4. What kind of work did the Irish do? What kind of homes did they find?

Scotland's economy was booming at the very time that Irish migrants needed work. Coal mining employed tens of thousands in the 19th and 20th centuries.

1. It was often low paid and unskilled. Native Scots often got the best jobs.
2. They were often used as cheap labour by employers.
3. Many settled close to where they landed. They got jobs in the factories of Glasgow.
4. Iron works and coal mines in Lanarkshire attracted many.
5. Farming was a popular choice. Irish men could already do this.
6. Dundee was popular. The new jute spinning factories needed labour.
7. As they tended to be low paid, they had little choice when it came to housing. They got the worst
8. Overcrowding was common. More people to spread the cost of the rent.
9. Landlords spent as little as possible on housing and there were no laws to force them to improve matters.
10. Overcrowding helped disease to spread more easily. Typhus, cholera, TB were very common.