The Troubles, emigration to Britain, and transnational memories of conflict

This chapter addresses the absences by drawing out some of the dynamics of migration from Northern Ireland to Great Britain before, during, and after the Troubles. It focuses on departure and the conditions that drove emigration during the conflict and arrival and settlement in Britain and the historiography of the collective experiences. The chapter draws on a series of oral history interviews conducted with migrants by the authors, as well as on the small secondary literature that exists on emigration and Troubles. Beyond the direct impacts of the conflict on the already-precarious situation of the Northern Irish economy and the population displacement described earlier, the Troubles also shaped social life in ways that made emigration a desirable escape route for some people. This research has emphasised the complex impact of the Troubles on the lives of migrants to Britain, although without reaching a consensus on either the nature of the impact or the nature of the Irish community under discussion.