The areas of London perhaps most closely associated with Irish people were St. Giles in the 19th century and Camden Town in the 20th century.

In 1854, Wild Court, off Drury Lane, was taken over by Lord Shaftsbury's Society for Improving the Condition of the Working Classes. Over a thousand people lived in thirteen ten-room houses, none of which had proper sanitation. The houses were repaired, given decent water supplies and privies and made available at reasonable rents.

The 1851 Census returns for Wild Court show that these houses were mainly occupied by Irish families. Among the 34 people in 7 households who lived at No. 2, was the family of Mary Handring who worked as a charwoman. She had probably come to England in the 1830s and her 3 sons were all born in London. The two elder boys sold oranges to supplement the family income and they also took in a lodger, 23 year old Joanna Allen who worked as a charwoman as well.

A significant number of households were headed by women. Women's occupations listed in the census included charwomen, fish dealers, fruit sellers, a shop assistant, watercress seller, milkwoman, flower maker, tailoress, needlewoman, an Epaulette Maker and a stay trimmer. Only a handful were recorded as being servants. Irish female domestic servants were more likely to be found living in households in more prosperous areas.

Irish men mainly worked as labourers but the census showed several tailors and mat makers, a coal dealer, a rag cutter, a watchman, a wheelwright, a cabinet maker, a carpenter, a smith and a gilder and framer. Boys often sold fruit. -Fourteen year old James Denen worked as a crossing sweeper.

These houses have long since been demolished in slum clearance schemes.

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