Call for papers: Young in Ireland, Old in America

The European Association for American Studies Biennial Conference, "Forever Young"? The Changing Images of America, will take place March 26-29, 2010 in Dublin. There is a call for papers for the workshop "Young in Ireland, Old in America: Irish-American Communities of Thought," which aims to build on and expand the parameters of recent scholarship on Irish America and to unsettle some of the most problematic aspects of the Grand Narrative of Irish emigration to the U.S. The workshop will also address the importance of new strands of engagement with America in Ireland itself and the growing influence of the United States in Irish contemporary culture. Please submit papers to Sinead Moynihan (Sinead.Moynihan@nottingham.ac.uk or Marisa Ronan (marisa.ronan@gmail.com by December 1, 2009.

Lecture: Michael Haren

Michael Haren presents "The Dynamic of Fourteenth-Century Intellectual Contexts: Ireland, England and the Continent in the Development of Archbishop Fitzralph of Armagh as Pastor and Polemicis" on Monday, Oct. 26, 2009 at 7:30pm in the McGuinn Hall Third Floor Lounge (McGuinn 334). Michael Haren is the author of several books including Sin and Society in Fourteenth-Century England: A Study of the Memoriale Presbiterorum and Medieval Thought: The Western Intellectual Traditon from Antiquity to the Thirteenth Century. This talk is sponsored by the Boston Colloquium in Medieval Philosophy.

Book launch: Peaceable Kingdom Lost

The Center for Irish Programs presents the book launch of Peaceable Kingdom Lost: The Paxton Boys and the Destruction of William Penn's Holy Experiment (Oxford University Press, 2009), by Kevin Kenny on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2009, from 7:00-9:00pm in Connolly House (300 Hammond Street, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467). Copies of the book will be available for purchase at a 20 percent discount.

Kevin Kenny is Professor of History at Boston College. His principal area of research and teaching is the history of migration and popular protest in the Atlantic world. His latest book, Peaceable Kingdom Lost, explains how Pennsylvania's early religious tolerance and social harmony disintegrated during the eighteenth century, with disastrous consequences for the province's Indians.

Call for papers: Irish Masculinities

Irish Masculinities: An Interdisciplinary Conference is scheduled to take place Feb. 26-27, 2010 at Queen's University, Belfast. The aim of this conference to draw this diverse body of researchers together to locate and theorize Irish masculinities for the first time within the specific context of Irish Studies. Papers of 20 minutes' duration are invited on themes which may include, but are not limited to: Representations of masculinity in Irish literature, the Irish male on stage and screen, Irish masculinities and socio-cultural taboos, sport and the Irish male, historicising Irish masculinity and performing Irish masculinities. Please submit an abstract of no more than 300 words by Dec. 15, 2009 to Caroline Magennis and Raymond Mullen at irishmasculinities@googlemail.com.

Conference: Elizabeth I and Ireland

Elizabeth I and Ireland Conference is scheduled to take place Nov. 13-14, 2009 at the University of Connecticut. This conference aims to bring together a diverse range of historians and literary scholars to explore both Elizabeth I's direct role in the shaping of Irish policy and the ways in which Irish events and people affected her political style. Register online

Lecture: Peter Hart

Peter Hart, Canada Research Chair in Irish Studies at Memorial University in Newfoundland is award-winning author of Mick: The Real Michael Collins and The IRA and Its Enemies, will present a lecture contrasting two of Ireland's political icons during the 1922 founding of the Irish State, namely Eamon de Valera and Michael Collins. His presentation, with a reception to follow, will take place on Monday, Oct. 26, 2009 at 4pm in the Thompson Room of the Burns Library. Seating is limited. Please RSVP by phone (617-662-3938) or email (irish@bc.edu).

Blog: Pue’s Occurrences

Pue’s Occurrences is an online blog about history in Ireland. The blog features book reviews, interviews with Irish History scholars, event listings, contributors’ PhD diaries and more. Pue's Occurrence is edited by Juliana Adelman, Lisa-Marie Griffith and Kevin O’Sullivan.

Conference: Legacy of Lemass

The University College Dublin presents the "Legacy of Lemass" conference on Friday, November 6, 2009 at the Humanities Institute of Ireland in Dublin. Participants include former Burns Scholar Diarmaid Ferriter (2008-09) and Rob Savage, Boston College. There is no charge for attendance. For additional information, contact Diarmaid Ferriter (diarmaid.ferriter@ucd.ie).

Sean Lemass and Sean MacEntee (Left to right) via Life.com

Lecture: Richard English

Richard English will give a lecture, in tandem with the launch of his latest book, Terrorism: How to Respond (Oxford University Press) on Sept. 14, 2009 at 4:00pm in the Thompson Room of the Burns Library. Author of award-winning books such as Armed Struggle: The History of the IRA (2003) and Irish Freedom: The History of Nationalism in Ireland (2006), English has been a frequent commenter on terrorism and political violence for the BBC and NPR, and has lectured widely in Europe and the United States. He is a Professor of Politics at Queen's University, Belfast.

The Irish Lord Lieutenancy, c.1541-1922

The Royal Irish Academy Committee for Historical Sciences Conference presents The Irish Lord Lieutenancy, c.1541-1922, September 10 - 11, 2009 at Dublin Castle and Academy House, Dawson Street. For more than 300 years the government of Ireland was headed by the Irish Lord Lieutenant, a peer who combined the "efficient" direction of the Irish executive on behalf of the British crown with the "decorative" role of viceroy or surrogate of the crown at the Irish court. The conference is intended to explore, through a series of invited papers, the multiple dimensions of the Lord Lieutenancy as an institution – political, social and cultural. View the schedule of presentations. Register online.

