Relocating Nationalism between the Regional and Transnational: Unexpected Lessons from the Lives and Works of Amateur Historians
Tuesday, February 18
6:00 - 9:00 PM
This lecture will explore how current discussions on the place of Ireland and Northern Ireland in Europe and the wider world may benefit from a reappraisal of two largely-neglected Irish intellectuals: Richard Robert Madden (1798-1886) a Dublin-based Catholic physician, novelist, journalist, colonial administrator, abolitionist and historian, and Francis Joseph Bigger (1863-1926), a Belfast-based Protestant solicitor, naturalist, social reformer, cultural revivalist and antiquarian.
Guy Beiner, Professor of History at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Beer Sheva, Israel, is the 2019-2020 Burns Visiting Scholar in Irish Studies at Boston College. His most recent book, Forgetful Remembrance: Social Forgetting and Vernacular Historiography of a Rebellion in Ulster (Oxford, 2018) is the winner of the Irish Historical Research Prize for 2019, awarded by the National University of Ireland, and other honors.
Cartoons and the Irish: “Twist a Few Tails”
Thursday, March 12
4:15 PM
Irish historian Felix Larkin will outline the history of Irish cartoons, from Mathew Carey’s Volunteers’ Journal to Martyn Turner, and cartoons about the Irish, from Daniel O’Connell to Brexit.
Cartoons tend to be undervalued as historical sources. While good history – like good journalism – must be nuanced, reflecting the complexity of issues and situations, good cartoons cut through the verbiage with simple truths that override complexity and get to the heart of the matter. Cartoons can provide great insight into contemporary perceptions of past events, and the arguments – and passions – engendered by those events, as well as opportunities for historians to enhance their work with engaging images.
If you would like more information about our events or would like updates on happenings in Burns Library, join our mailing list.
For parking information and directions to Burns Library, see Planning a Visit.
