The first Imagallamh–Kylemore Summer School in Irish Studies took place in Kylemore and Dublin from 9-20 June 2024, under the direction of Professor Barry McCrea and ND Kylemore Director Lisa Caulfield.
Imagallamh, which relaunches the Keough Naughton Institute for Irish Studies Irish Seminar, seeks to emphasize international and comparative elements of Irish Studies, and to bring the next cohort of scholars in the field into meaningful dialogue with each other and with key figures in Irish scholarship, arts, and society.
"This summer school provided us world-class facilities and incredible faculty members from different institutions who are experts in their fields, the program also allowed me to forge deep ties with other Ph.D. students from all over the world. Besides, I did enjoy the balance of structured seminars/lectures and social events." —Summer school 2024 participant
All participants receive a full scholarship, covering tuition, travel, accommodation, meals, and books. Any Notre Dame Ph.D. student enrolled in the Irish Studies Minor is automatically eligible for Imagallamh; all other places are decided by competitive application. We received over 80 applications from Ph.D. students worldwide. The 20 students who were selected to attend the summer school came from Argentina, Turkey, the Czech Republic, France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Ireland, the UK, the USA, and Canada. The participants included students of history, literature, linguistics, cultural theory, and other disciplines, ranging chronologically from the medieval period to the present.
Four prominent contemporary writers were in residence with the group in Kylemore: former Ireland Professor of Poetry Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin, much lauded first-time historical novelist Ferdia Lennon, New York Times book of the year author Paul Murray (also short-listed for the Booker Prize in 2024), Pulitzer Prize winning former Poet Laureate of the US, Natasha Tretheway.
The faculty included Notre Dame academics, Peter McQuillan, Clíona Ní Ríordáin, and Rory Rapple, as well as guest faculty Máire Ní Mhaonaigh (Cambridge), Brian Clancy (Limerick), and Wesley Hutchinson (Sorbonne Nouvelle).
The first half of the summer school was devoted to the languages of Ireland in literature and took place at Notre Dame Kylemore. In preparation, students had read two novels: The Bee Sting, by Paul Murray, and Ferdia Lennon’s Glorious Exploits, and two poetry collections, one by Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin, The Map of the World, and the other by Natasha Tretheway, Native Guard.
Barry McCrea delivered the opening lecture on the languages of Ireland. The rest of the week at Kylemore involved morning seminars with Professor Clíona Ní Ríordáin, which explored the question of Irish literary language across the diverse range of assigned texts. In the afternoons, the authors gave interviews, readings, and in the case of Natasha Tretheway, a lecture which dealt with the connections between African-American and Irish literary language. Paul Murray, conversely, spoke about the influence of American writers, especially Thomas Pynchon, on his own style. Bonds between students and visiting writers were reinforced through a variety of other activities which included a hike on the estate, an archeological and natural history tour of Omey Island, and a concert of traditional music in the Gothic Chapel.
The second strand of the school focused on historical and linguistic questions. Students stayed in Trinity College and attended morning seminars on the Anglicization of Ireland from the 15-18th century, and a series of lectures on languages in Ireland in the Middle Ages, the language of the Irish Travellers, and Ulster Scots. Other activities included a trip to the Abbey Theatre to see the play The Sugar Wife, which deals with the economic links between 19th-century Ireland and enslaved labor in the Caribbean, the launch of Francis Bacon’s Nanny by Maylis Besserie in the Hugh Lane Gallery, and a swim in the Forty Foot on Bloomsday morning.
"Imagallamh expanded my professional network and introduced me to new theories/ methodologies from which my doctoral research will undoubtedly benefit. The cultural programming was thoughtful, fun, and enhanced my understanding of both seminar discussions and assigned readings." —Summer school 2024 participant
Students prepared group responses to the events of the summer school on the 18 June, and the 19 June was devoted to their presentations.
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Originally published by at kylemore.nd.edu on August 21, 2024.