As Christmas approached, Maurice Malone, a typical child growing up in Birmingham, was eagerly anticipating Santa Claus’s arrival on the night of November 21st, 1974. However, by 8 p.m. that evening, a secure childhood was replaced with a new, violent reality as IRA bombings at the Mulberry Bush and the Tavern in the Town forever altered his life. The furious explosions resulted in 21 deaths and 182 serious injuries. But the explosions’ effects extended beyond the immediate aftermath, severely impacting the rapport between local West Midlanders and Irish immigrants.
“It had changed overnight. Our life, our family,” remembers Malone, whose story echoes in the Irish in Britain exhibition, a tribute to the migration experience of first and second-generation Irish citizens in Britain. Following the bombings, the ripples of this societal shift brought about a personal crisis for Malone’s father, who was abruptly dismissed from his long-held position at the Lucas car parts factory. The loss of his employment, his income, and his circle of friends led him down a spiral of alcohol addiction and despair – a metaphorical death in Malone’s eyes.
Malone’s tale is amongst the 50 featured in the Look Back to Look Forward exhibition, charting the Irish community’s journey in Britain from the early 70s until the present. An extended version of this exhibition can be accessed online. Originally initiated in Britain to commemorate the Irish in Britain organisation’s golden jubilee – formerly known as the Federation of Irish Societies, the exhibition recently found its way to its “home home,” as referred to by emigrants – Ireland. It now stands in Dublin’s Epic emigration museum on Custom House Quay until July 14th.
Although initially conceived for the Irish diaspora in Britain, Irish in Britain’s CEO, Brian Dalton, stressed the significance of sharing these narratives in Dublin as well.
Dalton revealed that the Britain’s oldest migrant group, which has an average age of around 55/56, is in danger of losing much of its history. The exhibition portraying this history has thus far been shown in London, Liverpool, Leeds, and Birmingham, and was met with overwhelming emotion.
The exhibition has deeply moved viewers, bringing many to laughter and tears as it showcases the lives of various emigrants, including famous personalities like actor Adrian Dunbar and comedian Ardal O’Hanlon. For some visitors, it brought joy by honouring their generation, while for others it served as a poignant reminder of their parents’ generation. Meanwhile, some saw it as a learning opportunity, as they were previously unaware of such stories.
Dalton recalls an instance when an especially touched visitor began to exclaim loudly in reaction to a 1970s clip of some construction subcontractors, as he had been wronged by one of them in the past.
A display in Dublin was always anticipated due to the escalating concerns surrounding immigration in Ireland, especially following the recent Dublin riots. Dalton, a Waterford-born individual who left Ireland in 1987 due to economic reasons, said the purpose of the exhibition was not to sway opinions about migration but to share their lived experience of establishing new lives in a different country.
Dalton also emphasised the need to recount the life stories of the often overlooked or disregarded Irish community in Britain, including the British-born generations, who have been disparagingly labelled “plastic Paddies.”
Angie Birtill, a Liverpool-born child of Irish parents and significant member of the London Irish Women’s Centre, reminiscences about the women who had migrated from Ireland over decades, many of whom, particularly in the 1980s, had not migrated for economic reasons, differing from her mother’s generation in the 1930s, 40s, and 50s.
In Birtill’s words, many fellow nurses emigrated due to the inhospitable environment in their homeland and became contributors to the economy of their adopted country. However, they mostly found themselves in low-paying jobs since they left primarily due to social reasons, as they weren’t able to freely express themselves at home.
Jim O’Hara, a Belfast native significant for his contribution towards the creation of the multi-million-pound Irish Cultural Centre in Hammersmith, has described the triad of significant Irish migratory flows to Britain. From 1945 to 1965, mainly rural folk arrived in Britain, mostly ill-equipped to adapt to urban life, resulting in the particularly hard plight of the men. Fast-forward to the present and most of this wave of men have sadly perished, succumbing due to the intensive labour experienced in their work on roads and construction zones.
