irish

• IRISH : SOCIAL

  • Established Catholic churches which led to a tolerance of other religions.
  • Important in Scottish Trade Union movement and Labour Party.
  • Produced key political leaders such as John Wheatley who was responsible for the 1924 Housing Act to support affordable housing for all.
• IRISH : ECONOMIC

  • Irish contributed significantly to the Industrial revolution by building roads, canals and railways including Glasgow’s subway. In 1847, more than 2,000 Irish navvies were employed to build the Edinburgh and Northern Railway line.
  • In the late 1800s it was a predominantly Irish workforce that constructed the Forth Rail Bridge.
  • The father of Thomas Lipton was a poor Irish immigrant but at the age of 30 his son became a millionaire, famous for his Lipton’s tea.
• IRISH : CULTURE

  • The creation of separate Catholic schools helped to make Scotland’s education system more diverse.
  • The Protestant Irish Orange Lodge Order helped to strengthen the Protestant identity of Scotland, though it also led to conflict with Catholics. Sectarianism has defined much of Scotland’s culture in recent history.
• Social and Cultural Contribution of Irish:

  • They established many football clubs such as Edinburgh Hibernian in 1875 which contributed to the sporting life of Scotland.