My family were from the Windrush genaration, the Irish were always good to us then, we lived on Elm grove, the irish family over the road used to look after my brother and myself when our parents were at work, we used to play music and our irish friends would come and watch my brothers and me play music in our front room, one of the brothers of the irish family died which was very sad, now most of my family have gone, the cemetary that they are buried in the folks that are buried there their family knows the family that used to look after my brothers and me, small world. Love the Irish.

Worked on sites in London during the 70's and 80's carried the Hod . Best years of my life . Hard work but great money. The London Irish were the best bunch of lads and girls you could hope to meet! I'm 66 now and retired living in a cosy bungalow in the Mourne Mountains. I often feel for the ones who never made it back to Ireland . The Irish government should do FAR more for the elderly Irish abroad and bring them back!

My mum and dad met in the Galtymore in the 80s. Nora salmon from county Mayo and Matthias Mcgrath from county Clare. God rest both their souls I miss u mum and dad 💕

I miss the Irish I have lived in Cricklewood all my life 65 years now Friday an Saturday night was like the wild west taxis going up an down to Kilburn back to Cricklewood wonderful times Will never see this again Bless you all the Irish men an woman who gave their blood sweat an tears you built this country the house I live in Fordwych Road was built by the Irish beautiful house made with love Thank you everyone of you Xx

Cockney Irish here .. proud be God bless ☘ 🇮🇪. ☘..proud my roots ireland Tipperary Thurles .. ancestors

Well I am proud to say I am Irish and I still live in the Cricklewood area

I had the pleasure of being given a job on the M5 motorway in 1975, working with Irish gentlemen.I had just finished 5 years in the RAF,and was keen to work and earn good money. Joe Caldwell,Martin Thorn were in the gang I worked with.Our boss man was Barney Carney.The best days when it was too wet to lay pipes and we spent the day in the tea hut.I made endless pots of tea and they told me the way of the world.They were tough,rough and did not allow stupidity but had gentle hearts.No harm could come my way when I was in their company. Surprisingly they were very well read and knew a lot of poetry and could they sing. I look upon those day as some of the best of my life.

I was born in London to Irish parents and I remember my Dad (Kerryman) being a steward in the Union late 70s early 80s..and fought hard for the lads on sites and he usually won.! He passed in April 21 an by christ he was a mighty man, hands the size of shovels.. really enjoyed the video, it brought back memories of my Dad.

Excellent. "Its full of foreigners now". That made me smile.

I’m a scouser who moved to Willesden Green in 1985 . I loved Cricklewood some legends round there, Irish folk made it a cracking place to be .. Sad to see now. RIP Eddie S

I remember the Galtymore on Cricklewood Broadway - it's long gone now... It was the ultimate Irish music venue - All the big names used to come like Larry Cunningham and Joe Dolan.

Both my parents left Ireland for London in the early 1950's. Originally living in Dean Rd, Willesden we moved out to Wembley when I was a youngster. Both my parents were work orientated people, really drove the message to myself and my siblings of personal responsibility and work ethic and thank God it stuck with myself and the rest of the family. I joined my dad in construction and really enjoyed the camaraderie of the men he worked with. Some say it was tough, but work isn't hard if you enjoy what you're doing, and I enjoyed every day, still do. Those days in London were never bettered, not sure what made it so, certainly different to the experience of those who went to America, which I am familiar with as I emigrated to the States in '84. I like it here but the laughs we had in Wembley, Cricklewood, Harlesden, Kilburn etc were unmatched. Those were the days, a unique history of a country's diaspora. I still visit London, both my parents have gone now, their ashes sprinkled into the Liffey, although they were happy to live and contribute to England, they didn't wish to be buried there.

My people, God BLESS them.

I lived in London in the 80s having come down from Liverpool and sometimes would gather outside the Crown pub to be carted off to a building site in who knows where . Met some great Irish lads and would often bevvy around cricklewood and Kilburn at Biddy mulligans . As well as a carpenter , I am also a poet and musician .

My dad came over from Sligo in 1960, he never went back ,6 brothers followed , thank you for videos like these that keep their memory alive.

