How the Irish shaped Britain

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With migration, integration and assimilation dominating much public debate, Fergal Keane explores the profound influence, over many centuries, of the Irish in Britain. Whether it is 19th century theatre or verse, or today’s pop culture, Irish migrants and their descendants have deeply influenced and steered the UK’s literature and arts. Their impact on Britain has translated into ideas of what Britishness is across the world. Think of Oscar Wilde and George Bernard Shaw or, more recently, the Beatles, the Sex Pistols and Oasis, the Irish and their descendants have had a profound influence on British identity. The Irish have also been highly influential in the world of business, politics and sport. Fergal Keane examines the impact of the longest and biggest immigrant story in the history of the United Kingdom. (Photo: Irish neighbours in Aston, Birmingham, West Midlands, 15 August 1969. Credit: Mirrorpix/Getty Images)