The Fifth Literature of Irish Exile
Autumn School
Centre for Migration Studies at the Ulster-American Folk Park, Omagh
Saturday, 16 October 2004
The Literature of Irish Exile Autumn School is now in its fifth year. Our focus
will again be on how emigrants from Ireland have given expression in words to
feelings of exile. Part of the programme will take place in the stimulating setting
of the Outdoor Museum of the Ulster-American Folk Park. The rest will be in
the warmth of the library of the Centre for Migration Studies. The aim is to give
members of the public a friendly opportunity to meet and mix with experts on
some of the less well-known aspects of 'exile' in Irish literature.
Speakers
Dr Sophia Hillan, who spoke at the Autumn School in 2002, was from 1993-2003
Associate Director of the Institute of Irish Studies at Queen’s University Belfast and
is presently Academic Director of its International Summer School in Irish Studies.
She was the 2003 Lenna Visiting Professor at St Bonaventure’s University, Olean,
New York and recently co-directed the Michael McLaverty Centenary Colloquium.
As an author herself she was runner-up to John Arden in the Royal Society of
Literature’s first V.S. Pritchett Memorial Award in 1999 and is currently working
towards a collection of short stories, one of which will appear in the forthcoming
Faber Book of Irish Short Stories, edited by David Marcus, in March 2005.
Dr Johanne Devlin Trew is Research Fellow, based at CMS, Omagh, working on the
‘Narratives of Migration and Return Project’. She previously taught at Memorial
University of Newfoundland.
Dr Patrick Fitzgerald is Lecturer and Development Officer at CMS, Omagh and
teaches the QUB MSSc degree in Irish Migration Studies.
Mr Dan McCall was formerly a teacher of history and currently, among other duties,
is inspector of history in schools and colleges in Northern Ireland. He has lectured
extensively on cultural diversity and pluralism in Northern Ireland, on the teaching of
history in a divided society, and on the need for education to equip young people with
the capabilities to meet the challenges of life in a divided community.
Mr Joseph Farrell from Grand Junction, Colarado, USA, has edited and published
One Lifetime is not Enough, the autobiography of his cousin, Patrick Kelly, who
emigrated from Gallon, near Newtownstewart, County Tyrone to Australia in 1924
and, after a varied career, made a return visit to Gallon in 1978 when he was aged 73.
Please see overleaf for programme details
Saturday 16 October, 2004
10.45 Registration (CMS Library at Ulster-American Folk Park, Omagh)
Tea / Coffee on arrival
11.00 Welcome (CMS Library)
11.05 Sophia Hillan, ‘The “Wordhoard” of Emigrants and Exiles: a literary journey’
Chair: Brian Lambkin
11.45 Discussion
12.00 Johanne Devlin Trew, ‘The Narratives of Migration and Return Project’,
including demonstration of the ‘Breaking the Silence’ on-line Oral History
Archive’,
Chair: Brian Lambkin
12.30 Discussion
12.45
Lunch, Ulster-American Folk Park Visitor Centre
1.45
Patrick Fitzgerald, ‘Writing Home’: a walk in the Outdoor Museum, through
the ship to a fireside in the New World, discussing extracts from letters about
‘home’,
3.00
Afternoon Tea (CMS Library)
3.15
Dan McCall, ‘Voices: Kilkelly, Ireland and Mankato, Minnesota,
1858 – 1927’
This presentation will explore the background to and contents of the letters sent
from County Mayo during the years 1858-1893 which provided the inspiration
for the emigration ballad “Kilkelly”, and the vigorous anti-emigration
sentiments contained in a letter from an Irish priest in Minnesota in the 1920s.
The letters will also be set within a context of perceptions of emigration
reflected in street murals in Northern Ireland.
Chair: Patrick Fitzgerald
4.00
Reception
4.30
Book Launch: One Lifetime Is Not Enough by Patrick Kelly.
Joseph Farrell of Colorado, USA, who is a cousin of the author, will speak
about the book which he has edited and published.
Chair: John Bradley, Chairman of the West Tyrone Historical Society.
4.45 Close
Fee: £20.00 stg (£15.00 concession for students, unwaged and senior citizens)
This includes: registration, morning tea/coffee, lunch, afternoon
tea/coffee and drinks reception.
Contact
Tel: 028 8225 6315; Fax: 028 8224 2241; Email: Christine.Johnston@ni-libraries.net
PRESS RELEASE
The Fifth Literature of Irish Exile
Autumn School
Centre for Migration Studies at the Ulster-American Folk Park, Omagh
Saturday, 16 October 2004
11.00 –4.45 pm
The Director of the Centre, Dr Brian Lambkin, said:
'Our focus will again be on how emigrants from Ireland have given expression in
words to feelings of exile. Encouraged by the strong public response over the last
four years we are delighted to present this programme, which will include
discussion of the themes of emigration and exile in the work of eminent Irish
authors, including Michael McLaverty and Seamus Heaney. It will also include the
opportunity to hear about the progress of the ‘Narratives of Migration and Return
Project’ and make use of the “Breaking the Silence” on-line oral history archive.
As usual there will be a refreshing after-lunch walk through the Outdoor Museum
of the Ulster-American Folk Park, this year discussing extracts from emigrant
letters that talk about ‘home’. Afterwards, Dan McCall will give an illustrated talk
on the letters sent from County Mayo during the years 1858-1893 which provided
the inspiration for the emigration ballad “Kilkelly”, and also the vigorous antiemigration sentiments contained in a letter from an Irish priest in Minnesota in the
1920s. The aim of the day is to give members of the public an opportunity to meet
and mix with experts on some of the less well-known aspects of 'exile' in Irish
literature.
The day will conclude with the launch of a new book, “One Lifetime Is Not
Enough”. It is the story of Patrick Kelly, from Gallon near Newtownstewart, who
was born in 1904 and emigrated to Australia in the 1920s. He returned to visit his
homeplace in the 1970s and went on to write his autobiography. ‘One Lifetime Is
Not Enough’ has been edited and published by his cousin, Joe Farrell of Colarado,
USA, who will speak about the book.’
For more information, contact:
Christine Johnston
Centre for Migration Studies
Ulster-American Folk Park
Castletown, Omagh, Co Tyrone, N. Ireland
BT 78 5QY
Tel: 028 82 256315 Fax: 028 82 242241
www.qub.ac.uk/cms
www.folkpark.com