It was during the 1840s when ‘an Gorta Mór‘, the Irish famine known as the “Great Hunger“, devastated Ireland and led to the drastic and tragic depopulation of the island which it, even today, has still not recovered from. Irish migration to Wales during the 19th century was almost certainly the result of the famine and it’s numerous causes.

The Causes

The causes range from the generally accepted potato blight to the policy failures of the government of a United Kingdom which had long mistreated Ireland – some might even argue that the devastation of Ireland between 1845-52 goes further and was perhaps far more sinister than a mere potato famine.

The Irish in 19th Century Wales

During the 1840s and the following decades, millions of people fled the island, shrinking the population from 8.5 million prior to the famine to around 4.4 million in 1901. Common destinations included cities in England and the United States but many (my own family included, which fled from Connacht to Denbighshire) also came to Cymru, simply looking for a better life. Around 30,000 Irishmen, women and children had arrived by 1861.

Such were the times, Irishmen and women in Cymru were often treated poorly, with many taking on hard-working jobs in the mines or as agricultural labourers (though there were plenty of high-skilled Irish doctors, lawyers and so forth too). With the arriving Irish mostly being made up of Catholics during a time of staunch Protestantism, they were mistreated on grounds of both religion and race.

One such example of this was in took place in 1848 when Cardiff had its first known race riot following the stabbing of Welshman, Thomas Lewis, in Cardiff’s Irish quarter – Irishman John Conners is believed to have committed the crime. Irish churches, shops, bars and more were subsequently victimised by rioters; innocent Irish people being targeted for the alleged crimes of one man.

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Niklas George

Niklas is the founder, owner, manager, editor, writer, video creator, voice over artist, and so forth, of Welsh Histories. He is passionate about the preservation of Welsh culture; the rejuvenation of the Welsh language and the promotion of Welsh history. Niklas currently resides in Pune, Maharashtra, with his beloved wife.