Important Archival Gift to School of Canadian Irish Studies

The archives of the School of Canadian Irish Studies are delighted to receive recordings of interviews with Seamus Heaney and Bernadette Devlin, conducted by James Olwell. The interviews took place when the poet and the Northern Irish politician visited Montreal. The School will transcribe interviews so that they can be available to future students and researchers. Michael Kenneally has expressed his appreciation to James Olwell for these unique and valuable archival materials, especially so as, each year, one or more undergraduate Irish literature courses focus on some aspect of Heaney’s writing, and a course is offered on a regular basis on The Troubles in Northern Ireland.    

The conversation with Seamus Heaney is particularly welcome because of poet’s association with Concordia University, which conferred an Honorary Degree on him in 2002. Heaney came to Concordia to lend his support to the development of Irish Studies, and over the years he followed the evolution of Irish Studies as an academic program with great interest. Now students can engage in an intimate way with Ireland’s late Noble Laureate, as well as gain special insight into the Troubles in Northern Ireland.