6th Annual Irish in Britain Seminar Series
This year’s Irish in Britain Seminar Series commences next Tuesday evening with:
Irish Migrant Teachers in Britain: new opportunities and enduring stereotypes
Prof. Louise Ryan, Co-Director of the Social Policy Research Centre, Middlesex University
Since the collapse of the ‘Celtic Tiger’ Irish economy in 2007, the numbers of young Irish migrants leaving the country has soared. However, the Britain they are arriving in has also changed.
In the post-‘Good Friday Agreement’ era, relations between Ireland and Britain have altered significantly. As the global political landscape shifts, the Irish are no longer the number one ‘terrorist suspects’ in Britain. In addition, since EU enlargement, and the rise in migration from Eastern Europe, the perception of the Irish, as predominantly white European and English speaking migrants, may also have shifted. Against this changing backdrop, and focusing on data from a mixed method research project with recently arrived young Irish professionals in Britain, this paper will explore how participants narrated their identities through mobilities. Given the changing political, cultural and socio-economic landscape, these young migrants in Britain may have more opportunities to present and redefine their identities. Nonetheless, their narratives reveal some on-going anti-Irish stereotyping which continue to frame the repertoire of identity narratives for recently arrived migrants from Ireland.
Professor Louise Ryan is co-director of the Social Policy Research Centre at Middlesex University. Originally from Cork, she received a PhD from University College Cork and has worked at various universities across the UK during the last twenty years, including London Metropolitan University. Louise is the author of several highly cited papers and books on migration. She has carried out research with various migrant groups including Polish and French. She has also undertaken an oral history study on Irish nurses who migrated to Britain in the post-war period.
Tuesday 4th November
6.30 – 8.00pm
Room TM138
London Metropolitan University
Tower Building
166-220 Holloway Road
N7 8DB
Nearest tube: Holloway Road
There are still a small number of places left to attend this seminar. Attendance is free but it is essential to register in advance at:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/irish-in-britain-seminar-series-tickets-13696690169
The Irish in Britain Seminar Series offers an opportunity for members of the public, as well as students and scholars, to debate and disseminate the latest research on Ireland, migration and the diaspora.
The present phase of Irish migration to Britain began with the collapse of the Irish economy in 2008. Six years on, we assess the situation today. How do migrants and their experiences of life in Britain compare to previous generations? How long is the current phase of migration likely to last?
Focusing on topics such as education, health and sport, this year’s speakers will shed light on these questions and invite you to contribute to the debate.
11 Nov: The Irish Post and the story of emigration (2008-2014), Robert Mulhern, Journalist, Irish Post
25 Nov: No Irish, Not Irish, Know Irish? – health, well-being and Irish identity, Claire Barry, Director, Mind Yourself
2 Dec: Different shades of green: Sport and Irish emigrants in London, Frances Harkin, PhD Candidate, Queen’s University Belfast
Seminars take place on Tuesday evenings from 6.30 – 8.00pm.
It is possible to register for forthcoming seminars here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/irish-in-britain-seminar-series-tickets-13696690169
The Irish in Britain Seminar Series is run by the Irish Studies Centre which was the first centre of its kind established in Britain and has provided a forum for teaching, learning and research since 1986.
For further information contact Tony Murray: t.murray@londonmet.ac.uk