Coming to America: The making of the Irish-American Diaspora

Why did the Irish emigrate in such vast numbers? What was their experience when they arrived in America? How did emigration change over the years? What impact did Irish emigrants have on American society?  

This Imagine Festival event explores the fascinating story of Irish migration to America, a story that begins long before the Famine of the 1840s and continues to be written.  

We will take a look at the allure of the New World for various groups of Irish emigrants since the eighteenth century. What made America so appealing to different groups of Irish people at different times? We’ll also consider the ways in which Irish men and women were met with hostility in America. Through a series of case studies, we will see how they made themselves at home in the New World; the elements of their own culture that they retained and how they influenced American music, education and culture.  

Come and hear the story of the Irish diaspora, revealing how Irish migrants shaped the America we know today.