countrymen in a friendly pub; though on the whole he finds the English ones "noisy and uncomfortable, but here in Ireland they have a nice quiet atmosphere with quiet intelligent men's conversation that's like the musical murmuring of a stream".
God protect him from ever having to spend any of his leisure in the sordid shebeens of Glasgow! Though he would certainly agree with their "Men Only" policy to judge by his statement that "women are as plentiful in the pubs here"—in England—"as fleas on a goat and no man can be at ease wherever they are", There, I regret to say, speaks a true Irishman for you. However, I'll forgive him for an overall lovely book, the final impression of which is of charity abounding and faith unceasing (the book is unostentatiously punctuated by references to Mass-going, and very early sometimes too, rosary-saying and Confession and Communion. and he well expresses the deep feeling of horror felt by all Christian visitors for this country's Good Friday observance).
• He has a quiet tolerance and humour that reminded this reader at least of Padraig O'Connaire who, next to Frank O'Connor of the same clan, is one of the best models a story-telling man could have.
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