New School of Canadian Irish Studies
at Concordia University, Montreal
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DR. MICHAEL KENNEALLY
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By HEATHER MACDOUGALL
MONTREAL - Concordia University in Montreal has been steadily building a reputation as a leading institution for studying Ireland and the Irish in Canada, but when students arrive back on campus this September they will find that Irish Studies at Concordia is bigger and stronger than ever.
Over the past two decades, course offerings have expanded to include more than a dozen courses yearly across diverse disciplines, including theatre, history, literature, women's studies, film, and political science. Approximately 750 students now take courses each year.
Dr. Michael Kenneally, the Chair in Canadian Irish Studies, is the main force promoting Irish studies at Concordia and has been working tirelessly at expanding the programs which are available to students.
Recently, his efforts led to approval by the Board of Governors to create an independent academic unit, the School of Canadian Irish Studies. This major development paves the way for further dramatic expansion in the future.
Already, plans are nearly finalized to offer a new Major in Canadian Irish Studies, in addition to the Minor and Certificate programs which have been available for a number of years.
Furthermore, the School is attracting leading academics to the university, including a new Johnson Chair in Quebec and Canadian Irish Studies as well as several visiting professors.
This September, for example, Concordia will host a junior and a senior scholar from Ireland who are both specifically engaged to teach the Irish language and its intimate relationship to Irish culture. A visiting ethnomusicologist will offer courses on the links between Irish and Quebecois traditional music.
The School has a mandate to promote a fuller understanding of Ireland and the Irish experience in Canada, and it does so in part by reaching out to the public.
Complementing its formal courses, Canadian Irish Studies organizes an annual public lecture series which regularly draws large crowds from the wider community to hear a who's who from contemporary Irish public and cultural life.
The ties are in fact strong in both directions, since many of the students who come to Concordia from other cities also become involved in the numerous societies or events coordinated by Montreal's sizable Irish community.
Dr. Kenneally acknowledges that strong support from the Montreal Irish community has been essential: "the creation of the School was the result of extraordinary three-way collaboration over the years between faculty and administrators at Concordia, the thousands of students who have enrolled in courses, and the members of the Irish-Canadian community, especially the Canadian Irish Studies Foundation."
Guided by the dynamic leadership of fifth generation Irish-Canadian, Brian O'Neill Gallery, and under the Honorary Patronage of His Excellency Declan Kelly, Ambassador of Ireland to Canada, the Rt. Hon. Paul Martin, former Prime Minister of Canada, and the Hon. Jean Charest, Premier of Quebec, the Canadian Irish Studies Foundation has attracted distinguished Trustees and Directors from across Canada.
With the support of many Canadian donors, and in particular the support of the governments of Quebec, Canada and Ireland, the Canadian Irish Studies Foundation has created an endowment of seven million dollars, the income from which, along with the generous support of Concordia University, supports the academic activities of Canadian Irish Studies and provides 23 scholarships annually to students in the programs.
More information about the School of Canadian Irish Studies at Concordia, including details about both university enrolment and events open to the public, can be obtained online at http://cdnirish.concordia.ca/ or by e-mailing cdnirish@alcor.concordia.ca.
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