5. What support did the Irish get from their communities?

Brother Walfrid was the priest who founded Celtic FC as a means of raising funds for poor children in the east end of Glasgow.

1. The church was very important for religious comfort and as a social gathering place.


2. The church often provided extra help e.g. a soup kitchen, charity fund raising.


3. Priests were often Irish. They could often speak Gaelic and translate letters from English.


4. Football teams like Celtic, Hibs, Dundee United often gave the Irish a focus for their community.


5. Irish music and dance was often very important in bringing the community together.


6. Education was very important. Irish children were sometimes refused places in Scottish schools or bullied if they were allowed in. The Church organised separate schools for them. These schools were taken over by the government in 1918.