Church records of St. Illttyds, Dowlais indicate that Irish laborers were coming to the area since at least 1815. The famine brought a wave of destitute Irish especially from Cos Cork, Kerry and waterford finding employment as laboring. The differences in religion, language and culture means from a fraught relations in the area. Gradually the Irish bettered themselves.
when the barytes mines in Durrus closed c 1920 hundreds of miners were thrown out of work. Some went to the USA but many went to South Wales
Daniel O’Driscoll came from Bantry in the early 20th century to Wales to work in the Marthyr Vale Colliery and later acquired licensed premises in Dowlais. He was elected a Socialist member for the Penydarren ward in June 1949, having served in the Council for the previous 16 years. He was actively involved in campaigning for secondary education. He served in WW2. The Mayor’s salary was fixed at 200 guineas. He appointed his Chaplin Fr. G. Murray, Dowlais, the firs Catholic in the history of the borough. His Sunday was held on June 4th at st. Illtyd’s Church, Dowlis.
A piece to this effect was written by Mike Rastatter on ancestry.com
West Cork History 