The subsequent wave of migration occurred in the 1970s and again from 1981 to 1990, during tough economic times back in Ireland. These immigrants often encountered hurdles linked to the ‘Troubles’ back home, which frequently led to them being suspects in their new homeland. This was the hardship Irish immigrants had to endure, something O’Hara remarks is often understated in Ireland.
Furthermore, the exhibition explores the broader impact on the community of the ‘Troubles’, especially the ill effects of the Prevention of Terrorism Act, which was predominantly used against Irish immigrants. Dalton reflects on the prevailing apathy towards the ‘Troubles’ by those residing in the South: it was hardly ever a topic of discussion, and people routinely turned a blind eye to it.
A poignant anecdote narrates an encounter between Liam O’Hare, a migrant, and an undercover police officer during a Special Branch inspection at Holyhead in the 70s. O’Hare jocularly asked the officer if he was still at his post, leaving the officer surprised and asking O’Hare how he was aware of his tenure.
O’Hare remembers the bias he faced each time he walked past a policeman, who, in his disbelief, stereotypically classified all Irish men in their late 20s. Today, the perception of Irish citizens has significantly changed in London, with Reverend Gerry McFlynn from the Irish Chaplaincy, acknowledging that it was not always so.
In the ’90s, the Irish community was viewed with suspicion, says the priest, native of Newcastle, County Down. This was an observation that even O’Hara, a Belfast native who migrated in the early-1970s, agreed with.
Those who identify as Irish in the present day are a stark departure from their predecessors, youthful, confident and certified, without any of the insecurities associated with past struggles, Irish identity, or suspicions. The fact of their Irish heritage is often well-received, if not celebrated.
The exhibition also highlights the Irish personalities who, constrained by the conservative, religious Ireland of their time, flourished outside their homeland. It includes individuals such as Shane MacGowan, Boy George, and Elvis Costello who could only have emerged from Irish households in London. Dalton points out this unique London Irish accent, an accent that is distinct from any other.
He insists on creating an environment that encourages these individuals to make contributions and feel included, without segregating first and second generations. A sense of commonly experienced identity, according to him, is pivotal. Despite the challenges, the Irish experience in Britain has taught us invaluable lessons that are beneficial for Ireland today, Dalton concludes.
Many residing in Britain, including adults with children, have been observed to comfortably and proudly wear both English football and Irish rugby jerseys interchangeably across the weekend, without feeling any sense of conflict. This highlights a lesson for Ireland in how to manage and embrace diverse groups. These sentiments are expressed by Dr Deirdre O’Byrne, a professor at Loughborough University, who acknowledges the shared experience of many Irish living in Britain as reflected in the book, ‘Across The Water’, penned by Mary Lennon and Marie McAdam. Dr O’Byrne elucidates the common sentiment of feeling partially out of place, yet existing in Britain.
An exhibition in the making includes Brian Dalton and a crew of oral historians who are partially financed by a UK Heritage Lottery grant and are on a mission to unveil the untold stories of the community, those that are not typically publicised. Dalton expressed the need to spotlight these aspects that go beyond the cliched focus on nurses and navvies, instead bringing women, civic leaders, activists, travellers, and the LGBT community to the forefront. According to Dalton, telling some of these stories can be complex and they are striving to handle these tales sensitively and responsibly.
The varied Irish in Britain experiences are not limited to southern stories, as exemplified by Clare Hagan’s account. She originated from Belfast but left due to a dearth of opportunities, particularly for lesbians. Following her move to London, she delightedly noticed a plethora of gay bars and events like Pride, considerably different from her previous city.
The expenses for bringing the event to Dublin are being covered by the Department of Foreign Affairs, an indication of “maturity”, Dalton points out, highlighting that the Ireland of four decades ago would not have shouldered this burden. Some of the tales involved are fairly unsettling. It speaks volumes about our transformation and the fact that we are coming to terms with the more challenging aspects of our past. A significant change indeed, which is positive.