St Patrick’s Day: Why does Liverpool Love the Irish?

Happy St Patrick’s Day!

It’s a day of feast and celebration. A day where people wear green, celebrate the arrival of Christianity in Ireland (yeah… that actually is what the day is about), and most importantly, a day when Lent restrictions are lifted and people can eat and drink as much as they like.

Paddy’s Day is a huge day in Liverpool

But other than the overeating and drinking, why do Scousers love the Irish so much? Why is St Patrick’s Day such a big deal here?

Well, let me take you on a quick history lesson.

Liverpool and Ireland have been connected for centuries. It’s often said that a huge proportion of people in Liverpool have some form of Irish ancestry. That connection has shaped everything about the city. The accent, the humour, the music, the politics, the attitude.

Liverpool isn’t just close to Ireland geographically and culturally, we’re very closely connected through our shared history.

We Are Basically All Irish

For more than 800 years Irish people have been coming to England, and huge numbers of them arrived through Liverpool. The city has historically had one of the largest Irish populations in Britain.

During the Great Famine of the 1840s the numbers increased dramatically, and Irish communities became deeply rooted across the city.

Around a million people fled Ireland during the famine, and Liverpool became the main gateway. For many, this was the first step to a new life.

By the mid-19th century, roughly a quarter of Liverpool’s population was Irish-born.

Liverpool was often described as Ireland’s second city. So many Irish migrants came through the port that the city became the main gateway between Ireland and England. Families were split across both sides of the Irish Sea, constantly travelling back and forth. For a lot of people, Liverpool wasn’t a new home, it was just the other side of home.

John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison all had Irish roots.

The Accent

People always ask why the Liverpool accent sounds so different to the rest of England. A big part of that comes down to migration.

The Scouse accent is a blend. You’ve got Lancashire and Cheshire roots, strong Irish influence layered over the top, especially from the famine period, and also the impact of Welsh migration into the city. All of that combined created something completely unique.

That’s why Liverpool doesn’t sound like Manchester or other northern cities and it certainly doesn’t sound like London.

And it’s also why, in certain tones and phrases, you can hear similarities between Liverpool, Dublin and parts of North Wales.

Football and Irish Roots

Liverpool’s football story also has strong Irish connections.

Liverpool’s first Irish player was David Hannah from County Down, while one of the club’s greatest ever goalkeepers, Elisha Scott from Belfast, played for nearly twenty years.

Everton have also had strong Irish links, signing their first Irish player, Jack Kirwan, back in 1898.

Politics, Workers’ Rights and Identity

Irish influence in Liverpool runs deep politically as well. Liverpool’s first mayor was Irish-born Richard Sadlier from Cork.

One of the most important figures connected to Liverpool and Ireland is James Larkin, born in Liverpool to Irish parents before becoming one of the most influential trade union organisers in Ireland. He went on to found the Irish Transport and General Workers’ Union and later the Workers’ Union of Ireland.

That strong working-class identity Liverpool is known for didn’t just appear out of nowhere. It was shaped by generations of people, and Irish influence is a big part of that story.

Culture and Community

After the famine in the 1800s, Liverpool’s Irish population rose from around 17% to 26% of the city. But it didn’t stop there.

Irish communities mixed with Welsh, English and Scottish migrants, as well as with people arriving from Africa and the Caribbean. Liverpool has always been a city where different communities overlap and influence each other, which is part of what makes its identity so distinct.

You still see Irish influence all over the city. Street names like Ulster Road, Belfast Road, Killarney Road and Donegal Road.

And of course, The Beatles, who themselves came from Irish family backgrounds.

Even the pubs, the songs and the humour all carry that influence.

It’s Still Happening

And this isn’t just something from the past. The Liverpool-Ireland connection is still very much alive.

Flights, ferries, football, music, family links. People are still moving between the two all the time. You still hear Irish accents across the city every day.

This isn’t history that’s been preserved, It’s a relationship that’s still ongoing.

The Irish didn’t just arrive here, they helped build the city, shape its culture, influence its music, fight for workers’ rights and define its identity.

That is why Liverpool is one of the best cities in the world to celebrate St Patrick’s Day.

Have a good one!