Buffalo is steeped in Irish history and traditions. Back in the day, when Irelanders were coming to this city in search of work and a better life, the movement forever changed the face of this city. From food, to music to festivals, Irish culture has permeated all facets of Buffalo.
For anyone who is interested in the rapidly changing livelihoods of families of Irish descent, both in their native land and cities throughout the US, a fascinating film is being screened at the North Park Theatre. The movie delves into a world where young Irish lads are no longer interested in being laborers, as they have for generations. This relatively new workforce phenomenon is affecting modern day Irish communities both at home and abroad, but in what ways?
Writer/director Colin Broderick is coming to Buffalo to screen his latest film, which he says is a “…new Irish movie shot entirely in New York about a crew of Irish construction workers. The movie stars ex middleweight champ John (The Derry Destroyer) Duddy and a slew of other local talent.
Come out and see the most talked about Irish movie in decades.
“The basic message of the movie is that it’s the end of the road for these guys,” says Broderick. “They are like the last of the Mohicans. The Celtic Tiger and a new era of affluence in Ireland put an end to the age old tradition of Ireland exporting skilled manual (specifically construction) labor. Young Irish boys and girls are more likely to train for an IT job , while Ireland is a country where you are more likely to hire someone from Portugal or Spain to work as a carpenter or a plumber. And here in America, the Irish are being replaced by Mexican and South American labor. Young guys who are hungry to work, and well trained in construction just like we were twenty years ago. Emerald City is a movie that marks the end of an era in Irish American identity.”
It turns out that Emerald City is loosely based on Broderick’s life. “I am originally from County Tyrone Northern Ireland and worked construction in New York for twenty five years,” he tells BRO. “Then I sobered ten years ago and quit construction to write a drinking memoir Orangutan (Random House 2009), that details the madness of those years… car wrecks, jails, stabbings, failed marriages …. then I followed that up with another memoir; That’s That (Random House 2013), which details my childhood growing up in Northern Ireland at the height of The Troubles.”
Broderick is coming to Buffalo with some of the film’s cast (John Duddy) and crew for a one off screening at North Park Theatre on June 24 at 4.00pm.
Emerald City Movie Screening
North Park Theatre – 1428 Hertel Avenue
Saturday, June 24, 2017
4:00pm