This chapter mentions how nearly half of the population of Ireland disappeared in the late 19th century, due to both the high mortality rate during the great famine, and mass emigration, but discusses mass emigration in more depth.
Fitzpatrick explains that Britain was an attractive destination to Irish emigrants as the journey cost less, meaning it was more accessible to migrants of many different social classes. Britain also attracted Irish migrants as it was easier for people to return home if they wanted to. As Fitzpatrick puts it “For those wishing to increase their earnings without abandoning hope of future employment at home, Britain was the most attractive destination”-pg 128
America was also popular with Irish expatriates, and in 1870, when the Irish overseas population reached its peak at over 3million, around three fifths of Irish expatriates lived in America. This was in part due to the coinciding of the Irish potato famine and the industrial recession in Britain.
State assistance for emigration to Australia greatly increased the number of Irish migrants who travelled there. Assistance meant that people from many different social classes could emigrate to Australia. As Fitzpatrick explains, “during the famine and its immediate sequel more than four-fifths of Irish emigrants to the Australian colonies were state assisted, and assistance in various guises remained the rule until the 1890s”-pg. 131
Irish immigrant groups were often recognised out of proportion to their numbers. This was due to “the unprecedented squalor, ignorance and ill-health of the famine emigrants” as Fitzpatrick puts it.-pg. 134.
This chapter also comments that Irish expatriates would often cluster together. This was in part a response to the narrow range of jobs that were available to them. This was not the case in Australia however, as Irish emigrants in Australia mixed much more. Fitzpatrick describes the diffusion of Irish migrants throughout the Australian population as “remarkable”-pg. 136. The chapter also states that there was a more equal balance of both men and women In Irish immigrants to Australia than there was in English or Scottish migrants.
This chapter provided detail into the reasons of Irish migrants’ movements outside of Ireland, specifically to Britain, America and Australia.
This blog post provided a good insight to why the Irish population emigrated within the late 19th century. It examines the key arguments made by D.Fitzpatrick the main push and pull factors of Ireland, Britain, America and Australia. It also gives some context on the Irish emigrating to America and Australia due to the potato famine and that all social classes were accepted in Australia. The last point made on how the Irish would cluster together is well described as again it gives some context of Australia. This is useful to the reader as it gives them some background information on this topic without having to go research. Overall the key arguments made within this blog were well portrayed as the reader could clearly understand without having to go away and read the text in full.