Real hard working men salt of the earth , these men made the UK what it is today hard lonely lives rough working conditions never really knowing where there next meal or money was coming from , you did Ireland proud

I want all Irish people to come home ...from America from England from Australia. ..come back

My mother was from Fenit Kerry, and met my father at The Burtons night Club on the corner of Cricklewood Bdy. We lived in Dartmouth Rd. Cricklesood. I loved the bars. The Irish pubs were full of life. My father sang Danny Boy in the Crown Willesden. They loved it.

I lived in Harlesden in the eighties and often got a start on Cricklewood Broadway. Dozens of men standing around early in the morning waiting to get a days work labouring. Hard working men and some great characters. Many would go straight to the Crown pub for a bit of craic after their shift and end up in there for the night. It's an incredible story about some incredible people and their story deserves to be told.

..my home town Cricklewood, met my husband in the Galty! Thank you for this, a beautiful history! ☘🙏🏽

Question: Could the Irish live without their music? I love it!

I've worked with the lads , shoulder to shoulder & I never stopped laughing because even though I'm only half Irish I got the Craic .

I came to London in 1971 went in to the first pub in Fulham got a job from a Fermanagh man i was still working for him for 30 years or more he was a great man now i am in cork on the dole but i had a ball in London great town slán

Ireland's four extra counties. Co. Cricklewood, Kilburn, Willesden. Camden. The three venues. Galymoore, Spotted Dog, Biddy Mulligans. Worked as schoolboy potman on a Saturday at Galtymoore during late 70's

I was born in London and never out of work because of my Irish Mother. The work was hard but the Craic was brilliant. We used to go to a pub at lunchtime and some of my colleagues used to drink 5 or 6 pints in an hour and go back and work like hell.

I spent many a cold wet morning in Chichele Road waiting for a shift in the seventies. Hardly an Irishman to be seen in Cricklewood today. So sad.

Went to London for a week's holidays in March 86...... I'm still here.

My parents came from Ireland in the 1950s looking for work, in London, myself and my brother and sisters were born in London mum was from limerick and dad was from Clare sadly both have passed away now, my dad always went to the galtymore he loved dancing .......my husband came to the UK in the early 1970s also looking for work he came from county Mayo London had changed sadly not for the better, I do t live in London now but have great memories of living in Muswell Hill, and going to school at coney hatch lane. In the 1960s.......my husband still works very hard as a ground worker .

Fantastic film. Thank you for making this tribute to the men (Like my father) that built Britain.

I grew up in Gratton Terrace just a short a walk to the Gallymore and the crown. Would NEVER wish for a better upbringing then being Irish in Cricklewood in the 60s and 70s 😢

I was born in 1958 and we lived in Ivy Rd, Cricklewood. We moved to Kent when I was a kid. It is not the Cricklewood these days, that I knew.

A smart,no nonsense little film,my late father was one of these men,not Irish,but one who in the late fifties and sixties in this country,like Tim Finnegan "to rise in the world he carried a hod",cold days,hard work,no holiday pay,no unions,and like these guys all said,sometimes not even an idea where you were working at times.I can relate to all of this.He too is now gone this fifteen years past,but men like these,and him,and those before them,built this country.God rest them every one.

I worked in the Cricklewood Hotel on the corner of the Broadway and Mora Road and my goodness me there was no finer pub to be, the craic was good and the first pint was free, Brendon was the Guv’nor he was as wide as he was tall and Louise the assistant bar manager she kept the Lads in good order, a 3 course Sunday Dinner for a pound and upstairs there would be Ceili dance or a Feis or kids just practicing the Crick was always full Sunday night was busy Lads looking for work & Lads looking for workers, goodness I miss that place 96-99 many memories of great people & great times

Lived in Kilburn during the late 60s -70s. Stayed in some rough digs or in a flat with 3 or more other guys. Drank in places like the Crown, the Cock, the Bell, the Rifle and Volunteer, the Prince of Wales, and a pub on Kilburn high road more popularly known as the Kingdom. Recall nights in the National Kilburn, the Galtymore Cricklewood, and the Buffalo Camden town. Those were the days my friend, we'd thought they'd never end we'd sing and drink forever and a day.

