Irish studies


Irish Studies is an interdisciplinary field of research devoted to the study of Ireland, History of Ireland. Geography of Ireland, Culture of Ireland, Literature of Ireland, Art of Ireland, Languages of Ireland, Politics of the Republic of Ireland, Politics of Northern Ireland and Irish people in Ireland and elsewhere. It is sometimes subsumed within the category of Celtic studies and European studies.
In 2018, the Irish government launched a Global Ireland initiative which was designed to promote all aspects of Ireland, including culture, diplomacy and business, internationally. This supplemented the Culture Ireland initiative which was established in 2005.

Centres

There are a number of academic centres devoted to research and teaching in Irish Studies throughout the world.

Ireland

Each of the universities in Ireland has particular expertise in aspects of Irish studies.
  • Belfast
  • * Queen's University Belfast: was established in 1965. It offers a . This university also hosts the Seamus Heaney Centre which promotes all aspects of creative writing.
  • * Ulster University: expertise in and in .
  • Cork
  • * University College Cork: CELT and offers a
  • Dublin
  • * University College Dublin: offers a as well as other courses.
  • * Trinity College Dublin: offers various full-time and part-time courses. The hosts the Making Ireland College Research Theme.
  • * Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, a research institute established in 1940. It has a which conducts research into aspects of Irish studies and publishes the academic journal Celtica.
  • Galway
  • * University of Galway: College of Arts, Social Sciences and Celtic Studies hosts a . It offers a range of course including an undergraduate programme in , a graduate programme in Irish Studies and an on-line .
  • Limerick
  • * University of Limerick: hosts the Global Irish programme
  • * Mary Immaculate College:
  • Maynooth
  • * Maynooth University: which includes the Department of Old Irish, the Department of Modern Irish, the Centre for Irish: Research, Teaching and Testing and Irish Cultural Heritage. It offers various teaching programs for undergraduate, postgraduate, international students and University staff.

    Britain

  • England
  • * University of Liverpool:
  • * London Metropolitan University: in its Special Collections.
  • * University of Manchester:
  • * King's College London:
  • * University of Cambridge: .
  • * University of Oxford:
  • Scotland
  • * University of Aberdeen:
  • * University of Glasgow: which includes expertise in Irish studies. A Chair of Celtic Studies was established there in 1956 followed by a Chair of Gaelic Studies in 2010.
  • * University of Edinburgh: .
  • Wales
  • * University of Aberystwyth: offers courses in Irish language and literature.

    Rest of Europe

From the 16th century onwards a chain of Irish Colleges was established across Europe for the education of Irish Catholic priests and laity. The earliest of these was in Lisbon and over 30 more colleges followed. With the opening up of higher education in Ireland, these colleges closed but remnants include St Anthony's College, Leuven and the Irish College in Paris.

