The annual Breandán Ó Buachalla Memorial Lecture will be delivered by Professor Bríona Nic Dhiarmada, the Thomas J. & Kathleen M. O'Donnell Professor of Irish Studies and Concurrent Professor of Film, Television, and Theatre.
Her topic: "'Our likes will not be seen again': Aspects of Irish-Language Autobiography."
Professor Nic Dhiarmada is originator, writer, producer, and executive producer of the award-winning, multipart documentary series on the Easter Rising, 1916 The Irish Rebellion, and its 86-minute feature version, both narrated by Liam Neeson, that were broadcast and screened internationally throughout 2016 and 2017.
1916 The Irish Rebellion received the award for "Best Documentary Series" at the 2016 Irish Film and Television Academy's gala awards ceremony in October 2016, as well as American Public Television’s Excellence in Programming Award, which followed announcements of the film as winner of the “Silver Saber Award” at this year’s International Historical And Military Film Festival in Warsaw, Poland.
Professor Nic Dhiarmada is the author of the companion book The 1916 Irish Rebellion, published by the University of Notre Dame Press.
Additionally, Professor Nic Dhiarmada has authored over 35 screen plays and 10 documentaries. She is the author of Téacs Baineann, Téacs Mná: Filíocht Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill as well as numerous articles on Irish language literature and culture. Additionally, she is an editor of The Field Day Anthology and co-editor with Máire Ní Annracháin of Téacs agus Comhthéacs: Gnéithe de Chritic na Gaeilge.
A film about the life of Professor Ó Buachalla will precede the lecture and a reception will follow it.
Breandán Ó Buachalla (1936-2010) was the inaugural Thomas J. and Kathleen M. O'Donnell Chair of Irish Language and Literature at the University of Notre Dame and was instrumental to the success of both the Keough-Naughton Institute for Irish Studies and the Department of Irish Language and Literature.