2009 Richard Irvine Best Memorial Lecture

Robert Schmuhl presents the Richard Irvine Best memorial lecture Wednesday, March 25, 2009 at 7:00pm at the National Library of Ireland. The title of the lecture is "Easter 1916 and America: a provisional appraisal." Schmuhl is the Walter H Annenberg-Edmund P. Joyce Professor of American Studies and Journalism at the University of Notre Dame, and is the current holder of the John Hume Research Fellowship at the University College Dublin John Hume Institute for Global Irish Studies. The respondent is Bernadette Whelan, Senior Lecturer, Department of History, University of Limerick. Admission is free but reservations are required. Contact Orla Sweeney (osweeney@nli.ie).

Conference: Poverty and Welfare in Ireland

The Institute of Irish Studies, Queen's University Belfast, presents the "Poverty and Welfare in Ireland c. 1833-1948," June 26-27, 2009. This conference will bring together a number of scholars currently researching different aspects of the history of welfare and poverty in modern Ireland, to exchange research findings and discuss agendas for future research. Plenary speakers include Larry Geary (University College Cork) on medical relief and the poor law in the 19th century, and Peter Higgenbotham, on his project to identify and record the sites and physical remnants of all 163 Irish workhouses. This conference is sponsored by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and the Royal Historical Society, and hosted by Queen's University Belfast and Oxford Brookes University. For more information, contact Olwen Purdue or Peter Gray (povertyconference@qub.ac.uk).

Midwest Regional Meeting of the American Conference for Irish Studies

The 2009 Midwest Regional Meeting of the American Conference for Irish Studies will be held October 17-19 at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale. The conference theme is "Ireland: Medieval to Modern," but papers and panel proposals are welcomed on any topic related to Irish and Irish diaspora studies, and presentations may be given in English or in Irish. The plenary speakers are Mary O'Malley and Brian Conchubhair; Louis de Paor will be awarded the Charles P. Fanning Medal for his contribution to Irish Studies. Please send 200-word abstracts to Beth Lordan (lordan@siu.edu), Director, Irish and Irish Immigration Studies Program. The deadline for submission is May 1, 2009.

Call for papers: Elizabeth I and Ireland

The University of Connecticut presents "Elizabeth I and Ireland," November 12-14, 2009. The conference aims to bring together historians and scholars to explore both Elizabeth I's direct role in the shaping of Irish policy and the ways in which Irish events and people affected her political style. Proposals of no more than 300 words should be emailed to Brendan Kane, (brendan.kane@uconn.edu) by May 1, 2009.

Maeve O'Reilly Finley Fellowship for Graduate Study in Ireland

Boston College alumna Maeve O'Reilly Finley established this fellowship out of appreciation of her alma mater and recognition of the Irish Studies Program. A longtime friend of Irish Studies, Ms. O'Reilly Finley expressed a great interest in encouraging graduate study in Ireland. The fellowship is awarded to Boston College students who have been accepted for graduate work in Irish Studies at a university in Ireland, or Boston College alumni who are graduate students in good standing at an Irish university. Students interested in being considered for the Maeve O'Reilly Finley Fellowship should submit: Curriculum vitae, transcript, short essay (3-5 pages) describing plan of study, and two letters of reference from Boston College faculty. Applications should be emailed to Rachel Bowes (irish@bc.edu) by March 1, 2009.

Adele Dalsimer Graduate Research/Dissertation Fellowship

Each year, Boston College awards the Adele Dalsimer Graduate Research/Dissertation Fellowship in memory of the cofounder of the Irish Studies Program. The fellowship is designed to recognizeoutstanding Boston College Doctoral students in Irish Studies. Doctoral candidates applying for the Dalsimer Fellowship should submit: Letter of interest describing the applicant's research, curriculum vitae, and two letters of recommendation. Applications should be emailed to Rachel Bowes (irish@bc.edu) by March 1, 2009.

Strangers to Citizens: the Irish in Europe 1600 – 1800

National Library of Ireland's exhibition Strangers to Citizens focuses on Irish migration to continental Europe from 1600 -1800. The exhibition features a selection of early 17th century Irish books from the Library’s rare book collection, including the original manuscript of Tadhg Ó Cianáin’s diary of The Flight of the Earls. Strangers to Citizens is on display through 2009.

An evening lecture series focusing on the themes covered in the exhibition will take place from January to March 2009. Find details on the National Library's events calendar.

Call for Papers: Remarkable Irish Women: Radicals, Republicans and Writers

The Caspersen School of Graduate Studies at Drew University presents Remarkable Irish Women: Radicals, Republicans and Writers, June 19-20, 2009. This conference seeks to address the contribution of Irish women, both in Ireland and overseas, to the making of modern Ireland. Proposals for papers of no more than 750 words should be sent to Johanna Church (jchurch@drew.edu) by February 15, 2009.

Student Spotlight: Ely Janis

Ely Janis successfully defended his doctoral dissertation, entitled "The Land League in the United States and Ireland: Nationalism, Gender, and Ethnicity in the Gilded Age" on February 6th. Congratulations, Dr. Janis!

Alumni Accomplishments: Nadia Smith

Nadia Smith received her PhD from Boston College in 2003 and is now working as an adjunct professor in the history department. She has just published Dorothy Macardle: a Life (Dublin: Woodfield Press, 2007).

She is also the author of A 'Manly Study'? Irish Women Historians, 1868-1949 (Basingstoke and New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2006).