By Tom Deignan

RICHARD Fitzsimmons, born in the South Bronx to parents from Cavan, put in 30 years with Local 147, the union representing New York’s famous sandhogs. They are the tunnel workers, the “urban miners,” currently building the city’s third water tunnel some 800 feet underground.

After three decades as a legendary leader, Fitzsimmons retired in 1995. Not that you could tell.

“He never really left the union hall. He was still there almost every day,” Chick Donahue told the Irish Voice this week.

Donahue, a longtime fixture with the sandhogs’ union, and hundreds of others spent much of last week recalling all that Rich Fitzsimmons did for the union. Fitzsimmons passed away on Tuesday, March 14, at the age of 72.

“He’ll be missed,” Rich Fitzsimmons Junior told the Irish Voice.

The Fitzsimmons presence among sandhogs will continue to be felt, however, and not just because of long-term reforms Richie Senior oversaw.

Following his dad’s retirement, it was the younger Fitzsimmons who took over many of his duties as business manager. Another Fitzsimmons son, Chris, also works for the sandhogs.

The family lived in the Bronx while the four Fitzsimmons children were young. Then they moved to Dobbs Ferry.

As many people recalled this past week, Richie Senior often said he did not want his sons to enter the dangerous work of digging hundreds of feet under New York City. After all, over 20 sandhogs have perished while building New York’s third water tunnel, a massive $6 billion project which is not slated to be finished until 2020.

But as with many Irish families, the pull of sandhog work was just too strong for either of the younger Fitzsimmons boys to pass up.

One big problem, however, was that for decades being a sandhog was not only dangerous, it was also unstable work.

“The sandhogs were always a feast or famine union,” Donahue said, adding that the work generally came in waves. At times jobs were easy to come by and workers could pile up the hours and make a good day’s pay.

However, when that time passed, many workers were left with little to do, and thus, not much cash in their pockets.

According to Donahue and many others, it was Richie Fitzsimmons who convinced members it would be beneficial to keep the union together and strong, even when work days were hard to come by. Then Fitzsimmons set his sights on improving the members’ standard of living.

“Every benefit the sandhogs have today Richie Fitzsimmons created,” said Donahue.

From a pension fund to assistance battling medical problems or alcoholism, Local 147’s members finally were granted key services.

“I think his legacy is that he had a genuine concern for the welfare of everybody in the union,” said the younger Fitzsimmons.

Donahue said that Fitzsimmons’ popularity with all the men was on display at a memorial service last week.

Sure, the sandhogs have always attracted Irish workers. But these days it’s a diverse union, and people of all backgrounds made sure they came and paid their respects to Fitzsimmons.

“When he talked to you, you knew he was only talking to you and that really cared about whatever problem you had,” said Donahue.

So, the sandhogs pause to recall the life of one of their leaders. But work on the third water tunnel continues and interest in the sandhogs remains high. Earlier this year at Grand Central Terminal, photographer Gina LeVay exhibited her photographs of sandhogs at work.

LeVay took photographs of the workers for over two years, and the exhibit included several striking life-size photos of sandhogs.

Of course, the ultimate memorial to the sandhogs will be the third water tunnel when it is finally completed. New Yorkers should think of men such as Fitzsimmons — as well as all those who died on the project — every time they twist a water tap.

(Contact Sidewalks at tomdeignan@earthlink.net.)