McGill-Queen's Studies in Ethnic History - 209: Demography, State and Society

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The migration process evokes feelings of longing, homesickness, cultural shock, and sometimes escape. Between the establishment of the new Irish state in 1921-22 and the early 1970s, around one and a half million people left independent Ireland, primarily heading to Britain. This work presents the first comprehensive analysis of this exodus, meticulously researched using a wide array of previously unused sources. It examines how migration shaped twentieth-century Irish society, arguing that migration to Britain differed significantly from that to North America, with transience being a defining characteristic of the Irish migrant experience. The author explores the reasons behind large-scale migration, addressing the crucial question of why so many departed Ireland. Key themes include state policy in Ireland, official responses to migration in Britain, gender dimensions, individual migrant experiences, settlement patterns in Britain, and the significant issue of return migration. This analysis offers valuable insights for scholars, students, and general readers interested in Irish migration, as well as those studying modern British and Irish history and migration studies.