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Irish people in Great Britain

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Irish Britons
Alfred Hitchcock
Liam GallagherGeorge Harrison
Alfred Hitchcock • John Lennon
Liam Gallagher • George Harrison
United Kingdom  Republic of Ireland
Total population
869,093 Irish-born[1]
(1.4% of the British population)
6,000,000 with at least 25% Irish ancestry[1]
(10% of the British population)
14,0000,0000 with less than 25% Irish ancestry[2]
(24% of the British population)
Regions with significant populations
Throughout Great Britain, in particular London, Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham and Glasgow.
Languages
English · Irish · Shelta
Religion
Related ethnic groups
Irish people · Overseas Irish

Irish migration to Britain has a lengthy history due to the close proximity of, and complex relationship between, the islands of Ireland and Great Britain and the various political entities that have ruled them. Today, numerous residents of Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) were born on the island of Ireland or have Irish ancestry. Around six million Britons have an Irish grandfather or grandmother).[3]

History

Irish people have been the largest minority group in Britain for centuries, crossing backwards and forwards across the Irish sea. From earliest recorded history to the present day there has been a continuous movement of people between the islands of Ireland and Great Britain due to their close proximity. This tide of people has ebbed and flowed in response to politics, economics and social conditions of both places.

The most significant exodus followed the worst of a series of potato crop failures in the 1840s - the Great Famine. It is estimated that more than one million people died, and almost the same again emigrated. A further wave of emigration to England also took place between the 1930s and 1960s, and it continued intermittently thereafter. Ireland's population fell from more than 8 million to just 6.5 million from 1841-51. A century later it was down to 4.3 million. By the late-19th century, emigration was heaviest from Ireland's most rural southern and western counties. Cork, Kerry, Galway, Mayo, Sligo, Tipperary and Limerick alone provided nearly half of southern Ireland's emigrants. Some of this movement was temporary, made up of seasonal harvest labourers working in Britain and returning home for winter and spring. By the mid-1930s, England was, by necessity, the choice of many who had to leave Ireland. Britain's wartime economy (1939-45) and post-war boom attracted many Irish people to expanding towns such as London, Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham and Luton.

According to the UK 2001 Census, white Irish-born residents make up 1.2% of those living in England and Wales.[4] In 1997, the Irish Government in its White Paper on Foreign Policy claimed that there were around two million Irish citizens living in Britain, the majority of them British-born. [citation needed]

Terminology

The term British Irish or Irish Briton is not normally used for Britons of Irish ancestry; it is most often applied to politically and culturally pro-British Unionists in both the Republic and Northern Ireland. It is more common for people of Irish descent within Great Britain to describe themselves as "English/Scottish/Welsh of Irish heritage" or "English/Scottish/Welsh Irish", than British. [citation needed] The term 'London Irish' relates to people born in London of Irish descent [citation needed]. London has the United Kingdom's biggest Irish population and the Irish community in London has been traditionally based in the (affectionately known) 'County Kilburn' area of North West London. With urban gentrification and higher housing costs, the vast majority of London's working-class Irish-Catholic community have moved further out from Kilburn to Cricklewood. The Camden Town area of London, as well as Shepherds Bush were also known for their large Irish communities.

Irish in Britain

Irish in England

In 2001, there were 674,786 people in England (1.4 per cent of the population) who had been born in Ireland. This is the greatest concentration of Irish-born - as distinct from persons of Irish ancestry - abroad anywhere in the world, and equivalent to 12.1% of the population of the island of Ireland (5.6 million) in 2001.

Sports teams with links to the Irish community also exist in England, although this is not as marked as in Scotland. In football, Everton and Arsenal have a tradition of representing the Irish communities in their area e.g. Arsenal having Irish players like Terry Neill, Pat Rice, Niall Quinn, David O'Leary and Graham Barrett. Everton FC were originally known as Liverpool's Irish Catholic team; however, that is no longer the case as both Liverpool FC and Everton today no longer carry signs sectarian baggage. With the managership of Sir Matt Busby, Manchester United also emerged as a club with a considerable Irish following [citation needed], both on the UK mainland and in Ireland itself. In Rugby league, Dewsbury Celtic represented the large Irish community in Dewsbury, and St Helens RFC represent communities in Merseyside. The rugby union club London Irish represents the community in London. There is also a GAA Londáin (London in Irish) club, that plays in the Connacht province (in Gaelic football) and Ulster (in hurling).

Liverpool traditionally is known as having the greatest Irish connection of any British city. The Irish have played a major role in Liverpool's population and social fabric for a good part of the city's eight-hundred year history. Many Liverpudlians are of at least partial Irish ancestry. The Irish influence is heard in the local Liverpool dialect, often called Scouse, and seen in faces and the names of the populace. At least three of Liverpool's most famous citizens, the Beatles, had some Irish ancestry. George Harrison was of half Irish-Catholic derivation exclusively, as was bandmate Paul McCartney. John Lennon's paternal ancestry was Irish-Catholic. Ringo Starr's, (born Richard Starkey), ancestry is less clear.

