Diversity on the island of Ireland over the last century is to be investigated in a new £900,000 research project.
The three-year study will explore immigration, community and society since the foundation of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland in the 1920s.
It will be the first of its kind to look at ethnic diversity in both nations and will focus on the experiences of migrants, and their descendants, from around the world.
The University of Strathclyde is a partner in the project, which is led at Queen’s University Belfast. It has received funding of £905,000 from the UK Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC).
Project co-lead Professor Laura Kelly, of Strathclyde’s Department of Humanities, said:
While there has been lots of scholarly attention on those who emigrated from Ireland in centuries past, we know much less about those who have migrated to Ireland and helped to make it the diverse society it is today.
“We are very excited about working with community groups, members of the public, and the Ulster Museum to shine a light on the experiences of people who have made the island of Ireland their home over the past 100 years.”
Project lead Dr Kieran Connell of Queen’s University said: “By highlighting the ways in which migrants from all over the world have been making a home for themselves in Ireland for a century and more, we hope our project will move the conversation on.
Experiences and identities
“A key part of our methodology is oral history. This means we are actively seeking to interview migrants, and people from migrant backgrounds, about their experiences and how they see their identities in modern Ireland.”
This project announcement coincides with the recent public release of the 1926 censuses of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, which revealed detailed personal records and highlighted the population’s unexpected diversity during that period.
The project will culminate in a major exhibition at Belfast’s Ulster Museum in 2029. There will also be a number of workshops at which members of the public will be invited to share their own stories.
Anyone interested in being interviewed for the study can email Multicultural Ireland.