6. What problems did the Irish experience in Scotland?

This Orange Lodge banner shows a portrait of John Cormack who led an organisation called "Protestant Action". During 1935, Protestant Action organised several anti Catholic demonstrations at which rioting broke out. (The modern Orange Lodge states that it is not an anti catholic or sectarian organisation.)

1. Ulster / Irish Protestants who came to the Glasgow area often had a strong dislike of the Catholic Irish. This caused trouble between the two communities.


2. Trouble between the Irish and the native Scots got worse as politics in Ireland became more violent.


3. Scottish Protestants often attacked the Catholic Irish for religious reasons.


4. The Irish were often very poor and had the worst housing. Some native Scots said that this was because they were lazy or ignorant. (Some of them even said the same thing about poor Scottish people!)


5. The Irish often suffered from prejudice and racism … “What school do you go to?” at a job interview…


6. Irish workers were often blamed for the low wages which were common at the time. Employers often encouraged this by deliberately using Irish workers as strike breakers.