RESEARCH AND SCHOLARSHIP
Ireland’s history and transition toward the nation it is today serves as a critical case study for understanding today’s most pressing global issues, including immigration and emigration, social justice, civil rights, economic development, religious discrimination, gender, race and ethnicity and conflict and peace initiatives.
CALL FOR PAPERS - American Journal of Irish Studies
The American Journal of Irish Studies seeks proposals on the topic of “Sustainability in Irish Culture” for the inaugural issue of its new online, open-access journal.
The Princess Grace Irish Library, in collaboration with the Villanova University Center for Irish Studies and the Philadelphia Kelly House, hosted the symposium “Sustainability in Irish Culture: Communication of Sustainability through Culture” in October, 2023. Scholars, writers, artists, and institutional leaders from Ireland and the diaspora were invited to present and discuss priorities and strategies that address sustainability and the climate crisis. This issue is inspired by that exchange of ideas on multidisciplinary approaches to the topic.
FACULTY SPOTLIGHTS
Cera Murtagh
Cera Murtagh, PhD, explores how societies transition from conflict to peace, and onwards towards broader democracy and social justice. She is particularly interested in the politics of gender and sexuality in transitional ‘post-conflict’ places. She is currently writing a book titled Civic Parties in Divided Societies: Northern Ireland and Beyond. She is the recent recipient of the Idol Family Fellowship, a fellowship for collaborative gender research, which she will be using to support an ongoing collaborative project about inclusion of women and LGBTQ+ groups after conflict in Northern Ireland and Bosnia.
Bess Rowen
Bess Rowen, PhD, is a theatre theorist, historian, and practitioner who has a special interest in theatre's place in Irish nation-building and Irish theatrical riots. She has written about the riot over Sean O'Casey's The Plough and the Stars and recently reviewed Seán Hewitt's JM Synge: Nature, Politics, Modernism for Theatre Journal. Her first book, The Lines Between the Lines: How Stage Directions Affect Embodiment (University of Michigan Press, 2021) evolved from her dissertation, which featured Brian Friel's wonderful stage directions alongside those of Eugene O'Neill, Tennessee Williams, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, Lisa D'Amour, and Sarah Ruhl. Her latest book project focuses on how teenage girlhood is represented on stage. Recent articles can be found in Theatre Survey, Journal of Dramatic Theory & Criticism, and The Eugene O'Neill Review.
STUDENT RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT
Irish Studies minor, Bailey Quinn '24 CLAS, presented a paper at the Villanova Gender and Women’s Studies Conference in February 2023, “Growing Pains and Growing Tensions: Bittersweet Relationships Between Girlhood and Memory Throughout the Troubles with Colette Bryce, Lisa McGee, and Olivia Gatwood.” Bailey wrote the paper for the “Narratives of Northern Ireland” course with Jennifer Joyce, PhD.
Irish Studies Podcast
The Center hosts a podcast featuring conversations with renowned Irish writers, historians and more. Listen on YouTube. Listen on Spotify.
Season 6 (2024-2025)
Season 5 (2023 - 2024)
Season 4 (2022 – 2023)
- Episode 1: Liz Roche
- Episode 2: Rosie O'Gorman
- Episode 3: Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon
- Episode 4: Mary O'Donoghue and Lisa McInerney
Season 3 (2021 – 2022)
- Episode 1: Kimberly McClain DaCosta
- Episode 2: Megan Curran, PhD
- Episode 3: Emma Dabiri and Kimberly DaCosta
- Episode 4: James Ó Conaill and Philip Arneill
Season 2 (2020 – 2021)
- Episode 1: Lillis O Laoire
- Episode 2: Emer O'Neill
- Episode 3: Jim Murphy
- Episode 4: Hannah Khalil
- Episode 5: Tom Vaughan-Lawlor
- Episode 6: Monica McWilliams
Season 1: 40th Anniversary Series (2019 – 2020)
- Episode 1: Emilie Pine
- Episode 2: Jill McCorkel
- Episode 3: Maurice Fitzpatrick
- Episode 4: Owen McCafferty
- Episode 5: Freya McClements
- Episode 6: Ciara Ní É
- Episode 7: Alene O'Malley, Iseult O'Connor, Ellen Corbett, Deirdre Murphy and Caroline Gallagher
Digital Libraries and Exhibitions
In collaboration with Villanova University's Special Collections in Falvey Library, the Center offers digital library and digital exhibitions of Irish materials created by faculty, staff and students.
Joseph McGarrity Collection is the collection of personal papers, books and newspapers of Joseph McGarrity.
Since its inception in Philadelphia in 1771, the Society of The Friendly Sons of Saint Patrick has been an active, vibrant organization within the Irish community. The Society exists to promote Irish culture, education and provide aid. It performs these duties in the form of scholarships and benevolence, as well as through events and activities. Digitized materials include: correspondence, programs, benevolence documentation, and publications.
Cuala Press Broadside Collection is an almost complete collection of limited editions of books and broadsides printed by the Cuala Press (formerly the Dun Emer Press). This Irish press published many important writers from the early twentieth century.
The MacSwiney Club evolved from Camp 100, Clan-Na-Gael and was officially organized in Jenkintown in 1935, although minutes bearing the name go back to at least January 1926. It was named in honor of Terence MacSwiney (1879-1920), Irish patriot, statesman, and martyr. Originally located at 222 Old York Road, the club purchased its current facilities at 510 Greenwood Avenue from the Loyal Order of Moose, and moved there in 1946. For many years the MacSwiney Club was home to the Timoney Irish Dancers, and Irish music and dancing were regular events.
Philadelphia Ceili Group is devoted to the promotion and perpetuation of Irish music, dance and culture in Philadelphia and throughout the Greater Delaware Valley. If you'd like to learn about upcoming local Irish music and cultural events, with a special emphasis on the many wonderful music and dance presentations sponsored by the Philadelphia Ceili Group, then this is the place to find it. Villanova University's Digital Library archives the music of the Group's past festivals and makes Irish song and dance freely available to the community in inline audio and video and downloadable formats.
Rambles, Travels, and Maps is a collection of narratives of wanderings (real or imaginary), travel guides, charts and maps.
“Rediscovering T. A. Daly: Immigrant Voices in Poetry" explores the life and works of Thomas Augustine Daly (1871-1948), a native and lifelong Philadelphian; an Irish-American and a Catholic; a journalist, poet, and prolific author; and an early Villanova University alumnus.
Joseph McGarrity: Man of Action; Man of Letters explores the lesser-known side of the influential Philadelphia-based Irish republican leader Joseph McGarrity as a man of letters.
Chaos in the Streets: The Philadelphia Riots of 1844 takes you back in time to the riots of 1844 in Philadelphia.
Jack Butler Yeats: Drawings & Illustrations focuses on the drawings and illustrations of Jack B. Yeats found in Special Collections materials.
Rambles, Sketches, Tours: Travellers & Tourism in Ireland takes you on a tour through Ireland of Irish travel writing from the Joseph McGarrity Collection of Special Collections.
To Strike for Freedom! The 1916 Easter Rising commemorates the 100-year anniversary of Ireland’s 1916 Easter Rising, highlighting its American connections using materials from the Joseph McGarrity Collection.
The Century Ireland Project
Villanova is a proud contributing partner in The Century Ireland project, an online historical newspaper that tells the story of the events of Irish life a century ago. The project is maintained by Boston College and Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ), Ireland's National Public Service Broadcaster.
Virtual Performances
Every March, the Center celebrates St. Patrick's Day with a host of events featuring music, literature, performances and more. Watch virtual performances.