SHORT HISTORY
OF THE IRISH
IN NEW ZEALAND

The first Irish in New Zealand arrived from the late eighteenth century onwards. They were frequently transient whalers, sealers, traders, and the occasional convict from New South Wales, Australia. However, it was not until the arrival of Fencible soldiers and their families who settled at Panmure, Howick, Onehunga, and Otahuhu in Auckland between 1847-1852 that New Zealand received a substantial influx of Irish settlers. Although these soldiers arrived during Ireland's Great Famine period, most Irish found their way to America, Australia and England during this time.

While the Irish continued to arrive in New Zealand as part of military contingents to fight against the Maori, gold also became a major lure during the 1860s. However, it was the nominated and assisted emigration schemes of the 1870s that encouraged most Irish to New Zealand. Although the Government was unenthusiastic about Irish migrants, the colony urgently required male labourers. In addition, females were required in order to balance the sexes. As Irish women were particularly prone to emigrate, their alleged undesirability was overlooked and around half of all Irish migrants were female.

Protestant Irish also emigrated in substantial numbers and around one quarter of Irish settlers in New Zealand were Protestant. An Ulster settlement at Katikati, founded by George Vesey Stewart, was the largest organised settlement of Irish Protestants in New Zealand.

Once assistance was abolished, the numbers of Irish migrants fell, although those from Ulster continued to emigrate in substantial numbers.

It is difficult to accurately pinpoint from which county New Zealand received most Irish emigrants as shipping records in both countries are either incomplete or absent. Based on the Irish Registrar-General's records of 1876, however, it can be seen that most Irish emigrants sailing directly from Ireland, came from the provinces of Munster and Ulster. Clare, Antrim, Cork, Kerry, Limerick and Tipperary were the dominant counties. Emigration from 1876-1920 inclusive, saw Clare and Antrim and Cork and Kerry swap positions. Between 1876-1890 Munster sent approximately five times the amount of emigrants as Connacht and Leinster, and Ulster sent four times the amount. If this direct migration was representative of the majority of Irish who found their way to New Zealand indirectly, via England or Australia, then New Zealand had a significant Munster Ulster bias.

Although New Zealand received fewer Irish than other countries, the Irish were a major source of the colony's inhabitants. They peaked at 12.8% of the population in 1867 and, in 1871, Westland (22.7%)and Auckland (14.1%) were the areas of greatest settlement.