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Immigration History from Ireland to Victoria

The Irish migrated to Victoria in vast numbers. They were the largest immigrant group after the English from 1854 to World War I. By 1871, when the community numbered 100,468, more than one in four Victorians was born in Ireland.

The Irish famine of the 1840s caused large numbers of people to migrate due to poverty and difficult living conditions. They worked in Victoria as whalers, fishermen and farm hands and in townships as labourers and factory workers. A few became property owners and professionals.

Between 1850 and 1890 most Irish arrivals to Victoria came as assisted immigrants, many escaping cultural repression in Ireland. In contrast to many other groups, they came in equal numbers of men and women. Many sought their fortunes on the goldfields.

Ireland-born Victorians have long been prominent in Victorian public life. At the trial of bushranger Ned Kelly in 1880, both the accused and the judge who sentenced him to hang, Sir Redmond Barry, were from Irish families. Irish people have also been very important in political movements seeking justice for Victorian workers.

The growth of the Catholic Church in Victoria was strongly supported by the Irish community. Nuns and priests came here in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries to develop Catholic churches, schools and orphanages, such as St Peter and Paul's Church, South Melbourne. Irish street children and orphans were sent here to be cared for by the nuns.

By the early twentieth century, mass immigration from Ireland had ended. Irish immigration fell rapidly and has remained low ever since, although the 2016 census revealed that over 15,620 Victorians were born in the Republic of Ireland.

Irish culture remains immensely popular in Melbourne today - with Irish and non-Irish alike! - and those of Irish descent make a continuing contribution to every aspect of Victorian life.

Immigration History from Ireland (Irish) to Victoria

Thainic na h-Eireannaigh go dti Victoria ina gceata are imirce. Bhiodar ar an slua ba mho imirceanach indiadh na Sasanaigh o 1854 go dti an chead cogadh domhanda. Thart ar 1871, nuair a bhi an lion pobal 100,468, bhi nios mo na gach ceathru duinne saoluithe inEirnn.

Chuir gorta morn a h-Eireann sna 1840 sluaite mora ar imirce de bharr an bhochtaineacht agus anro an dros-shaoil. D’oibriadar i Victoria mar sealgairi miola mora, iascairi, buachailli feirme, agus ins na bailecheantair mar saotharai agus oibri monarcain. Deirigh le cuid acu mar uineiri maoine, agus daoine gairmiuil.

Ins na blianta idir 1850 agus 1890 bhi cabair no cuidui ag formhor na n-imirceanach as Eirinn chuig Victoria, a lan acu ag ealu o ghear-smacht cultura ag baile. I gcomparaid le groupai as tiortha eile, bhi fir agus mna ar an gcomhaireamh ceanna. Chuaidh cuid mhaith acu ag lorg a saibreas ar na ceanntracha oir.

Ta gaeil a rugadh i n-Eirinn, ina gconai i Victoria, ag glacadh laimh ar leith i saol an stait seo. Ag triail choiste Eamon O’Ceallaigh (Ned Kelly) sa mblian 1880, ba as bunus Eireannach an cuisi, agus an breitheamh a dhaor chun bais e (Sir Redmond Barry). Ta sar obair tabhactach deanta ag Eirinnigh tri pholitiocht ag lorg cothram na feine do oibriteoiri Victoria.

Ta fas agus foirbeart na h-eaglaise caithiceach i Victoria faoi chomaoin an phobal Eireannach. Thainic mna-rialta agus sagairt annseo sa naodh aois deag agus go luath sa ficheadh aois chun seipeil, scaleanna agus dilleachtlann a bhunadh, ar nos eaglaish naomh peadar is pol i South Melbourne cuiread dailtini sraide agus dilleachtai annseo faoi churam na mna-rialta.

Ag tus an ficheadh aois bhi deire leis an mor imirce as Eirinn. Chuaidh an imirce in eag go tapaidh agus dfan iseal o shin i leith, ce gur thaispain daonaireamh na bliana 2011 go raibh conai ar 14,026 duine a rugadh i n-Eirinn, i Victoria.

Ta cultur na h-Eireann go mor faoi reim na ndaoine i Melbourne ag an trath seo – idir Eirinnigh agus daoine nach iad agus iadsan ata de bhunus Eireannach, leanann said ag cuidiu go rannphairteach i ngach gne de gnath shaol Victoria.

Notes

• The Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921 created the Irish Free State. Comprising 26 counties, it became an independent country within the British Empire. The six counties within Northern Ireland remained a part of the United Kingdom.

• The Irish Free State became the Republic of Ireland in 1948.

• People from the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland were recorded together in Australian censuses until 1954.