Most Catholics in the North of England, especially at this time, would be more likely be English than Irish. Lancashire, and Yorkshire, had/has high numbers of English Catholics and also Nonconformists, as well as CofE.
Although there were long-established communities of English Catholics in Lancashire, Irish migration to Lancashire predated the mass migration in 1840's caused by the Great Famine.
There were Irish Catholics in Lancashire in 1820's & 1830's in places where there was work for them. Some would have been seasonal laborers, returning to Ireland for winter or whenever the work was finished. Others settled in Lancashire. Steamers made journey across the Irish Sea quicker from 2nd decade of 19thC.
A mill-owner in a village near my birthplace in S.E. Lancashire brought a group of Irish Catholics from Manchester in 1820's when he fell out with the local workforce. He provided his new workers with a room to use as a chapel.
Baptism (from 1825) and marriage (from 1830's) registers for a Catholic chapel in the town of Bury in Lancashire show a high proportion of Irish names from the start of both registers. Abodes in marriage register of grooms, brides and parents were in many Irish counties.
A Irish maternal line, who eventually settled in Preston, were agricultural labourers in W. Lancashire on 1841 census. That census was taken in summer so they may have been seasonal migrants.