Irish Diaspora in Scotland: Developing new perspectives on migrant experiences

This PhD retraces the Irish Diaspora in Scotland through new and archival moving image (MI) works, presenting a comprehensive body of research that resounds with the UK's current migration and humanitarian crisis. Between 1841 and 1851, the Irish community in Scotland saw a significant increase, marking a 90% growth in their population. Generally, the Irish immigrants settled in places where physical strength and labour were in high demand, leading them to become involved in coal mining, dock work, and various forms of manual labour. Due to factors such as sectarianism, limited access to education and, in many cases, their primary language being Gaelic, the Irish population was often
underrepresented in the more skilled and higher-paying trades. Their predominantly low socio-economic status and readiness to work for lower wages compared to the prevailing rates did not endear the Irish to the local Scottish working class. Additionally, their religious affiliation played a significant role in justifying discrimination, as Scotland had been predominantly Protestant since the Reformation, making Catholicism a source of division within Scottish society. In summary, parochial Irish Catholic life, encompassing religious, political, economic, anti-Irish sentiment and sectarian tensions affecting social cohesion (Walker, 1972). This project aims to develop new understandings of both the 19th and 20th-century mass immigration of Irish people to Scotland and the legacies of that immigration on Irish diaspora communities and Scottish society, more generally. Drawing on archival film and theory, this practice-led research project will explore how experimental, socially engaged documentary modes can make new contributions that raise methodological questions about the study of migrant groups (O'Leary, 2000). In addition, by creating new documentary works that include diasporic voices through a range of written, audio and video diaries, the research seeks to challenge the...