Report from the Chairperson: Annual Overview
1998-99
Our conference at the young and vibrant University of Limerick was a resounding success: it was exceptionally well-organised, thanks to an efficient and omni-present professional team; it attracted a significant number of new members, including many young academics and graduate students; it had four superb keynote lectures; and it did all of this in the context of exciting cultural events and warm hospitality. After the conference, I wrote to the various university administrators and academics who attended some of our events, thanking them for their welcome and congratulating Dr. Patricia Lynch and her conference committee. Already, Patricia has arranged to have the proceedings published and all of you who gave papers are encouraged to send them to Patricia as soon as possible.
At Limerick, Dr. Jacqueline Hurtley gave a very comprehensive and appealing outline of the plans for this year's conference at the University of Barcelona, from 26th-29th July. Among keynote speakers will be Nuala ní Dhomhnaill, Bernard O'Donoghue, and Colm Tóibin, as well as Joaquim Mallafrè, the translator of Ulysses and Beckett's plays into Catalan. Although the deadline for proposals was early in January, the conference organizers have proved flexible because of some early difficulties in setting up the web site for the conference. The conference theme is "Irish Literature at Century's End", with many sub-themes which can accommodate a variety of critical perspectives.
After the conference, beginning on Friday, 30th July-Monday, 2nd August, there will be a post-conference tour. For further information contact Jackie Hurtley by c/o Dept. De Filologia Anglesa I Alemanya, Universitat de Barcelona, Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, 585, 08007 Barcelona, Spain; tel. 34-93-3171249; email <hurtley@lingua.fil.ub.es>
Our conference in 2000 will be held at Bath Spa University College, under the direction of Dr. Neil Sammells, Dean of Humanities. In 2001, the conference will be jointly hosted by Dr. Patrick Burke (St. Patrick's College, Drumcondra) and Dr. Barbara Freitag (Dublin City University). In 2002 we have been invited to the Princess Grace Irish Library (Monaco), and for 2003 interest has been expressed by the University of Milan.
Turlough Johnston took over as Chair of the Bibliographical Committee this past year and, despite the short time available, did a stellar job in preparing the report for 1997. The results are evident in the Fall '98 issue of the Irish University Review. Turlough, an Irish businessman in the publishing industry who lives in Göteborg, Sweden, is now working with Dr. Anthony Roche, IUR Editor, to refine the criteria upon which items are selected and to standardise their format. He is also re-structuring the committee and invites those interested in becoming contributors to contact him at his email address: <Johnston.trycksakskonsult @mbox300.swipnet.se>.
As a result of our recent very successful conferences as well as our recruitment drive, I am very pleased to report that our membership has now reached approximately 750. Because we were still under-represented in Ireland, this Fall I wrote to all academics in Ireland involved in Irish literary studies encouraging them to join. So we hope that our number of Irish members will now begin to increase. If you are in contact with Irish academics, please encourage them to join IASIL.
At our Limerick meeting, the conference protocol (prepared by Heinz Kosok's committee) was approved for use by future conference organizers. It already has proved invaluable as a guide for the Barcelona organizers and will ensure continuity from the practices of one conference to another.
The financial state of IASIL continues to be very healthy, with an annual surplus after expenses. In each of the last two years, we have been able to transfer money from the general account into the Honour Fund (in Limerick the amount transferred was Ir£700). The Honour Fund continues to grow modestly but sufficiently to provide two scholarships and four special awards to assist students to attend the conference at Limerick. At a ceremony which has become one of the highlights of our AGM, the scholarship cheques were presented to Maria Amor Barros del Rio (University of Burgos) and James Smith (Boston College), and the prizes to Kathleen Costello-Sullivan (Boston), Ellen Crowell (Texas U.), Kellie Donovan Wixson (Tufts) and Karin Zettl-Zwittnig (Univ. of Vienna).
Under the enthusiastic direction of Dr. Marie Arndt, the Nordic Irish Studies Network was launched in September 1998 in conjunction with a symposium in Aarhus entitled, "The Past in the Present: Themes in Modern Irish Literature and Intellectual Debate." The NISN seeks to promote and encourage the study and teaching of Ireland and Irish cultures in the Nordic countries. Congratulations once again to Marie Arndt for this initiative.
This past year, Boston College celebrated the twentieth anniversary of its Irish Studies program, and the College marked the occasion by donating the stately Connolly House to Irish Studies. The highlight of the year of celebrations was the official opening of Connolly House by Her Excellency Mrs. Mary McAleese (President of Ireland). At the summer graduation session, Professor Adele Dalsimer was given an Honorary Degree by the University of Ulster in recognition of her many years of enthusiastic and successful promotion of Irish Studies.
Colin Smythe's distinguished career as writer, critic, bibliographer and publisher was acknowledged by Trinity College Dublin (Colin's Alma Mater) when it conferred an Honorary Degree on him at its summer convocation. Every student and scholar in Irish Studies, no matter where in the world, has felt the influence of Colin's extraordinary life-long commitment to Irish Studies. Long before Irish Studies were considered to be mainstream, and before Irish culture was fashionable, Colin Smythe dedicated himself to the international promotion of Irish literary studies, especially the work of Yeats, Synge and his beloved Lady Gregory. Adele and Colin were given long and heartfelt standing ovations from IASIL's members. At the AGM in Limerick, special recognition was given to Colin Smythe and Professor Adele Dalsimer.
Colleagues of Professor Heinz Kosok met this month to celebrate his 65th birthday and mark official retirement for the University of Wuppertal, which he has graced for many years. These and other friends around the world have contributed to a special collection of essays to mark the occasion. [See our notice on Festschrift for Heinz Kosok under Membership News below.] Heinz and Gillian have been valued presences at many an IASIL conference, and I take this opportunity to express on behalf of the membership the hope that we will see them both at many in the future and to wish Heinz many more years of productive literary life and all the pleasures of retirement.
This year also marks the retirement of Professor Donald Morse from the University of Oakland. Donald and Csilla Bertha have been faithful attendees at IASIL conferences since the Graz conference in 1984. Don's lectures have always been characterised by special insights and delivered with infectious enthusiasm for his subject. He and Csilla did Trojan work on the Debrecen conference, including Donald's stepping in at the last minute to give one of the keynote lectures. Together they edited the papers of the conference [cited elsewhere in this Newsletter]. Besides publishing extensively on Irish literature, Donald has had a parallel career as a prolific critic of fantasy literature and is a principal member of the international association devoted to that subject. We are glad to know that Donald's retirement from his American post means that we will be freer to attend future IASIL conference. Every IASIL member will share in this opportunity to salute a milestone in the life of an outstanding scholar-critic and to wish him and Csilla every happiness in future years.