Hammond, David (editor). Steelchest, Nail in the Boot and The Barking Dog. The Belfast Shipyard, a Story of the People by the People. 1st printing. Belfast: Flying Fox Films. 1986. hardcover. photographs by Bill Kirk. isbn: 1870044002. scarcity: hard to find.

Steelchest was a BBC film that attempted to get the common working man’s view of shipbuilding. The book was published as a companion piece that went along with the film. Both contain interviews, recollections and yarns of the platers, riveters, welders and other hardcases who worked the shipyards of Harland & Wolff.

The stories are told first hand by the men who lived them. They range the gamut from humorous to horrifying. The coverage includes a wide range of topics, including the early days of the yard, nicknames, heroes and hardcases, and retirement. There is a chapter devoted to the riveters and another to the welders. Three events are singled out for brief chapters; Titanic, the daring launch of the oil rig Seaquest and the Reina del Pacifico disaster in which an engine room explosion and fire killed and injured many of the yard workers.

By the way, the title of the book refers to the nicknames of some of the men who worked the yards. All told, it is a terrific social commentary on a hardworking community that is no more now that the shipyard has closed.

With thanks to Senan Molony for tipping me off to this one.