The Irish arrived in Britain in their droves during the 19th century. Sizeable figures left in the early part of the century, but it was during the famine era that the majority of these Irish emigrants arrived, displaced by the hunger and strife at home. This trend continued right up until the end of the century and into the following period, as Ireland struggled to recover from the devastation of the Hunger.
Liverpool was the city with the largest Irish emigrant population, reaching as high as 20% of Liverpool’s total population in the post famine era, only Dublin had a greater population of Irish people at this time. The poorer section of this grouping lived in the cheapest accommodation in areas such as Toxeth or Vauxhall.
These people were left to scrap for jobs with the other unskilled natives, causing friction between the Irish and their counterparts. They often found themselves on the margins of society, being looked down upon. It was in this instance that the Catholic Church provided a pillar for which this Irish migrant community could gain support, welfare and a social release.
The church also aided in the provision of education. The many Catholic schools in operation at the time provided their service to the raft of Irish in the region. However despite this reliance on the Catholic Church, the level of subservience to the religious sacraments was relatively low, with roughly half attending Mass regularly.
While this represents a low figure, in relation to other working class people, the Irish compared favourably in their commitment to their religion. This suggests that there was a prevalent culture of limited religious subservience in working class areas and that within this caveat the Irish performed above average.
TP O'Connor, Liverpool MP 1885-1929, the only Irish Nationalist MP to be elected to the House of Commons from a British constituency
The Catholic Irish in Liverpool were a marginalised group; the negative sentiment felt towards them was clear, even from those in positions of power. This was demonstrated by William Duncan, the Medical Officer for Liverpool, who claimed that the Irish had an innate indifference to health. Comments such as this contributed to the atmosphere of disdain and suspicion under which the Irish lived.
However, it is also fair to suggest that informal institutions such as the local pub provided the release, or indeed that a bond of shared discrimination was the key issue in the Irish Catholics forming a substantial grouping in society, rather than their shared religion.
This angle certainly holds credence; however, while other factors were certainly in play, it appears obvious that the role of the Catholic Church was prevalent, and indeed important, in the lives of a great number of Irish emigrants in Liverpool.
The situation in Manchester was quite similar. The outflow of Irish migrants from Liverpool filled the various towns around Lancashire, with Manchester being the biggest city in the region. Some moved on to the US, but it was the poorer section of Irish emigrants that remained, searching for work and, as in Liverpool, settling in squalid accommodation. Again, the role of the Catholic Church was a key pillar of, what was described as, the ‘Irish institutional ghetto.’
As in Liverpool, the Catholic Church also provided services for their flock. One instance of this was the provision of education; however, this was not a realistic option for many of school going age as they were stuck in employment in the factories.
Nonetheless, these initiatives and others like them had some positive impact in the lives of the Irish community. Certainly, there were no other organisations making a greater effort to support the Irish Catholics, both in Manchester and Liverpool.
Church of the Holy Name of Jesus in Manchester, built in the 19th century
Further to this, the role of the priest on an individual level was important. He was presented as a figure of power, the only such figure to which the Irish would defer. They were trusted with messages or remittances in their travels to Ireland and were often the mediator in domestic or labour disputes. Such demonstrations of trust and support can only speak volumes for the positive relationship shared between the Irish community and the Catholic Church.
There was also the case of Catholic priests treating the many Irish that contracted disease from their abominable conditions. By caring for such patients tirelessly and putting their own lives at risk, these priests gained the confidence of the emigrants for their selfless actions.
It certainly can be fairly argued that the Catholic faith was in some way to blame for the marginalisation of the Irish migrants, but this was not a fair reason for the power holding Protestants to isolate a social grouping. There were other contributing factors to their situation too.
The poverty they lived in led to much upset in society and helped to create a sour image of this Irish on a larger scale. In this regard the Catholic Church was to the fore in attempting to mend these ills within these Irish communities.
During this period, one thing is for certain, the Catholic faith retained a central role in the lives of Irish migrants. The manner of this role can be debated, but its existence was unquestionable.
Suggested Reading:
Graham Davis, ‘The Irish in Britain, 1815-1914’ (Dublin, 1991)
Roger Swift and Sheridan Gilley, ‘The Irish in Britain, 1815-1939’ (London, 1989)
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