center for irish programs irish studies irish institute burns library bc-ireland irish studies Professor Nicholas Allen named Burns Scholar for Spring 2011 The Center for Irish Programs is pleased to wel- come Professor Nicholas Allen as the Burns Visiting Scholar for the spring 2011 semester. Allen is incom- ing director and the Moore Institute Professor at the National University of Ireland, Galway. He has published widely on twentieth-century literature and culture, with an established interest in allied fields including film, photography, and the history of the book. His record includes two monographs and three edited collections and essays in various venues. He is currently writing a cultural history of 1916 for Cam- bridge University Press, and has edited with Cormac O’Malley the post-civil war papers of Ernie O’Malley, which will be published later this year. Professor Allen has taught in the broad field of lit- erature in Europe and America, having served four years with tenure at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In addition, he has lectured at the Smithsonian Institution and Duke, Cambridge, and Oxford universities. His teaching ranges the broad field of twentieth-century Anglophone literature and culture. Recognition of his work includes the inaugu- ral award of the Eda Sagarra Medal for Excellence in Research by the Irish Research Council for the Hu- manities and Social Sciences; a Woodruff Library Fel- lowship from Emory University; a Mellon Fellowship to study at the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Centre, the University of Texas at Austin; an IBM Ju- nior Faculty Research Development Award; and two Spray-Randleigh Fellowships at North Carolina. Professor Allen and his wife, Louise, are the parents of three young children. Professor Nicholas Allen spring 2011 vol. 14 no. 1 1 The New York Review of Books, The London Review of BC Annual Creative Writers Books, and The Dublin Review. He has won numerous Series awards, including the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, the Prix du Meilleur Livre Étranger, Irish Studies continues its commitment to bringing the LA Times Novels of the Year, Ireland’s best creative writers to Chestnut Hill. This the Ferro-Grumley Prize, and spring, we are delighted to welcome back to campus the Edge Hill Prize as well as be- two of the most important authors of our time. On ing twice short-listed for the Man Wednesday, February 9 Anne Enright gave a public Booker Award. In 2006, he was reading at 7:00 p.m. in Devlin Hall. Colm Tóibín’s read- appointed to the Arts Council in ing will take place on Thursday, April 14, also at 7:00 Ireland. He is currently Leonard p.m., in the same venue. Readings are free and open to Milberg Lecturer in Irish Letters at the public, and everyone is welcome to attend. Enright Princeton University. Colm Tóibín and Tóibín will also meet and work with students in the English department and Irish Studies program. BC/QUB Faculty Exchange Winner of the 2007 Dr. Peter McLoughlin, a lecturer in the School of Man Booker Prize for Politics at Queen’s University Belfast, will be the QUB The Gathering, Anne En- Visiting Scholar at Boston College the week of April right has also received 11, 2011. The author of John Hume and the Revision of the Rooney Prize for Irish Irish Nationalism (Manchester University Press, 2010), Literature and has been McLoughlin has published widely on the politics of the a writer fellow at Trinity Northern Ireland problem. Professor Kevin O’Neill will Anne Enright College Dublin. Her work be the Boston College Visiting Scholar at QUB during has appeared in The Paris Review, Harper’s, The New the week of May 23 as this exchange program concludes Yorker, The London Review of Books, and The Penguin its third year. Boston College professors Ruth-Ann Har- Book of Irish Fiction. She is also the author of Yester- ris and Vera Kreilkamp were participating faculty in day’s Weather (short stories), The Pleasures of Eliza previous years, during which professors Graham Walk- Lynch, What Are You Like? The Wig My Father Wore, er and Desmond Bell were the corresponding QUB and The Portable Virgin (short stories). Most recently, visitors at our Center. she edited and wrote the introduction for The Granta Book of Irish Short Stories (2011). Gaelic Roots Series Winner of the 2009 Costa Novel of the Year Award for Brooklyn, Colm Tóibín is the foremost Irish Boston College’s Gaelic Roots Music, Song, Dance, novelist of his generation. He is the author of five ad- Workshop, and Lecture Series witnessed another ditional novels (The South, The Heather Blazing, The round of well-attended and well-received concerts that Story of the Night, The Blackwater Lightship, and The featured Jimmy Noonan and Oisin McAuley (Septem- Master), two collections of short stories (Mothers and ber 30), Brendan Begley and Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh Sons and The Empty Family [2011]) as well as collections (October 21), James Keane (November 18), and Lau- of literary and cultural criticism, travel writing, jour- rel Martin and Mark Roberts (December 7). The lat- nalism, and a play. His writing appears regularly in ter event included appearances by students in the BC contact information If you would like to subscribe to a periodic listing of Irish Studies events, news, conferences, educational opportunities and jobs please send your request to: [email protected] • tel: 617-552-6396 • www.bc.edu/irishstudies 2 fiddle and tin whistle class, who were led, respectively, cordionist Billy McComiskey and flute-whistle player by Seamus Connolly and Colleen White. Joannie Madden. The following Sunday, White and fiddler Shane Closing out the Gaelic Roots slate on April 12 is Cornyn provided music for the Eire Society’s annual Laurence Nugent, a native of County Fermanagh now reception in the John Burns Library. living in Chicago, whose playing is known for its exu- berance and rhythmic flourishes. He has appeared Boston College’s Gaelic Roots with The Chieftains, Shane McGowan, Van Morrison, spring program continues to train The Green Fields of America, Martin Hayes, Dennis the spotlight on the Irish instrumen- Cahill and Paddy Keenan, among others. tal music tradition, beginning with a concert held on February 3 by three For more information, and for directions to Connol- of Boston’s most highly regarded ly House, e-mail [email protected] or call 617-552-6396. Celtic musicians: Shannon Heaton, Shannon Heaton Maeve Gilchrist, and Paddy League. Burns Library Report The series, sponsored by the Boston College Center for The Burns recently acquired a significant collection Irish Programs and directed by Sullivan Artist-in-Resi- of more than 1200 Northern Ireland political pamphlets dence Seamus Connolly, also will feature the celebrated from the Linen Hall Library, Belfast. Linen Hall, the last fiddle-piano duo of Brian Conway and Brendan Dolan, surviving subscribing library in Ireland, is most well and virtuoso flute and whistle player Laurence Nugent. known for its extraordinary collection of materials on “The Troubles” in Northern Ireland. It also boasts ex- All events are free and open to the public, and take tensive collections in all areas of Irish interest, includ- place from 6:30-8:30 p.m. in Connolly House, 300 ing local studies, travel, heraldry, poetry, theatre, and Hammond Street, on the BC campus. genealogy. In 1999, Linen Hall and BC Libraries signed a memorandum of understanding to share resources, Although none are native to Boston, Heaton, Gil- enhance access to each other’s collections, and promote christ and League have become integral to the local knowledge and understanding. As part of this arrange- traditional music scene. Heaton, who also performs ment, Linen Hall offered for purchase duplicates of its in a duo with husband Matt and in the quartet Long political pamphlets collection, and Burns happily accept- Time Courting, is a highly skilled flute and whistle ed. The addition of these pamphlets greatly strengthens player and vocalist; Scottish native Gilchrist brings the Burns Library’s collection on Northern Ireland, ar- jazz and world-beat styles to her harp playing; and guably the richest outside Ireland. These pamphlets are League is a solid, much-sought-after accompanist on being individually cataloged and the catalog record for guitar and bodhrán. Gilchrist and League appeared each item will soon be available online. on Heaton’s recent solo album, The Blue Dress. Digitization of rare and unique audio materials in Conway, who performs with the Burns Library’s Irish Music Center is ongoing. A Dolan on March 31, is one of the detailed inventory of digital audio compilations in the most celebrated Irish-American “Seamus Connolly Papers” is now available for down- fiddlers of his time, a practition- load by visiting the “archives” tab on the libraries’ Irish er of the highly ornamented Sli- Music Research Guide—libguides.bc.edu/irishmusic. go style whose distinct tone and Digitization of other Boston-based collections, such as “lift” have distinguished him as the “Johnny and Mary Muise and Janine (Muise) Ran- a superior player and instructor. dall Recordings of Cape Breton and Irish Music,” is Dolan has carried on the pioneer- Brian Conway also underway. Recent acquisitions include additions ing piano style of his father, Felix, to the “Eugene (Gene) F. Frain Irish Music Collection” bringing out the music’s rhythm in a tasteful, dexter- and the “Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Eireann North America ous fashion. Conway and Dolan are members of The Collection of Irish Music Materials.” Please contact Pride of New York, a quartet that also includes ac- the Burns Library Irish Music Center at [email protected] 3 or 617-552-3956 for more information about these and in Irish Studies collection development at the Thomas other collections.