The weariness is hardly surprising as it was soul-destroying work and the mortality rate was high. This thought is repeated in the refrain at the end of each verse. The genuine feeling that does come across quite clearly, however, is that Paddy is weary of working on the railway. The reference to O’Connell tells us very little except that the song isn’t so much relating a story as laying down specific and sometimes random thoughts– a characteristic of many songs in the shanty tradition. He was a major figure in Irish history but had no significant connection with railways or their employees. O’Connell was an Irish politician and nationalist campaigner. In the fifth verse, there’s a random reference to Daniel O’Connell being alive in 1845. 87K views, 317 likes, 53 loves, 26 comments, 128 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Stair na hireann / History of Ireland: 'Paddy On The Railway' Performed by Luke Kelly and The Dubliners Stair na. In subsequent verses he sails across the sea, he lands in Columbia and later he changes his trade to carrying bricks. In 1842 we learn he didn’t “know what to do” to work on the railway. In 1841, Paddy puts his corduroy britches on and gets to work. Paddy here refers to Irish workers in general rather than any one individual. Poor Paddy Works on the Railway follows a simple, repetitive structure telling the story of one or possibly several navvies between 18. ‘Paddy’ refers to Irish workers in general ![]() ![]()
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