We use the universe of probate and vital registers, from England between 1838 and 2018 to document the status of the Irish in England. We identify the ‘Irish’ in the records as those individuals with distinctively Irish surnames. From at least the mid-19th century to 2018, the Irish in England have persisted as an underclass, being on average 50% poorer than the English. Infant mortality was about 25% higher for the Irish between the 1830s and the mid-twentieth century but has subsequently equalized. Sorting, both into urban areas, and to the North of England, are important elements in the Irish experience. We discuss the potential roles of selective migration, social mobility, and discrimination in this, and signpost directions for future research.