The Irish in Britain

Sir, – Further to Joe Humphreys’s “‘No Irish, No Blacks, No Dogs’: How common were such notices in Britain?” (Unthinkable, April 29th), I lived in England and Wales for 34 years. For most of that time I lived and worked in working-class areas. I only recall two occasions when I encountered what could be described as blatant anti-Irish racism. While one of these incidents was traumatic at the time, it was mainly a response to increased suspicion of Irish migrants arising from the devastating IRA bombing campaign. Such experiences reveal a dark side of our history and need to be recorded.

At the same time, we can easily overlook the positive side of Irish migration. Not only did migrants get jobs and opportunities they could never get at home, they made an important contribution to the economic, political and social life of British society.

Throughout history, the experiences of Irish migrants depended very much on the political relationship between Ireland and Britain at the time. At times, this relationship has been difficult and particularly in relation to Northern Ireland.

Nevertheless, the important story of Irish migration to Britain is one of positive human interaction and social integration. So, while seeking evidence of anti-Irish racism may be useful, we should also tell the story of how, despite our differences, we found common ground with both British people and other migrants to work for a better society. – Yours, etc,

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MARTIN HOBAN,

Drimoleague,

Co Cork.