Famine and the nineteenth-century Ireland
The Society for the study of nineteenth century Ireland was founded in 1922 to promote inter-disciplinary work in the study of nineteenth-century Irish culture. Following up the success of the initial conference in 1992, the society’s activities resumed in July 1994 with a conference on the Famine at Maynooth. With 1995 promising to be a year in which the Famine of the 1840s receives much (and some would argue, overdue) attention, the conference gave an indication of the rewards following from sustained reappraisal of the Famine which combined a number of different historical perspectives.
James Donnelly Jr. opened with the keynote lecture on mass evictions and touched upon a recurring theme among contributors: the difficulty in disentangling representations of the Famine from the reality. Examining counties on opposite sides of Ireland, Don Jordan (Menlo College, California) and Matthew Stout (TCD), traced similar patterns of changes in landholding in counties Mayo and Wicklow , respectively. Both argues that middle-ranking farmers who were prospering before the Famine in these very different regions had increased their farm sizes by the mid-1850s, while smaller tenants and larger land-lords had lost land in the same period. Other speakers concentrated on the question of representation: Robert Dunlop outlined theological interpretations of the Famine; Margaret Kelleher examined Asenath Nicholson’s Famine travel narratives; ad Sean Ryder considered the response of The Nation. Finally, the manner in which the Famine can prove to be richly productive site for multi-disciplinary study was indicated by Charles Order (Nebraska), who discussed his efforts to initiate an archaeology of the Famine. Inquiries concerning membership of the Society for the study of Nineteenth-Century Ireland: James Murphy, All Hallows College, Drumcondra, Dublin 9.
Belcamp Summer School
Conflict and change were the themes of the second annual summer school held on 20-24 June at Belcamp Hall, Coolock, former home of the eight eenth-century Irish radical politician, Sir Edward Newenham. Day one focused on the origin of Belcamp Hall as a centre for Irish-American her itage, a theme developed later in the week by Eugene Coyle who com pared and contrasted the origins of the American revolution with the rise of political awareness in Ireland. In a further lecture he outlined the activi ties of Irish privateers in the service of the American Congress. Tommy Graham also delivered two lectures, one on the Penal Laws and the other on Dublin city’s radical underground in the 1790s. Colm Connellan explored the underlying political philosophies which triggered political changes and liberalisation during the eighteenth century. Tom O’Shea out lined the background of wealth and privilege of the landed gentry and used the Malahide Hone family to illustrate his theme. Olivia Grimes explored social and cultural change in Ireland during the eighteenth century as reflected in popular music and Dublin street ballads. Ailbhe MacSamhrain described the role of ethnic minorities in Medieval Ireland as a source for evolutionary historical change. Aidan Breen developed the role of the medieval church in Ireland as a source of religious and social change in pre-Reformation Ireland. Field trips included a visit to local religious centres and to Newbridge House, Donabate.
Phoenix from the ashes
On 18 July 1994, Janet Ritz of the New York State Newspaper Project presented microfilm copies of The Phoenix to the National Archives and to the National Library of Ireland. The Phoenix was the first newspaper on either side of the Atlantic to advocate the principles of Fenianism and was published in New York from June 1859 to August 1861, under the editorship of John O’Mahony and others. It contains the earliest journalism of John O’Leary.
Until recently, only a fragmentary collection held by the National Archives in Dublin was known to exist. However, a volume has sur vived in a private collection, and was brought to the attention of the New York State Newspaper Project by its owner. This body has now produced, to the highest archival standards, a microfilm copy. Though not a complete run of the newspaper, it will add greatly to knowledge of the Fenian movement in America.
Ireland House Conference on Hunger
In anticipation of the 150th anniver sary of the Great Irish Famine of 1845, Glucksman Ireland House (New York University) will host in May 1995 an international conference on hunger in commemoration of that devastating experience. The hunger conference is the most ambitious effort Ireland House has undertaken to date. It will feature leading scholars and writers on the subject from all parts of the world, brought together on a scale and level of quality never before attempted. While the starting point and occasion of the conference is the Irish famine, the central theme will be the problem of hunger worldwide in both its historical and contemporary dimensions. In this spirit, the partici- ” pants will include scholars of the problem of hunger in India, China, Africa and Latin America as well as scientific and social analysts of con temporary famines and representa tives of famine-relief organisations. The principal goal is to bring together the world’s leading thinkers on the subject in order to advance our knowledge of the persistent problems of world hunger. But, equally impor tant, a rich variety of events, including film, music, poetry, and perfor mances evoking the human experi ence of famine will be presented to enhance public understanding and consciousness of a subject of urgent concern worldwide. Inquiries: Professor Robert Scally, Patricia King or Eliza O’Grady, Glucksman Ireland House, New York University, 1 Washington Mews, NY, NY 10003, USA. Tel: (212)
Tallaght Artsquad Heritage Project
Tallaght Artsquad Heritage Project is a local history project covering the period 1940-1990 and will consist of a photographic, video and tape archive of the recent history of a rapidly changing community. It promises to provide a fascinating overview of the development of a town that in other circumstances would have taken 300 rather than 30 years to complete. It is important to record the experi ences of the first generation of resi dents in the ‘new town’, as well as those who have always had connec tions with Tallaght. Archives and folk lore departments throughout Europe need access to this type of informa tion so that the changing faces of European communities can be moni tored. Schools can use the resources of local heritage centres to help the pupils respect their environment and take pride in their own communities. Enquiries: Kymberly Dunne, Tallaght Artsquad, South Dublin County Council, IDA Centre, Main Road, Dublin 24.
North Inner City Folklore Project: change of address Readers interested in the publica tions of the North Inner City Folklore Project (listed in HI Summer 1994) should note that it has moved to Amiens Street, Dublin 1.
