"'Irish America' will address important questions concerning the past, present and future of Irish America," said organizer Adj. Asst. Prof. Robert Savage (History), assistant director of the Irish Studies Program. "It will not be a strictly academic conference where formal papers will be presented; instead, three panels of distinguished scholars will seek to engage the audience in discussion of a wide range of topics."
Savage will chair the first seminar, "What Was Irish America?," which begins at 10 a.m. Adj. Asst. Prof. Ruth-Ann Harris (History) will join Timothy Meagher of Catholic University and David Buckley of the University of Scranton on the panel.
At 1:30 p.m., Irish Studies faculty member Assoc. Prof. Philip O'Leary (English) will moderate "Is There An Irish America?" Irish Studies Co-director Assoc. Prof. Kevin O'Neill (History) will join Prof. Emeritus Thomas O'Connor (History) on the panel with Maureen Murphy of Hofstra University.
Irish Studies Co-director Prof. Adele Dalsimer (English) will chair the final seminar, "Is There An Irish-American Consciousness?," beginning at 3:30 p.m. Prof. Kristin Morrison (English), Joyce Flynn of Harvard University and Ken Nilsen of St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia will be the presenters.
The museum will sponsor a reception from 5-7 p.m., featuring traditional Irish-American music by accordionist Joe Derrane.
The registration fee is $20, $10 for seniors and members of the Boston College community, and includes a box lunch. For further information, call Irish Studies at ext. 3938.
-S.S.