John Mackasey (1840-1919), an Irish Catholic, lived in Halifax during a difficult time. Irish Catholics were placed in the lowest-paid, least-skilled, and most dangerous and insecure employment. They found many social and economic doors closed to them. During this time, work was not easy to find and one could soon find advertisements for jobs which specified : "No Irish Need Apply", later shortened to NINA.# Irish-Americans generally began at the 'bottom of the pile'. There was work to be done, labour that most people refused to do, and the unskilled Irish were ready to do it.…
