Irish Studies

The Irish Studies Program offers an interdisciplinary minor in the history and culture of Ireland and the Irish Diaspora, from the early Christian period to the present. Contemporary trends underscore the extraordinarily diverse character that Irish Studies has assumed in the last two decades. Scholarship on Ireland has yielded rich dividends in our understanding of the experience of colonialism, literature, music and national identity, the significance of emigration and diasporic communities, economic modernization, the role of women, and finally the difficulty of effecting lasting peace between bitterly divided peoples.

The aim of the program is to provide the student with a comprehensive appreciation of the Irish experience through a range of courses drawn from different disciplines and reflecting the richness and complexity of this field of study.

Ireland Study Abroad

Students taking a minor in Irish Studies may take advantage of our cooperative Study Abroad Program with the National University of Ireland in Galway. Appropriate credits may be transferred with the approval of the director.

Faculty and Professional Interests

Irene Whelan (Director) – Religious and cultural history

Gillian Greenhill Hannum – Celtic art

Adjunct Faculty

Gale Justin – Early Celtic Ireland

Don Richards – Irish American immigrant history

Deborah Saleeby-Mulligan – political art in Ireland