CEPH is delighted to announce its final call for papers as part of the CEPH Irish Research Initiative. The online workshop, which focuses on the theme of Irish Migration and Demography, will be held on 23 May 2025. This is an opportunity for researchers of Irish economic history and policy to present research in a friendly environment.

Migration – both internal and international – has been a defining feature of Ireland’s economic and social history, shaping both demographic trends and broader structural changes. The Great Famine of the 1840s triggered mass emigration to destinations such as Australia, England, Canada, and (primarily) the United States, which roughly halved Ireland’s population by the early 20th century. Internal and international migration has remained a salient feature of the Irish demographic landscape in the 20th century, driven by political upheavals, including the 1919 War of Independence and Partition, as well as persistent out-migration from Ireland’s rural districts.

To explore these themes further, the Centre for Economics, Policy and History (CEPH) will host a virtual workshop under the CEPH Irish Research Initiative (CIRI). The workshop invites researchers to submit papers focusing on internal migration within, or immigration from, the island of Ireland, as well as associated demographic shifts, over the 19th and 20th centuries. The goal is to advance the study of migration as a key aspect of Irish economic development through diverse approaches, including quantitative analyses, historical case studies, and comparative research.

Areas of interest include:

● The economic and social determinants of migration decisions.

● The cultural consequences of internal or international migration in host and sending regions.

● The cultural and economic integration of migrants in host regions, and factors that promote or inhibit this integration.

● The effects of policies designed to promote or discourage migration, both internal and international.

● The economic and demographic outcomes of those who migrate.

Submissions are not limited to these topics, and the workshop encourages related studies. We particularly welcome contributions from early career academics, PhD candidates, and Master’s graduates.

After the workshop, the presented papers will be collated as discussion papers on the CEPH website and promoted through our dissemination channels. This workshop offers an excellent opportunity for researchers to refine their research topics and work towards publication, either individually or in a special issue in a journal related to the overarching theme of the workshop.

Submission Information:

Interested scholars are encouraged to submit an abstract of no more than 400 words. These should be emailed to Christian Maruthiah at christian.maruthiah@tcd.ie by 18 April 2025. For more information, please contact Christian Maruthiah or Áine Doran at a.doran@ulster.ac.uk.

You can download a PDF of this call for papers here: ciri_migration_cfp