International Irish Language Conference held in Prague

The title of the conference was ‘Ar an Imeall i Lár an Domhain’ (On the Periphery in the Centre of the World) and its theme was liminality in Irish and European literature and culture. Dr Pádraig Ó Liatháin (former lecturer and current Associate Member of the Centre for Irish Studies, Charles University, Prague) and Professor Emerita Máirín Nic Eoin of Fiontar & Scoil na Gaeilge were members of the conference committee. 10 members of Fiontar & Scoil na Gaeilge presented on their research. Scholars attended from over 10 third-level institutes in Ireland, as well as academics from the Czech Republic, France, Finland, Poland and North America. The Irish language is being taught in Charles University for almost 30 years. Its position on the curriculum has been strengthened in recent years, however, and Dr Radvan Markus, the current Irish language lecturer (a former student of Pádraig Ó Liatháin) is an example of someone whose personal ‘turas teanga’ has taken him from an undergraduate ab initio course to mastery of the language.

The multidisciplinarity of Irish-language studies as practiced both in Ireland and internationally was a marked feature of the conference programme. A wide range of scholarly fields and critical approaches and methodologies were represented: applied linguistics, literary and cultural criticism, migration studies, politics, education, the digital humanities, manuscript traditions, literary history, folklore, performance studies, comparative literature, translation studies.

'Ar an Imeall i Lár an Domhain: An Tairseachúlacht i Litríocht agus i gCultúr na hÉireann agus na hEorpa’ téama na comhdhála, agus mheall an téama sin breis agus seasca tairiscint páipéir, sa chaoi gurbh í seo an chomhdháil ba mhó riamh a eagraíodh trí Ghaeilge taobh amuigh d’Éirinn. Bhí an Dr Pádraig Ó Liathain (Ball Comhlach d'Ionad an Léinn Éireannaigh in Ollscoil Shéarlais) agus an tOllamh Máirín Nic Eoin, ó Fiontar agus Scoil na Gaeilge, ar an gcoiste eagraithe. Bhí deichniúr i láthair ó DCU, mar aon le scoláirí ó bhreis is deich n-institiúid ardléinn ar oileán na hÉireann, chomh maith le scoláirí Seiceacha, agus léachtóirí atá lonnaithe in ollscoileanna sa Fhrainc, san Fhionlainn, sa Pholainn agus i Meiriceá Thuaidh.

Gné shuaithinseach de chuid na comhdhála ba ea an léiriú a tugadh ar ildisciplíneacht léann na Gaeilge mar atá sé á chleachtadh anois in Éirinn agus go hidirnáisiúnta. Caitheadh solas ar raon ilghnéitheach réimsí scoláireachta: an teangeolaíocht fheidhmeach, an chritic liteartha agus chultúir, léann na himirce, an pholaitíocht, cúrsaí oideachais, na daonnachtaí digiteacha, léann na lámhscríbhinní, stair na litríochta, léann an bhéaloidis agus an taibhléirithe, an litríocht chomparáideach, léann an aistriúcháin.