IRISH CENTRE FOR MIGRATION STUDIES
INTRODUCTION TO IRISH MIGRATION AND DIASPORA STUDIES
A SPECIAL PROGRAM FOR VISITING J-TERM STUDENTS
Academic Year 2000/2001 January 2-14 2001
NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND, CORK
CORK, IRELAND
Introduction - the background to Irish emigration.
Labourer's Cottages, Glencolumbkille, Co. Donegal
© PRONI, Belfast
Emigration is not a uniquely Irish story; it has been rightly observed that the USA is a nation of immigrants. However, the sheer scale and longevity of Irish emigration is arguably unique and goes a long way to explaining the major impact of the Irish in the USA, Canada, Australia and other countries.
Montreal
© PRONI, Belfast
Yet the full story is not often appreciated. Not all the Irish were Catholic; not all went to the East Coast of the USA; a disproportionate number were women. There were important Irish communities in France and Spain between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries, and the descendants of the 19th century Irish of Argentina still speak today with the distinctive accents of the Irish midlands, from where their ancestors left. The USA was not even the place with the highest percentage of Irish migrants: Australia, New Zealand and Newfoundland have better claims. Irish people went to Britain in huge numbers: they also played a major role, for good or ill, in the administration of empire and the spreading of Christianity.
The National University of Ireland, Cork’s new programme in Irish Migration and Diaspora Studies offers a uniquely focused introduction to the study of the Irish Diaspora. For many visiting students, this is the study of your own past.
© PRONI, Belfast
Our programme provides a comprehensive introduction to the study of the causes and consequences of Irish migration, with a particular emphasis on the Irish experience of emigration and settlement in the USA. Starting with the colonial period, the programme will examine the largely Presbyterian emigration of the 18th century, the watershed of the Famine, the huge upsurge in emigration to the USA from the mid-19th century onwards and the changing pattern of Irish migration in the present period. As the title of the programme suggests, the Irish experience of immigration and integration will also be examined in terms of the continuing attempts of Irish migrants and their descendants to define and preserve a distinctive identity in their new societies, sometimes in the face of prejudice and stereotypes. We will also consider the negative aspects of Irish emigration, including the impact on society in Ireland and the various contributions of the Irish to American life and thought. Finally, we consider the changing face of contemporary Irish migration, which includes, for the first time, the new reality of a multicultural Ireland.
Field Trips
Field trips will be a core element of the programme. As well as a visit to the Cobh/Queenstown Emigration Museum in Cobh, the most significant port of emigration for Irish people from southern and western Ireland in the age of sail and steam, there will also be a visit to the Famine Museum at Strokestown, County Roscommon, where the Irish experience of famine and emigration is remembered.
A multi-disciplinary programme
The historical approach to Irish migration will be anchored within a strongly multi-disciplinary framework, emphasising a range of theoretical approaches in disciplines such as geography, sociology and cultural anthropology. Attention will also be paid to literary and cultural perspectives, including the ethnomusicology of the Irish Diaspora and the literature of emigration and diaspora. The comparative nature of migration studies will be stressed, with relevant studies of Irish and other migrant communities.
Anti-Black and anti-Irish stereotypes
Irish culture and identity, whether produced within Ireland itself or from the Diaspora, has a high profile at present. This programme will aim to contextualise that profile, examining the background to the contemporary scene and offering an analysis of the persistent but changing nature of this phenomenon.
Entry Requirements
The minimum G.P.A. requirement is normally 3.0. However, exceptions may be made, especially in the case of students who can demonstrate a sustained academic interest in the field
Dates
January 2-14, 2001
For further information please contact:
International Education Office, National University of Ireland,
Western Road, Cork, Ireland
Tel. 353.21. 902543/902022 Fax. 353 21. 903118 Email isoffice@ucc.ie
You may also like to visit the website of the Irish Centre for Migration Studies at
or email us at migration@ucc.ie, fax 353 21 903326 |