First published in 1963, The Irish in Britain tells the story of the many facets of the Irish migration and discusses some of its economic, demographic and social implications. The Irish in Britain have been the most substantial minority group in the British population since the 18th century. After the Great Famine, when more than a million left Ireland for England and America the impact of the Irish was strongly felt in the labour movement, in politics and especially in the then recently re-established Roman Catholic Church.
The history of the immigrant is closely linked to changes that have taken place in Britain itself in the past 200 years. Even more is the experience of the migrant linked to his background in Ireland; a background which holds many of the clues to an understanding of his experience as a migrant and as a citizen of what has been described as the ‘Irish middle nation’. This book is an important historical reference work for scholars and researchers of Irish history, British history, and history of migration.