Immigration and Integration: The Irish in Wales, 1798-1922 is the firstbook-length study of the Irish in modern Wales. Emigration has been one of the definingexperiences of modern life for the Irish, and a significant number of the Irish diasporasettled in Wales during the nineteenth century. In this pioneering work Paul O'Learyexamines the causes of emigration and seeks to understand the experience of Irishimmigrants in Wales. Initially, there was little evidence of Celtic solidarity and theIrish often met with violent hostility from the Welsh. Nevertheless, by the latenineteenth century the tortuous process of integration was well underway and appeared tobe relatively trouble free in comparison with the Irish experience in many other parts ofBritain. The author considers key aspects of immigrant life in depth: pre-famineimmigration; the role of the Irish in the labour force; criminality and drink; theestablishment of community institutions, ranging from Catholic churches and schools topubs and bookshops, from friendly societies to political organizations; the mobilizationof support for Irish nationalist organizations; and Irish participation in the labourmovement. In each case the author links the distinctive experiences of the Irish todevelopments in Welsh society.Paul O'Leary is a lecturer in the Department of History and Welsh History atUniversity of Wales, Aberystwyth.

He has written several articles on Irish immigrants inWales and is co-author of Wales of One Hundred Years Ago (1999).