IASIL Associations News - Reports 2004/2005

Chair’s Address

Greetings to all IASIL members as we begin 2005. It was wonderful to meet so many of you in Galway at our conference last July, and to hear afterwards that you both enjoyed the conference itself, and the opportunities it provided to renew friendships and to make new ones. In the months since, many of you have contacted me and the members of the conference team with news of the outward rippling effect of the discussions and plans which were facilitated by the gathering itself, as well as the papers and academic sessions. A special feature of the gathering was the energy of the student participants, several of whom were able to attend because of the scholarships awarded as a result of the generosity of members who subscribed to the Honour Fund, and the Support Fund. It seems to me that such momentum cannot be organised, but happens in the context of organisations such as ours, where there are shared interests, intellectual curiosity and a willingness to discuss ideas and develop plans with each other. Therefore our best wishes to all of you who are engaged in projects initiated in the context of the IASIL network of academic co-operation.

2004 was the year of literary anniversaries, some of which were reflected in the panels of the conference. It was hard to keep up with the riches of the Bloomsday celebrations, the abbeyonehundred, the Patrick Kavanagh ceremonies. I hope that when you came for the conference, you managed to enjoy some of the anniversary events, perhaps a play in the Abbey, the magnificent Ulysses exhibition in the National Library, or a visit to some of the locations associated with the many writers whose works were the subjects of papers in Galway.

The major event of 2005 will be the IASIL Conference at Prague, organised by the dedicated team of Louis Armand, Ondrej Pilny and Clare Wallace. The plans are already well advanced, and the organisers have received a record number of proposals. For those of you seeking good value airfares, check out the special rates available on this website. There are many options and connections available at this stage, although some will fill up quickly. It promises to be a memorable conference, located close to the historical centre of the city, with a challenging academic topic under discussion: Ireland, A Global Village? I can assure Louis, Ondrej and Clare that we are all really looking forward to it.

Let me alert you also that the conference in July 2006 will take place in Sydney, Australia. This will provide an opportunity for many of us to make our first visit to the continent, where we are assured of a wonderful welcome from Peter Kuch and his team.

This 2005 issue of the IASIL newsletter serves to update members on practical matters concerning our activities, and also to publicise publications by members and other activities which you want to bring to our attention. Please get in touch with any suggestions or information, as this is your forum, and it will be what you make it. The Newsletter is updated online every week: check in regularly and keep sending us the information. May I highlight one request, which is contained in the AGM Minutes of the Newsletter. Frank Molloy, editor of the IASIL Bibliography, needs correspondents to cover publications relating to Irish literature in India, Russia, Southeast Asia, and other areas. If you may be able to help, please contact Frank to learn what is required, and how information should be submitted.

My thanks to Dawn Duncan, Newsletter Editor and IASIL Secretary, and our Webmaster Patrick Lonergan, who have both worked hard on this issue. A special word of welcome to John McDonagh, who has taken over the position of Treasurer, and has overseen the IASIL audit and the update of the membership lists.

Thanks also to you, the membership, for whose benefit IASIL exists. I hope this will be a good year for your research, publications, and teaching projects.

All the best,
Riana O’Dwyer