The Photo Album of the Irish: England Edition celebrates the ordinary and extraordinary histories of individuals and families in England with Irish heritage across generations, reflected in family photo albums. The Photo Album project draws on a rich but untapped visual resource – family photo albums to build digital photographic archives that record the diverse social history of the Irish in England. The project explores and celebrates the unique links between Ireland and its Diaspora in an accessible and engaging way, sharing the research through a programme of events, exhibitions and a full-colour publication.

In 2024, the Photo Album of the Irish team travelled across England to gather family photo albums and stories from the Irish diaspora. From London to Manchester, Liverpool to Birmingham, we met generations of Irish families who shared their personal histories through treasured photographs — portraits, postcards, and snapshots that trace the journey of migration, identity, and belonging.

Working with local Irish centres and community networks, we digitised hundreds of photographs and recorded the stories behind them, adding these to our growing online archive. This England edition continues our mission to celebrate the lives and legacies of Irish people around the world, preserving the visual history of an ever-evolving community.