The experience of Catholic Irish in Scotland Flashcards
World War One
United with Scots on the battlefields of WW1. Friendships formed over the common enemy of Germany.
Trade Unions
Many of the Catholic Irish were involved in the working class fight for better working conditions. From the 1870s Irish miners were important members and leaders of the Lanarkshire miners union. This was welcomed by most Scots.
Politics
Tended to be strong supporters of socialism and the labour movement in Scotland. John Wheatley set up the Catholic Socialist Society and became a minister in the first Labour Government.
Economic Tension
Economic difficulties were frequently at the root of increased tension between Scots and the Catholic Irish. During the economic depression of the 1920s and the 1930s the Church of Scotland published the infamous pamphlet “The Menace of the Irish Race to our Scottish identity” and there was increased violence toward Catholic Irish communities such as anti-Catholic disturbances in Edinburgh in 1935. In the 1920s and 1930s, a few anti-catholic councillors were successful in local elections in Glasgow and Edinburgh (though many lost their seats at the first defence)
Religion
Growth in number of Catholic churches. In Glasgow the number of Catholic priests increased the from 134 in 1878 to 234 by 1902. Many priests insisted that Catholic Irish marry within their own parish. Mixed marriages between Catholics and Protestants became more common as the century progressed, particularly in smaller communities where the choice of marriage partners was more restricted.
Orange order
Catholic Irish faced hostility from Protestant Irish and in particular, the Orange Order.
Patriotism
Scot’s questioned the loyalty of the Irish to “Queen and Country” due to their allegiance to the Catholic church and the pope.
Sporting identity
In Edinburgh, Hibernian Football Club was established in 1883. Celtic Football Club was set up in Glasgow by Brother Walfrid in 1888. Both clubs quickly became identified with- and mainly drew their supporters from- the Catholic Irish communities in each city.
Employment
Catholic Irish commonly found themselves restricted to low paid, unskilled labouring jobs- such as navvies on the railways. As the Scottish economy collapsed in the 1920s and 1930s, workplace discrimination against Catholics grew. Given their limited employment opportunities. Catholic Irish were easily judged by middle and skilled working class Scots to be tough, uneducated drunkards with a tendency towards criminality.
Settlement
The number of poor Catholic Irish flooding in to Scotland led to growing resentment. The Irish were very visible as they tended to concentrate in areas such as the slums of the Saltmarket, Cowcaddens and Maryhill in Glasgow or the Lochee area of Dundee.
main topics (10)
- World war one
- Trade unions
- Politics
- Economic tension
- Education
- Religion
- Orange order
- Patriotism
- Sporting identity
- Employment
- Settlement
