There has always been an undeniable link between the island of Ireland and the North West of England, given the passage of ships between Liverpool and Dublin, Belfast and the east coast of Ireland during the 1800s, whether as a result of the Great Hunger (AKA the Irish Famine) or the pull of the British Industrial Revolution. This has of course meant a large population of Irish people settling just down the road here in Manchester, still bringing the craic to this day, making Manchester the city it is – so it’s no surprise that a ‘Little Ireland‘ has existed in Manchester.
Of course, many of us would like to thank the Irish population for our many iconic Irish bars and pubs, but looking back into the history of the part of Manchester that became known as ‘Little Ireland‘, things weren’t always so jolly.
Little Ireland was located near Oxford Road in Manchester and existed for only a few decades, but left a renowned legacy across the city. Spanning just four acres from the south of Oxford Road train station, enclosed by the railway line and the loop in the River Medlock, it’s considered to be the smallest and most short-lived Irish settlement in the city.
Little Ireland was inhabited from about 1827 to 1847 by poor Irish immigrants, and during its existence gained a reputation as the archetypal Irish district in nineteenth century industrial cities. In other words, Manchester’s Little Ireland was the model for subsequent slum districts.
Houses along the front of Oxford Road, initially intended as modest middle-class residences, were repurposed in the early nineteenth century as multi-occupation premises for industrial workers as economic activity picked up in the city. Cellars, ordinarily used to store wood, coal and non-perishable foods, were later rented out as cheaper accommodation leading to conditions of constant humidity and damp, where infectious diseases could thrive – of course, this would lay the foundations for Little Ireland in Manchester.
In his book The Condition of the Working Class in England in 1844, Friedrich Engels – co-writer to Karl Marx – wrote about Little Ireland, calling it a “horrid little slum“. There is now a concrete statue of Engels not too far from the former Little Ireland plot, outside HOME in Tony Wilson Square – if you fancy paying him a visit.
In the 1841 census, Little Ireland had a total population of 1,510, mostly concentrated in the small streets and courts off the main thoroughfares – James Leigh Street, William Street, Frank Street, Forge Street, and Anvil Street were over 75% Irish in 1841. In 1845, a group of seven of these small streets were demolished in order to make way for the Manchester and Altrincham railway line and Oxford Road railway station.
So, Little Ireland hasn’t existed for about 180 years, but the Irish population of Manchester has continued to thrive, and its significance can been seen in things we now take for granted. The Salisbury pub, for example, displays a plaque on the wall marking the middle of what was once Little Ireland, and much of what we refer to as the ‘student area‘ of Manchester is actually where Little Ireland was, with a seeming uptick in establishments paying homage to what they are essentially built on top of.
In 2024, Mother Mary’s opened up on the former Font site, bringing a touch of the Emerald Isle back to the historic Little Ireland area, and this year sees the relaunch of The Thirsty Scholar as the ever-Irish sounding O’Connell’s and Nancy Spains in the Northern Quarter, keeping the Irish trend going.
The Irish theme most definitely continues all over Manchester, with the likes of Mulligans, The Vine Inn, O’Shea’s and plenty more becoming a favourite for locals and visitors, always welcoming and up for some craic – not just for St. Patrick’s Day.
Although many may say these pubs could be a bit of a gimmick (everyone’s entitled to an opinion), it does seem fitting to remember those struggling Irish immigrants that survived the horrid conditions of Little Ireland, since they were the beginnings of making Manchester what is it today. And one thing both Ireland and Manchester have in common, is the belief that one way to put respect on a name is to drink to it! Sláinte!