The Irish War

"The Irish War" by David Burr is a historical record from the early 1950s telling the tale of Irish laborers building the Wabash-Erie Canal in the 1830s. It explores troubles that happened when old feuds from Ireland exploded in fights far from home between two groups of workers, the "Corkonians" and "Fardowns," bringing their regional hatred all the way to Indiana where their angry feelings turned into real fights that scared people and threatened property. The pamphlet recounts the lead-up to a huge riot, the calling in of the local soldiers to calm things down, and the catching of the people who started the trouble. Burr's story shows the hard lives of immigrant workers and big ideas about community, disagreement, and the search for peace when things were changing fast.