Events

Rural Futures Conference

June 8-10, 2026

The inaugural Rural Futures Conference at Sacred Heart University’s Dingle, Ireland, campus will explore social and environmental justice in Ireland through politics, culture, history and the arts. The three-day event will feature keynote speaker Nessa Cronin and a plenary conversation with authors Belinda McKeon and Mike McCormack.

Tráthnóna Chultúir na nGael: Gaeilge agus Ceol/An Afternoon of Irish Culture, Language and Music

April 25, 2026

Irish Dance Showcase

April 17, 2026

Prepare for a spectacular display of traditional Irish step dance, including lively jigs and mesmerizing reels.

Irish Singer Songwriter Gráinne Hunt with Jules Stewart

April 9, 2026

Gráinne Hunt is a standout among Ireland’s most compelling vocalists and songwriters – blending raw emotion with a quiet, commanding power. Her two original records and new live EP are drawn from deeply personal experiences, weaving stories of pain, longing and joy, and earning her comparisons to Tracy Chapman, Natalie Merchant and Joni Mitchell. Free and open to the public. Hunt's US tour is graciously sponsored by Culture Ireland.

"Mislike me not for my complexion": Five Black Abolitionists in Ireland

April 2, 2026

The Irish History Roundtable/Gerald Forde Memorial Lecture Series

Christine Kinealy is the founding director of Ireland's Great Hunger Institute and professor of history at Quinnipiac University. A graduate of Trinity College, Dublin, she has published extensively on Ireland's Great Hunger and, more recently, the Irish Abolition movement.

‘Story can shelter us’: John Moriarty, Deep Time and the Labor of Hope with Christine Cusick

March 31, 2026

The Annual John Moriarty Lecture and part of the Human Journey Colloquia Series

Drawing upon the writings and legacy of John Moriarty, this lecture examines the critical role of story in creating a framework for hope in face of climate grief and planetary loss. Christine Cusick is a professor of English and director of the Honors Program at Seton Hill University.

‘You Have Lost America by the Irish’: Irish and Irish Americans in the American Revolution Through History and Music with Bill Devlin

March 26, 2026

The Irish History Roundtable/Gerald Forde Memorial Lecture Series

Could the American Revolution have been won without Irish and Irish American participation? Author Bill Devlin will explore the history during an illustrated presentation, with period songs and music presented by musicians of the Andy McGann branch of Comhaltas Ceoltóiri Éireann. Learn about the brave Irish and Irish Americans who fought for our country's freedom! Bill Devlin, who taught history for many years at Darien High School, has written about the Irish in Connecticut and contributed to “Shrewd Irishmen: the Irish in New York City’s Clothing Industry, 1830-1880” in The New York Irish: Essays Toward a History.

The Irish Tenors

March 10, 2026

The Irish Tenors have toured together since 1998, with sold-out shows at Radio City Music Hall, Sydney Opera House, Carnegie Hall, The Hollywood Bowl and other major concert halls throughout the world. The group is familiar to PBS audiences through several specials, including the Ellis Island recordings that sold one million CDs and DVDs.

Women, Peace and Activism in Modern Society 

February 17, 2026

Part of the Human Journey Colloquia Series

Women’s roles in peace activism across borders and time, including Northern Ireland during the Troubles, will be explored. Presented by SHU professors Kate Kelly (social work), Kelly Marino (history) and Ashley Morin (history).

Cherish the Ladies: A Celtic Christmas 

December 9 & 10, 2025

Now in its 25th year, Cherish the Ladies’ annual Christmas tour will mark the holiday season with its Celtic Christmas program. This festive, family-friendly concert will feature their signature sound on classic carols, arranged to showcase their Celtic instrumentation, rich harmonies and remarkable step dancing.

Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin in Conversation at SHU in Dingle 

November 21, 2025

Acclaimed poet Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin is a fellow and professor of English (Emerita) at Trinity College, Dublin, and a member of Aosdána. She is the author of numerous award-winning poetry volumes. Hosted at Sacred Heart University’s Dingle Campus and in collaboration with the Dingle Literary Festival—which honors the best of contemporary writing in English and the Irish language each year—this event will be moderated by Abby Bender, Ph.D., director of SHU's Center for Irish Studies. Ní Chuilleanáin will read from her work, reflect on the themes that have shaped her career and explore the deep creative well of Irish mythology and folklore.

Paul Muldoon and John Doyle, Ireland in Poetry and Song

November 7, 2025

Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Paul Muldoon, one of Ireland’s foremost literary voices, takes the stage with Grammy-nominated musician John Doyle for an evening that celebrates Irish poetry, history and music. 

This unique cultural event supports the reopening of Ireland’s Great Hunger Museum of Fairfield, which tells the story of the Irish Great Famine (1845–1852) through art and historical interpretation. Originally founded in 2012 at Quinnipiac University, the museum is preparing to reopen in the heart of Fairfield’s historic district—and your support will help make that possible.

