Many of the immigrants from Ireland living and working in Huddersfield are native Irish speakers.
Huddersfield in Yorkshire is one of the largest towns in northern England. While Irish settlers in Huddersfield were first mentioned in 1832, the Great Irish Famine brought substantial numbers of immigrants to Huddersfield, mainly from the province of Connacht.
There are more than 15,000 people of Irish ancestry living in Huddersfield. Around 2,000 of them are native Irish speakers, predominantly from Connemara.
The Connemara inhabitants usually settle in Saint Patrick's parish of Huddersfield, residing in four streets of Georgian houses. St Patrick’s Catholic Church on New North Road has been a centre for people of Irish descent for around 150 years.
The main attraction of Huddersfield for Irish immigrants is the ability to find work and earn a decent living. Some have been living in the town since they were teenagers. They have settled down and are raising families of their own.
One young man employed as a labourer earns a good wage as the work is hard. He plans to save his money for a couple of years before returning to Ireland and marrying.
While some people dream of a return to Ireland a woman who has been in Huddersfield for 16 years, is happy with her life there,
Tá mé lán sásta.
'Guth na Gaeilge’ was a weekly programme on news and current events of Irish Interest.
This episode of ‘Guth na Gaeilge’ was broadcast on 4 February 1965. The reporter is Seán Duignan.
