A TWO-PART documentary series from over 30 years ago about the men and women who left Ireland to settle in England during the 1950s and 1960s is being shown again in London.
The Irish in England, directed by Ken Lynam, was originally broadcast on Channel 4 in 1983.
Episode one explores the factors that compelled a generation of Irish people to leave home and move to England in the aftermath of World War II.
The documentary hears testimony from a number of Irish people about working away from home, experiencing anti-Irish sentiment, assembling a community, and maintaining links to home through music, religion and culture.
The second episode examines Irish identity, specifically for those who were born in England to Irish parents and have to reconcile their English upbringing with their
Irish roots.
The series looks at the Irish in England maintained links to home through music, religion and cultureThis all takes place against the backdrop of the Troubles and Prevention of Terrorism Act, which fuelled anti-Irish racism and unfair suspicion of the community as a whole during this period.
Three decades on, this documentary promises to be both educational and resonant, particularly as a new generation of Irish people put down roots in England.
The two-part series, produced by The Irish Video Project, was preserved and archived by London Community Video Archive, an organisation committed to collecting and sharing videos made by communities in the 1970s/80s in London.
The screening at the London Irish Centre will be introduced by filmmaker Ken Lynam and followed by a Q&A.
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What are your memories of first moving to Britain, email [email protected] to share your thoughts or comment below. Or maybe your featured in the Channel 4 series, if so get in touch.
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