Reading and Conversation with Irish Writer Elaine Feeney 

October 28, 2025

Elaine Feeney will read from and discuss her celebrated third novel, Let Me Go Mad in My Own Way (2025). Her previous work includes the Booker Prize-nominated novel How to Build a Boat (2023), as well as poetry, short stories, drama and nonfiction. She is co-founder of the Tuam Oral History Project at University of Galway, which records and archives the first-person narratives of those directly affected by the Tuam Mother and Baby Institution. She teaches at the University of Galway. 

Irish Studies and Irish Club Welcome Event

September 29, 2025

Do you want to explore the new student-run Irish club? Are you interested in Irish studies classes? Are you on your way to an Irish studies minor and taking Irish traditional music or Irish literature, history, language or dance? Do you want to learn more about studying at SHU Dingle? Join us to learn about upcoming events, the academic minor, future courses, Irish language classes and short term programs in Ireland at the SHU Dingle campus and more.

Stolen Lives: A Story of Injustice, Resilience and Love

September 10, 2025

Film screening and panel discussion.

An Afternoon of Irish Culture: Language & Music

Tráthnóna Chultúir na nGael: Gaeilge agus Ceol

April 26, 2025

Come to learn about and speak the language of Ireland, An Ghaeilge. Stay to meet master uilleann piper Jerry O’Sullivan and enjoy an afternoon concert. Co-sponsored by the Center for Irish Studies and the English department.

Poetry Reading: Sara Berkeley, Reading and in Conversation

April 23, 2025

Irish poet Sarah Berkeley will read from her poems, including the 2023 collection The Last Cold Day, which won the Yeats Society Prize, and addresses with powerful urgency the climate crisis and caretaking. Berkeley grew up in Dublin, Ireland, and was educated at Trinity College, Southbank University, London, and the University of California, Berkeley. She has published eight collections of poetry, a novel and a collection of short stories. Her work has been widely anthologized in Europe, the U.S. and Canada. She lived for many years in the San Francisco Bay Area and now makes her home with her husband in upstate New York, where she works as a hospice nurse.

Co-sponsored by Literary Spring, the Institute for Sustainability & Social Justice, health humanities, English and the Human Journey Colloquia Series

SHU Claddagh Dance Team and SHU Irish Dance Ensemble

April 11, 2025

Join us for an exhilarating evening with the SHU Claddagh Dance Team and SHU Irish Dance Ensemble as they proudly present their annual Irish Dance Showcase. Prepare to be dazzled by a spectacular display of traditional Irish step dancing, where quick-footed precision meets spirited choreography. From lively jigs to mesmerizing reels, SHU’s talented dancers will captivate you with their energy and grace.

Conversation with Fulbright Scholar Conall Ó Fátharta on Ireland's institutional Abuse Scandals

Friday, April 4, 2025

Conall Ó Fátharta is an award-winning former journalist who previously worked as a Senior News Reporter with the Irish Examiner. He will speak about his current Fulbright scholarship research, examining the Irish print media role in investigating and shaping historical Church and State abuse as national scandals.

Book Talk: The Green Space: The Transformation of the Irish Image

March 27, 2025

Marion Casey, Ph.D., will speak about her new book, The Green Space: The Transformation of the Irish Image. It only took a century or so to segue from phrases like “No Irish Need Apply” to “Kiss Me, I’m Irish” in American popular culture. In this talk, Marion Casey will speak on the topic of “Saint Patrick’s Day: Holiday Pedagogy & Profit in the United States, 1900-1940.” Casey is clinical professor of Irish Studies at Glucksman Ireland House NYU and affiliated faculty in the history department at New York University. She is co-editor of Making the Irish American: History and Heritage of the Irish in the United States (2006) and The Green Space: The Transformation of the Irish Image (2024).

Co-sponsored by the department of history and the Human Journey Colloquia Series

World Music Series: Dervish Irish Traditional Music Concert

March 14, 2025

A recipient of a lifetime achievement award from the BBC, Dervish has recorded and performed worldwide for over three decades. Described by the BBC as an “icon of Irish music,” the band has played at festivals from Rio de Janeiro to Glastonbury.  Dervish have a line-up which includes some of Ireland’s finest traditional musicians, fronted by one of the country’s best-known singers, Cathy Jordan.

The Annual John Moriarty Lecture: "Climate, Coloniality & Sustainable Futures"

February 8, 2024

Malcolm Sen
Director of the Environmental Humanities Specialization, University of Massachusetts, Amherst

Co-sponsored by Irish Studies, the Institute for Sustainability & Social Justice, The Center for Catholic Studies, English and The Human Journey Colloquia Series

Tradition and Complexity: A Week of Art, Music, Literature & Scholarship

Sacred Heart University Irish Studies in collaboration with SCMA

Ireland: Conflict in Eden

March 18, 2024

An exhibition of photograph of the Conflict in Belfast and the life in Southern Ireland by Richard Falco (SCMA) & Mariusz Smiejek and paintings by Nathan Lewis (Art & Design).

