Just a few years ago, Birmingham, in the West Midlands, was crowned the most Irish city in Britain. According to official statistics, just over 20,000 of residents were born in Ireland, with even more coming from Irish descent.

When looking at the West Midlands as a whole, however, it’s clear that even more Irish immigrants have made the place their home over the years.

Overall, there are around 6,000,000 residents in Britain with Irish ancestry, with the vast majority of those who identify as “White Irish” living in 12 counties in the West Midlands – the other proportions reside around the London area, with 49,428 in Scotland (amounting to 0.98% of the Scottish population).

So what is the connection between the West Midlands and Ireland, and why have so many Irish decided to call it their home? Similarly, if you are of Irish descent and living in Britain yourself, what can you do to celebrate this connection?

The Celebration Of Your Irish Lineage
The way that many people celebrate their lineage is by going on specific “lineage holidays”, where they begin the holiday in the place that their ancestors came from, exploring the area, understanding the headspace of their ancestors, and then recreating the same journey to the place that their ancestors called home – in this case, the West Midlands!

Although it might be hard for some to trace back exactly where in Ireland your own ancestors came from, if you have limited information then a safe bet would be to start in Cork, where thousands of Irish residents immigrated in the early 1800s.

While hotels are always an option, renting a local property such as the beautiful 6 bedroom holiday rental gortadrohid.ie will give you and your family a fantastic base to come back to while you explore Cork and the surrounding areas and build lifelong memories whilst exploring your roots. During these explorations, you will begin to understand the plight that faced the Irish in the 1800s.

The Fascinating Connection Between Ireland And The West Midlands
The story began back in 1840, during the Great Famine that ravished Ireland and caused over a million people to leave its shores for Britain.

During this time, the majority of immigrants came to work in the factories in the northwest, but hunger and discrimination were not far behind them. Due to uncaring landlords and locals, the Irish population began plummeting by the hundreds and thousands.

Because of this, a great deal of them decided to set their sights on the USA, but those who couldn’t travel traipsed further inland and ended up in Birmingham and the surrounding West Midland areas. Here, prospects for Irish immigrants started to look up, and the late 1800s provided a number of new opportunities for work.

The discrimination faced in the West Midlands was improved upon in the north, and after a few decades, the Irish had fully integrated into the population. In the 1960s, it was estimated that one in six children born in Birmingham had one parent from Ireland.

Your Lineage Holiday
As mentioned before, while exploring Ireland, you’ll undoubtedly learn more about the famine that ravished the country and begin to get yourself into the headspace of your ancestors. This can be done not only in Cork but all around Ireland.

For instance, there’s the Irish Famine Exhibition in Dublin, which retells the story of those years and what drove the Irish population to such desperation that they had to set their sights on another country entirely. As well as this, you can visit the National Famine Museum in Strokestown, as well as the Cobh Heritage Centre in Cobh.

In the second half of your holiday, you can then travel to the West Midlands. Again, it doesn’t have to be Birmingham that you visit. There are a number of places and things to do in the Midlands as a whole, helping to round off your holiday with a closer look at the beautiful place your ancestors called home.

Recreating The Journey Back Home
Lineage holidays are undoubtedly the best way to really get to grips with your ancestral history and get a more emotional account of what happened, rather than just reading it in the history books.

Although you might call England your home, this holiday will take you to Ireland and the West Midlands specifically, igniting a spark in your soul which connects you even more closely to your ancestors. They are also two beautiful places to visit, so that helps too!

So what are you waiting for? Book your holiday, discover that connection between the West Midlands and Ireland yourself, and prepare to delve deeper not only into Irish and West Midlands history but your own personal history too.