Welcoming the Stranger: Irish Migrant Welfare in Britain Since 1957

The untold human story of how the Catholic Church met the welfare needs of Irish emigrants in Britain since the 1950s. Based on a wealth of personal interviews and newly-discovered archive material. Offers unique insight into how Anglo-Irish relations impacted on emigrants coming to Britain during turbulent times. This lively book tells the untold story of the crucial work carried out by the Irish Emigrant Chaplaincy in Britain on behalf of Irish emigrants for over half a century. The hidden history revealed is one of political intrigue; economic booms and busts; MI5; international relations; miscarriages of justice; Papal Encyclicals; Gospel teaching and the struggle for equality and justice. The vital work of the Irish Emigrant Chaplaincy was often conducted against a background of battling against the odds and the establishment. It is the story of Irish and British migration history in modern times and Anglo-Irish relations unfolding over turbulent and politically sensitive decades. Patricia Kennedy bases her history on archival research and over eighty interviews with key informants who benefited from or administered this vital service. Welcoming the Stranger is the first book to demonstrate how the Irish government was forced to take responsibility for the Irish abroad.