My dad was Irish, born Ladbroke Grove, the Kilburn End. My friends never knew what my Dad was saying.😁 County Cricklewood

Im only an eighth irish but by god im proud of my heritage and id give my right arm to be alive back then god bless the working man, o mother deer im over here and never will go back what keeps me here is the rake of beer the women and the craic

Oh Mary this Londons a wonderful sight,

my old man sang in the crown,drank in the crown and fought in the crown :) thanks for posting this :)

im born in paddington and we moved to south london when i was 10 took dad 5 years to aclimatise every friday & saturday hed head back to harrow rd kilburn crickewood from listowel always in work ended up a tunnel tiger good days for family miss him john barry

Total respect to everybody who built the houses shops libraries schools roads n railways etc in the years after WW2.

The last of the Irish in Cricklewood-today it's a changed area same as Kilburn-today it's a 3rd world slum sadly. God bless all wh made this video!

Respect brothers 🇺🇸🇮🇪🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🍺🍺

thank you, it was a privilege spending time with these men and hearing their stories.

Bring back the Irish ! Still doing the graft &. Worked with the very best of old school in and around Manchester & all over uk ? still love the work ! & the crack ! It's a shame to see it so quite now ! Long live the Irish ! Mayo are us ! 🍀🍀🍀🍻🍻👍🏼

No holiday pay, no unions, no overtime rates. Some things in construction haven't changed!!

My father came home from the Congo in 61 and left the army shortly afterwards. Headed of to England for work. He was in cricklewood and Hendon and other places in the 60s. He came home in 69 and met my mother. Never went back. He had a job in the Silvermines near Nenagh

Wonderful stuff being a plastic Paddy from London myself this fills me with a nostalgia for Irish London that has all but gone. Its nice seeing the legendary Banjo player Mick O'connor doing his thing in The Crown. It reminds me how much I miss my dear much missed mother who came from Athlone,and spent much of her life in London returning to Athlone in the 1980's. She and I had many a boozy wonderful evening out and about in London's Irish pubs,and in the Irish centre in Camden. Happy Days.Happy Memories.

GOD Bless England for The Irish and Visa Versa.

Such a great film. It's perfect. You honoured those people. Well done.

Best description I've ever heard about Kilburn...there was 90% Irish and 10% foreigners now there's 10% Irish and 90% foreigners.

Great little documentary, well done. I have nothing but admiration and gratitude to this generation of Irishmen and women of my parents generation who had to leave their beloved homeland. I myself remember the Galtymore and the craic.

The man at the end has a lovely tone of voice, there was teal sadness, longing in his voice. God blesd

lived in cricklewood in the 80s,loved the galtmore and the national in kilburn

It's nice seeing the old faces you not seen for some years ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️💯

Well said sir thank you Charles Lenzi And to all as I was 17 years old at the time conse ently I went on in life to be become on electrical contractor in the U.S A. but I will never forget the bitter/sweet/ memories I have of a time so long ago .YEA I to worked on the building sites of LONDON. THE pubs GREAT CRAIC AND FRIENDSHIPS IN KILLBURN AND ALL OTHERS. Are an experience I will cherish forever. Though now 70 years old it remains part of my sojourn in life. Therefore thanks for the memories. To all who share such those memories god bless all GHTUNINY

I worked with the boys in the 80s in and around London and Essex. Great times plenty of money to be earned and good craic

who you knew. not what you knew. That was the Craic. Those Men worked mighty hard back in the Day.

Real men them days,my dad came over in 1960,then later on to luton,on the hod all hi life,still kicking now,his horses keep him going,end of an era when they all go,different kind here now!

I grew up in Cricklewood a great place to grow up left in 1978 for Sydney but always missed the place

I worked and lived in Cricklewood from 1988 for14 years loved it

You don't appreciate how many great men got the start in Cricklewood lane from John Galvin 60s 70s 80s Frank Galvin

Love the accent my mother was Irish, I know my father Michael Barrett from Mayo worked around Kilburn area mid 1960s I’d love to have known his friends from this time....