There is continuing interest in Irish studies across Europe reflecting the long engagement of Ireland with the continent.
With the history of Irish emigration to North America, it is not surprising that there are a number of centers of Irish Studies there.
In the United States there are several centers, especially in the north-east.
  • California
  • * Loyola Marymount University:
  • * University of California, Berkeley: is housed within the Institute of European Studies.
  • Colorado
  • * University of Colorado: which offers a joint undergraduate certificate.
  • Connecticut
  • * Fairfield University:
  • * Quinnipiac University: .
  • * Sacred Heart University, Fairfield, Connecticut: and also has a centre in Dingle, County Kerry for intensive study.
  • Delaware
  • * University of Delaware: .
  • Georgia
  • * Emory University:
  • * Georgia Southern University:
  • * University of Georgia:
  • Illinois
  • * DePaul University:
  • Indiana
  • * University of Notre Dame: ; . The university also has the which is located in a former Benedictine monastery in the Connemara region in the west of Ireland.
  • Massachusetts
  • * Boston College: which coordinates its Irish Studies program, the Irish Institute, the Burns Library Irish Collections, Boston College-Ireland in Dublin, and the Gaelic Roots Program. The Burns Library is dedicated to preserving the abundant historical, literary, musical, and artistic heritage of Ireland. There is also a Burns Visiting Scholar in Irish Studies Program.
  • * Boston University:
  • * Bridgewater State University:
  • * Harvard University: offers a range of courses in Irish studies and hosts the Henry Lee Shattuck Professor of Irish Studies.
  • Minnesota
  • * University of St. Thomas: . This center publishes the New Hibernia Review and organises the Lawrence O'Shaughnessy Award for Poetry, as well as the Celtic Collection, which was started back in 1917.
  • Missouri
  • * University of Missouri-St. Louis:
  • * Washington University in St. Louis:
  • Montana
  • * University of Montana: ;
  • New Jersey
  • * Princeton University:
  • New Mexico
  • * University of New Mexico: which offers a range of courses and scholarships.
  • New York
  • * Columbia University:
  • * Fordham University:
  • * Hofstra University:
  • * Iona University: .
  • * Molloy University:
  • * New York University:
  • * Queens College, City University of New York:
  • * St. John's University : students have the opportunity of studying Irish literature and of spending time at the Mary Immaculate College in Limerick.
  • * State University of New York at Geneseo:
  • * University at Buffalo: specialism in its English program and hosts the , the largest and most distinguished James Joyce collection in the world.
  • North Carolina
  • * Belmont Abbey College:
  • * Wake Forest University: hosts a variety of activities to promote Irish culture and literature. Wake Forest University Press is the largest publisher of Irish poetry in North America. The university also hosts an annual festival to celebrate Irish literature and culture.
  • Oklahoma
  • * University of Oklahoma: .
  • Pennsylvania
  • * Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia: .
  • * University of Pittsburgh: .
  • * Villanova University:
  • Texas
  • * University of St. Thomas : William J. Flynn .
  • * University of Texas at Austin:
  • Washington, D.C.
  • * Catholic University of America:
  • * Georgetown University: program
  • Wisconsin
  • * University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee: which includes opportunity for intensive study of Irish language and literature.
  • * Marquette University:
In Canada there is the which supports research in Irish Studies. There are also several university centres of Irish Studies including:
  • Nova Scotia
  • * Saint Mary's University : an interdisciplinary and hosts the D'Arcy McGee .
  • * St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia: offers courses in Irish language and literature.
  • Ontario
  • * University of St. Michael's College, Toronto: which offers courses in Irish studies.
  • * University of Ottawa: Department of Modern Languages and Literatures offers a which includes courses in Irish language and culture.
  • Quebec
  • * Concordia University, Montreal: which offers a Major in Irish studies and the opportunity to do graduate work. The School hosts the Peter O'Brien Visiting Scholar in Irish Studies.

    South America

There is also interest in Irish studies in South America.
Again, as a result of emigration to Australia and New Zealand there is considerable interest in Irish studies there.
  • Australia
  • * University of New South Wales: John Hume Institute in Global Irish Studies hosts the . The university also offers a which provides an interdisciplinary exploration of Irish history, culture and society over the past two hundred years that takes particular account of Ireland's relationships with Australia and with Europe
  • * University of Melbourne: Gerry Higgins Chair in Irish Studies
  • New Zealand
  • * University of Otago: which hosts the endowed Eamon Cleary Professor of Irish Studies and offers an undergraduate .

    Asia

In Asia, there is growing interest in Irish studies.
  • China
  • * Beijing Foreign Studies University: launched a multidisciplinary Irish Studies program in 2007.
  • * Shanghai Normal University launched its Irish Literature Research Centre, which includes both undergraduate and graduate courses. A part of the program involves an annual two month festival of Irish culture as well as the production of an entire Irish play, in English.
  • * Shanghai Institute of Foreign Trade: Centre for Irish Studies
  • Japan
  • * Waseda University established an Institute of Irish Studies in 2015