The Irish in France: Assessing Changes in the Profile of Irish Emigrants over the last 30 years

Abstract

The “Irish in France Research Project” was set up to fill the gap in the knowledge regarding Irish people living in France. This article will compare the data from this project with the principle research study available on Irish people living in Paris carried out by Piaras MacÉinrí in the late 1980s and will evaluate the key changes in the make-up of this migrant group since this time. MacÉinrí concluded that the Irish in Paris were a community in transition and that an Irish presence would develop and grow. He posited that Irish emigration to France would become the norm rather than the exception. This article will assess just how this migration movement has evolved in the last 30 years and if these changes are indeed in line with MacÉinrí’s predictions.