Nice video, watched it twice now, I worked at it in the early 80s. 6 men shared a room, what a drinking working racket. Great fun though with the right mind set. Love to go back in time for a week. Bizarre culture really.

Good and factual, God be with the good old days.

Great 👍 little video bud coming from an Irish ☘️ man. Pity our new to the parish won’t work as hard as we did IFTI 🇮🇪🙏🏻🇮🇪

I miss old Kilburn and Cricklewood. A shame a lot of the old lads never made it back home. Sadly, a lot of their descendants have a very difficult time growing up in England, and some also when they try moving back.

Sometimes when i'm down on the Tube I think of the Iirsh grafters back in the day who made it all possible

Fantastic piece of film.wonderful scene at the end when the gentleman was talking about the Bosnians looking for work standing at the roadside and he knew that was him 40 years before.no hate just people trying to do a honest days work.

Brought tears to my eyes!!

Joe gilligan your still there I worked with you in 1990 bulling steel in bond street its time ye lads headed for ireland too !

I remember in 1988 i moved to london, went to crickelwood and into the crown. i had one drink and left, I swore I would never ever EVER return to crickelwood area again.... lol ... i moved back there in 2001 till 2008. it was the greatest time of my life, although i managed to get an alcohol and drug addiction problem.... lol ... sober now thank God ..

So Sad, the atmostphere has gone out of London altogether. Once the Paddies all go, will be a sad end to Great men. Who worked Hard , Played Hard ...enjoyed life and Generous of Heart and Spirit. Thats all gone. Great video.

Buddy Mulligans was my watering hole back in 1973 - 1976.

My father and his brother Willie were working in London in the 50s where they were working on building a chimney stack. The stack collapsed killing my uncle Willie. McAlpine didn't give a damn.

The Irish gang masters took advantage of their own

Probably a lot less than 10 percent Irish in Cricklewood by now, this video is 9 years ago.. ☘️

Lived in Cricklewood for a few years, changed too much now, but was good while it lasted Éire a aontú 🇮🇪

Nobody like them,heroes in their own right....

Worked in the crown 87/88Mighty Craic indeed

Drank there the weekends in the 90s and now New York 2018

Lovely viedo thanks for posting,

the craic was good in cricklewood. Oh mother dear I'm over here and never going back. What keeps me here is the rake of beer the women and the craic

Was there from 87 to 97.... we worked hard and played hard..great times

Well done, thoughtful, personal... this was really interesting! Changes indeed, and all of those "gone home".

Thanks so much for the upload

Excellent !!!

Fascinating. Great clip.

Spent the best 4 years of my life there. ❤

That older man with the thick or full beard should be a Santa for Christmas lol 😊

"cricklewood oh cricklewood you stole my youth away for i was young and innocent and you were old and grey." This is a line from a song by Patsy Farrell RIP who played in many a pub in north london with the james connelly folk group Patsy was from co longford

Great watch.

Worked in London as a Steel fixer in the late 80's early 90's. I left in 93 so I wouldn't end up like a lot of those guys. Had a great time in all the places they talk about and used to cash our checks at McGoverns on the Kilburn high road. They would cash your checks and feed you and fill you full of beer and stagger out into a mini cab home. Those guys were getting paid good money they just never had enough ambition to move on and spent all their money in the pubs and the bookies.

My father left his farm in Ireland and came over In 1939 building runways in all round England and putting blackouts on factories in Birmingham and onto the roads and canals after the war he was injured and never got a penny we were poor back in Ireland my cousins went to University Who was better off

wont be many of them boys left now,got took on a trip to london many times but never seen any of the sights.loads of pop and crisps in cricklewood.xxwouldnt of changed it for the world.xx

Remember the times hard graft .and happy times

The old lad with the beard is frank Reilly’s from Cavan better known as box car willie 🤣

The good old day's

I was in London 1990 -1994 the mud rack Camden Town + Murphy's road work for work the archway tavern Sunday night Lee Lynch just to hear him say. I feel Elvis coming. Fridays getting my check changed Finsbury Park Tavern.

An Irish subbie would work you to the bone that's for sure

some went usa some uk--god bless us irishmen wth out you we have no roads sure- UP THE TIPPS