Irish Studies in the Faculty of Arts at Saint Mary's University

Irish Studies

Irish Studies 2nd Language Assistant from Ireland

Photo of Saili

The D'Arcy McGee Chair in Irish Studies is excited to announce the new Language Assistant for the academic year 2010-2011. Sailí Ní Dhroighneáin comes from the west of Ireland, a place called Connemara, which is an Irish speaking area (or Gaeltacht). Sailí's services are provided through a program with Ireland Canada University Foundation. The Foundation operates the Irish Language Programme to support the teaching of Irish in Canadian universities. To learn more about the programme click here.

As a Language Assistant, Sailí will be teaching IRST 1201 (An Introduction to Modern Irish) in the fall term and IRST 1202 (Modern Irish Language) in the winter term. Besides the typical in class language instruction, all students will be required to meet with the instructor outside of the class for practice sessions. She will also be available to meet with the local Irish Societies in the Maritimes. The goal is to build awareness of Irish culture in the region.

As a native Irish speaker, Sailí is accustomed to speaking Irish at home, with her friends and in the workplace. She was educated through the medium of Irish and went on to do a B.A and a Masters in the Irish language. From there she was offered a position as a third level Irish language teacher for the National University of Ireland, Galway and has been enjoying that job for the past three years. She has been teaching both degree and diploma classes. In the classroom she focuses on communication and being able to express opinions through the medium of Irish. It will be her aim to create a comfortable atmosphere in the class where the students will learn how to express themselves through Irish, both spoken and written. She will also endeavour to give students a taste of Irish culture and give them information about life in an Irish speaking area in Ireland.

Another reason for Sailí presence being real treat, is that she is a Sean-Nós singer, which is an style of singing unique to Gaelic culture, and she would love to share this with students to give them a proper flavour of Irish heritage. In Sailí's own words, "I am really looking forward to my time in Saint Mary’s University. I look forward to meeting the students and creating classes which are educational, fun and satisfying".

The D’Arcy McGee Chair of Irish Studies

The D’Arcy McGee Chair of Irish Studies was established at Saint Mary’s University by Dr. Cyril J. Byrne in the spring of 1986 by means of an endowment from the Charitable Irish Society of Halifax and the University. This was matched by the Department of the Secretary of State of Canada, Multiculturalism Directorate, under the terms of the Endowment Assistance Program.

With these initial funds, the Chair was set up to form a focal point for the study of all aspects of Irish and Irish-Canadian culture, particularly language, literature, history, political science and folklore. While Irish Studies inter-disciplinary courses are mainly for undergraduate students, donations to the trust fund have make possible the development of research projects and the expansion of library holdings at the Patrick Power Library, thus serving to attract graduate students and scholars in the field.

Another important concern of the Chair is interaction with the general community. This has be achieved through the provision of opportunities for local residents and others to pursue their interests in Irish and Irish-Canadian studies through lectures and other similar activities.

The choice of Saint Mary’s University as a centre for Irish and Irish-Canadian studies is a natural one. Saint Mary’s was originally founded by members of the Irish Catholic community in Halifax and has kept many of its Irish connections to the present. An early President, Father Richard Baptist O’Brien, taught monoglot Irish Haligonians in the Irish language, and for many years the college was run by the Christian Brothers, an educational religious order founded in Ireland. Further, while the influx of Irish immigrants was fairly general throughout the Atlantic region in the nineteenth century, Halifax was one of the major ports of entry.

The foundation of the Charitable Irish Society of Halifax (1786) to relieve the sufferings of the indigent Irish poor was remarkable not only for its early date but also because the Society was from the beginning non—sectarian. The Chair of Irish Studies has sought to maintain and expand this ecumenical spirit of ethnic solidarity and generosity by offering the culture and heritage of the Irish and Irish—Canadians to all who are interested in studying the varying streams of Irish culture.