Migration has driven socio-cultural and linguistic change in Northern Ireland since the Celts arrived. Migration has driven socio-cultural and linguistic change in Northern Ireland since the Celts arrived. Its language ecology was transformed by English and Scottish colonists who brought new varieties to compete with Irish. Linguistic diversity has increased remarkably in the twenty-first century. The speed of change has had important repercussions not only in the education and heritage sectors but more widely. Working with a range of partners in Northern Ireland, this Newcastle project explored the sociolinguistic consequences of migration. This demonstrated the extent to which historical and contemporary immigration and their impacts were similar. Key objectives were to reconstruct negative perceptions of newcomers and to improve the educational outcomes of bilinguals.