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Story: Irish

Irish workhouse

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Irish workhouse

In the 1870s many Irish migrated to New Zealand as assisted immigrants. Some had been nominated by their families in New Zealand, while others were recruited among the Protestants of northern Ireland. In addition Caroline Howard, an immigration agent, recruited young women from a Cork workhouse – an establishment where those wanting charitable relief had to live and earn their keep. This design was widely copied throughout Ireland.

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Peter Higginbotham

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How to cite this page

Jock Phillips, Irish – Migration after 1870, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/artwork/3985/irish-workhouse (accessed 24 June 2026).

Story by Jock Phillips, published 4 March 2009, updated 1 August 2024.