Liverpool's near neighbour, Manchester, also has strong Irish connections. It has been estimated that around 35% of Manchester's population has Irish ancestry. As in Liverpool, people of Irish heritage have made a significant impact on the city's musical output. All four members of The Smiths had strong Irish connections as do the Gallagher brothers from Oasis. [2] Manchester's Irish Festival, including a St Patrick's Day parade, is one of Europe's largest.

Irish in Scotland

There are long standing migration links between Scotland and the province of Ulster, including between County Donegal, County Antrim, County Down and the west of Scotland. Considering the Dal Riata kingdoms and the Irishisation of Scotland in the early Middle Ages, it is difficult to determine how many Scots have genetic ancestry from Ireland historically or how many were Picts who adopted Irish lifestyles, although the general consensus is that both happened as Pictish culture vanished by the 11th century. In 2001, around 55,000 people in Scotland (1.1 per cent of the Scottish population) had been born in Ireland, while people of Irish (either Protestant or Catholic) heritage make up 20% of the Scottish population. Scotland has a greater number of persons born in Northern Ireland (0.66 per cent) than in the Republic of Ireland (0.43%).

Famous Scots of Irish-Catholic ancestry include actors Sean Connery, Robbie Coltrane; comedian Billy Connolly, and musician Rod Stewart.

Support for particular football teams often reflects Catholic or Protestant heritage. Celtic F.C., Hibernian F.C. and to a lesser extent Dundee United F.C. are seen as Irish Catholic, while Rangers F.C., Dundee F.C. (though strictly speaking a non-denominational club pre-dating Dundee United), Heart of Midlothian F.C. and teams such as Kilmarnock F.C. and Airdrie United are seen as Protestant clubs.

A small minority of the Irish Catholic community in Scotland takes part in Irish republican marches (mainly in Strathclyde , and the Orange Order has a large membership in Scotland, predominantly in Glasgow, Lanarkshire and Ayrshire. As well as Scotland's own parades, many Scottish bands parade in Northern Ireland on or around July 12.

Irish in Wales

Starting in the 4th century CE, Irish raiders settled Wales extensively, their impact being so great that many Gaelic words were introduced into the Welsh language.[5] Many Irish emigrants came to Wales as a result of the famine of 1845-52. They were often very poor, and seen as carrying 'famine fever' (typhus, but over time they acquired a notable presence - in the thousands, particularly in the Welsh coal mining towns in and around Swansea and Newport. In 2001 there were 20,569 people in Wales (0.7% of the population) who had been born in Ireland. [citation needed]

Probably one of the most famous Welsh nationals of Irish-Catholic ancestry is screen actress Catherine Zeta Jones.

2001 Census

The 2001 UK census was the first which allowed British citizens to express an Irish ethnicity. In all previous British censuses, figures for the Irish community were based on Irish birthplace.

In 2001, the percentage claiming Irish ethnicity in England and Wales were 1.2%, while the figure for Scotland was 0.98%. These figures were grossly below expectations, as those who filled out the ethnicity question confused it with the more familiar country of birth question. The Irish have been the largest source of immigrants to Britain for over 200 years and over 6,000,000 Britons currently have at least one Irish grandparent.

The distributions across the country were:

  • Urban areas:

3.07% of Londoners were Irish (of 7,172,036 inhabitants), 4.65% of Luton, 4.15% of Southampton, 3.77% of Manchester, 1.2% of Liverpool, 3.46% of Coventry, 3.22% of Birmingham, 2.89% of Watford, 2.8% of Trafford, 2.28% of Corby, 2.19% of Hertsmere, 2.07% of Solihull, 2% of Warwick, 1.98% of Glasgow, 1.64% of West Dunbartonshire and 1.44% of Edinburgh.[citation needed]

  • Regions:

1.39% of the West Midlands, 0.85% of the East Midlands 1.15% of North West England, 0.35% of North East England, 1.14% of East of England, 0.66% in Yorkshire and the Humber, 1.03% of South East England, 0.66% in South West England, and 0.61% in Wales.[citation needed]

Places with significant Irish population

See also: Lists of U.K. locations with large Irish populations

There are many people in Great Britain with Irish ancestry and they are found mainly in the following towns and cities:

Culture and influence

Saint Patrick's Day is widely celebrated throughout the UK, owing to many British people's ancestral links with Ireland as well as the general popularity of the event. The biggest celebrations take part in London and Birmingham where over 400,000 people in each city attend the parades. Liverpool and Manchester also have big St Patrick's day parties.

Contributions to literature and the arts

Notable Britons with Irish ancestry

Main page: British people of Irish descent

Deceased

See also

References

  1. ^ Census home: Office for National Statistics
  2. ^ Onein four Britons claim Irish roots
  3. ^ http://www.guardian.co.uk/britain/article/0,,1871753,00.html Six million Britons are entitled to Irish citizenship]
  4. ^ UK Census 2001
  5. ^ A History of Language, Steven Roger Fischer, Reaktion Books, 1999, pp. 117
  1. ^ The article "More Britons applying for Irish passports" states that 6 million Britons have either an Irish grandfather or grandmother and are thus able to apply for Irish citizenship. [3].
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