4. scottish irish relations

LEARNING INTENTIONS

• Describe what the Scots thought about the immigrant Irish

• Describe the role of the Catholic Church in the lives of Irish immigrants

Today many people are opposed to immigration; this was also true in the past. The Irish were not always

welcomed in Scotland, for various reasons.

When many people think of Ireland, they

think about the religious divide in the north.

This divide followed the Irish to Scotland, with immigrant groups split into Protestant and

Catholic.

Most Irish immigrants were Catholic and were spread

across Scotland.

Irish protestants tended to settle in the west coast,

especially Ayrshire, parts of Lanarkshire and

Glasgow.

The violent divides of the ‘old country’ still existed.

Catholics tended to live together, partly because

of the opposition they faced.

The Catholic Church was a key part of their lives,

offering schooling, social events, charity and other

help too. Even football teams grew from the

Church.

Like today, many Scots opposed immigration.

There were many reasons for this, mostly

to do with the workplace.

Scots were worried that the Irish would take

their jobs or reduce average wages.

Other Scots believed that the Irish were

violent and had poor morals.

Many others opposed Catholicism, meaning

they opposed mass Irish immigration. The Irish religious divide did not

help here.

However not all Scots opposed Irish immigrants.

Employers thought they could be good

workers.

Others welcomed the Protestant Irish more

than Catholics.