On Thursday 14 March in Westminster Hall, MPs held a debate on St Patrick’s Day and the contribution of the Irish diaspora to the UK. Rebecca Long Bailey, the Labour MP for Salford and Eccles, proposed the motion:
That this House has considered St Patrick’s Day and the contribution of the Irish diaspora to the UK
Ahead of the debate, Bishop Paul McAleenan, who was born in Belfast and trained for the priesthood at St Patrick’s College in Thurles, Republic of Ireland, sent MPs a message celebrating St Patrick and the Irish Catholic contribution to the Church in England and Wales.
The Feast Day of St Patrick is celebrated on 17 March.
As the Feast of St Patrick approaches, we have cause both to commemorate the historic evangelisation efforts of that 5th-century Christian missionary-bishop in bringing Christianity to Ireland, and to celebrate the great breadth, depth and wealth of the contribution of the Irish diaspora to the UK over the many centuries since.
The Irish Catholic contribution, both to the Catholic Church in England and Wales and to wider British life and community, has been tremendous. Since the large-scale immigration of Irish people to Great Britain in the 19th century, Catholic churches and communities throughout England and Wales have benefited hugely from the contributions of numerous Irish clergy, religious and laity. The Irish witness in our wider society has been similarly significant – many of us can readily recall having our loved ones cared for by Irish nurses, our children coached by Irish teachers, and our social life sponsored by Irish song and spirits.
As the Feast of St Patrick approaches, and as our public and political debate around issues like immigration and integration so often descends into a zero-sum game of fear, suspicion and prejudice, now is surely a good opportunity to celebrate the remarkable contribution of the Irish diaspora to British life and society as an example not least of the achievements of immigration and integration.
