The Irish in Britain’s Capital - from 1800 to the present

Oh Mary this London’s a wonderful sight….”. Irish people have been coming to London for centuries. Some came seeking survival- driven by lack of opportunity at home and before that by persecution and hunger. Others came for the “streets paved with gold” with powerful dreams and ambitions.

In this talk, Sean Cranitch will explore a selection of episodes illuminating this rich and varied history. You’ll hear the inside stories of an open air banquet for orphans and the nobility, of a glass artist crafting words in Gaelic for a Holborn church, of jail breaks and hunger strikes, of a public prayer vigil, a politician prophesying his own death, and a small town Tipperary man reinventing himself as a newspaper moghul.

The sudden high profile of the Irish community as a result of incidents during the struggle for independence and the “troubles” will be discussed as will the development of London’s “Little Ireland” in Kilburn and Camden Town. The impact of well educated, prosperous, tech savvy Irish migrants to London, children of “the Celtic Tiger” will be explored as well.

Mayhem in the dance halls will feature as will millionaires in navvies’ trenches. You’ll discover how the experience of exile and a yearning for home infused the culture of the Irish community, how the role of religion changed, how Irish women helped to build London’s NHS, and how transformations of Ireland’s brand image and of air travel impacted the lives of Irish people in Britain’s capital.

Sean Cranitch is a City of London Guide.