Right all Along: A Conversation about Sinéad O’Connor

March 18, 2024

Speakers:

• Claire Bracken, Union College, on Irish History and Memory
• Seth Mulliken, Northeastern University, on Race, Sound, and Intersectionality
• Luciana McClure, Sacred Heart University, on Art, Activism, and Care
• Hilary Sweeney, Sacred Heart University, on O’Connor and the Irish Language

Sponsored by Sacred Heart University Irish Studies, Art & Design, The Human Journey Colloquia Series, School of Communications, Media & the Arts, The Hersher Institute for Ethics, English and Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies

Poetry Repossessed

March 19, 2024

For over fifteen centuries poetry has been written in the Irish language. This bilingual presentation, by Hilary Sweeney together with her Irish Language students, is composed of a selection of poetry in the original Irish, with translations to English, paying particular attention to the 21st century. All welcome. Bígí Linn!

Sponsored by Sacred Heart University Irish Studies, Art & Design, The Human Journey Colloquia Series, School of Communications, Media & the Arts and English.

The Influence of Place on Artistic Imagination: A Reading & Conversation

March 20, 2024

Speakers:

• Marie Hulme (English)
• Nathan Lewis (Art & Design)
• Richard Falco (Media Studies)

Sponsored by Sacred Heart University Irish Studies, Art & Design, The Human Journey Colloquia Series, School of Communications, Media & the Arts and English

Celebrating Goddess - Saint Brigid in Words & Music

March 21, 2024

June-Ann Greeley
English

Chelsey Zimmerman
Music

A presentation by June-Ann Greeley on the Irish Saint Brigid, based on the pre-Christian and medieval legend and lore of Brigid as pre-Christian Celtic goddess and then popular Catholic saint. Long before St. Francis of Assisi, Brigid realized the beauty in and wisdom of the land and all its creatures, and so her tradition offers a contemporary audience powerful guidance for an eco-spirituality and an advocacy for animal rights. Traditional Irish musician and SHU instructor Chelsey Zimmerman, joined by other musicians and students, will provide musical interludes.

Sponsored by Sacred Heart University Irish Studies, Art & Design, The Human Journey Colloquia Series, School of Communications, Media & the Arts and English

Caoilinn Hughes: The Alternatives

April 12, 2024

Caoilinn Hughes is the author The Wild Laughter, which won the Royal Society of Literature’s Encore Award and was longlisted for the International Dylan Thomas Prize, and Orchid & the Wasp, which won the Collyer Bristow Prize and was longlisted for the International Dublin Literary Award. She was recently the Oscar Wilde Centre Writer Fellow at Trinity College Dublin, and is currently a Cullman Center Fellow at New York Public Library.

Claire Kilroy, reading and in conversation about her acclaimed fifth novel, Soldier, Sailor

September 23, 2024

Books available for purchase and signing.

Claire Kilroy is the author of five novels including Soldier Sailor, All Summer, Tenderwire and The Devil I Know. She was awarded the Rooney Prize in 2004 and has been shortlisted for many other prizes, including the Irish Novel of the Year and the Kerry Group Irish Fiction Award. She studied at Trinity College and lives in Dublin.

Paul Muldoon, reading and in conversation

October 16, 2024

Paul Muldoon was born in County Armagh in 1951. He now lives in New York. A former radio and television producer for the BBC in Belfast, he has taught at Princeton University for thirty-five years. He is the author of fifteen collections of poetry including Joy in Service on Rue Tagore, published by FSG and Faber and Faber in 2024. Among his awards are the 1972 Eric Gregory Award, the 1980 Sir Geoffrey Faber Memorial Award, the 1994 T.S. Eliot Prize, the 1997 Irish Times Poetry Prize, the 2003 Pulitzer Prize, the 2003 Griffin International Prize for Poetry, the 2004 American Ireland Fund Literary Award, the 2004 Shakespeare Prize, the 2006 European Prize for Poetry, the 2015 Pigott Poetry Prize, the 2017 Queens Gold Medal for Poetry, and the 2020 Michael Marks Award. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society for Literature and a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

The Annual John Moriarty Lecture: "Invoking Ireland": John Moriarty, Tim Robinson and Linguistic Ecologies

November 4, 2024

Jonathan O’Neill, Ph.D.

Jonathan O’Neill is Assistant Professor of Irish Language & Culture at Villanova University’s Global Interdisciplinary Studies Department and Center for Irish Studies. Previously, he was Assistant Professor and Assistant Director of the Center for Irish Studies at the University of St. Thomas, Houston, Texas. He has degrees in Applied Languages, Comparative Literature & Cultural Studies and Technical Writing from the University of Limerick and a Ph.D. from the Australian National University.

Event is sponsored by Sacred Heart University's Center for Irish Studies, English, the Institute for Sustainability & Social Justice and the Human Journey Colloquia Series.