Frequently Asked Questions

What is IASIL?
IASIL is an international association of academics, scholars, teachers, students, and enthusiasts of Irish literature. The Association’s history and remit are described HERE.

IASIL’s most recently approved Constitution can be .

IASIL is run on a non-profit, voluntary basis by an elected executive and representatives.

Information on the IASIL website may be viewed here.   Revised Constitution for IASIL as Approved

How do I join/rejoin IASIL?
By downloading a MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION FORM, and by following the instructions listed on the Membership page.

Do I need to be a student or teacher to join IASIL?
While IASIL is primarily an association of teachers, students and scholars, the IASIL Executive warmly welcomes all enthusiasts of Irish literature

What are the Benefits of Membership?
Members of IASIL receive a copy of the Irish University Review twice a year, are permitted to deliver papers at the annual IASIL Conference (subject to paper proposals being accepted by conference organisers), and may vote in IASIL Elections. They also receive the newsletter (currently delivered electronically), and may participate in the dedicated IASIL Listserv.

How do I know when my membership has expired?
Membership runs from one-year to three-years from the date of your joining/renewal.

I am an IASIL Member. How can I publicise my new book/conference/course?

IASIL Members are very welcome to send information on their new publications/conferences/courses for publication on this website, provided that these are relevant to the activities of the Association. Contact the Secretary for more information. We will also publish information about members’ new posts, new Irish Studies centre and courses, Irish Studies jobs, etc.

I want to advertise my services/publications to IASIL Members. How can I do so?
At present, the IASIL website does not accept advertisements. If you feel that you have information that may be of interest to the Members, contact the Secretary; decisions about the inclusion of material are made on a case-by-case basis. Information that is not related to Irish literature is not included.

A good way to reach IASIL Members is by arranging to advertise at annual IASIL Conferences. Such opportunities are limited, and prospective advertisers are advised to contact conference organisers well in advance. Information on forthcoming IASIL Conferences may be found HERE.

IASIL does not make members’ email or postal addresses available to third parties, and will not forward announcements to members on matters that do not directly relate to the Association’s activities.

Posting Links
If you wish to have a link to your site added to iasil.org, please contact the Secretary. IASIL is a non-profit, non-political organisation. Links will therefore not be provided to political organisations, nor will political campaigns be publicised or endorsed. Links will not be posted to exclusively commercial websites, unless the service is of specific relevance to Irish writing – as, for example, when a bookseller has an established reputation for expertise in Irish publications.

I want to join the IASIL Listserv
The IASIL Listserv is open only to IASIL Members. When you join the Association, you will be added to the Listserv. If you are already a member of IASIL and are not on the Listserv – or if you wish to leave the listserv – contact the Secretary.

Can I attend an IASIL Conference if I am not an IASIL Member?
It is not necessary to be an IASIL member if you wish to attend an IASIL Conference, though we would encourage you to join. It is not possible to present a paper at an IASIL conference unless you are a member. Priority of access will always be given to IASIL members; arrangement in place in relation to access for non-members will vary from year-to-year. Non-members will only be facilitated when all IASIL members have been facilitated.

Attendees are responsible for their own arrangements in relation to visas.

It should be noted that the purpose of IASIL conferences is for members to carry out official Association business and to hear and deliver papers. While other activities may occur on an informal basis, no delegate should form the expectation of entitlement to carry out any business other than official IASIL business and the delivery (and listening to) of papers. See the conferences page for the full terms and conditions of acess to conferences for non-members.

I want a letter of invitation to Ireland/the USA/the European Union
Letters of invitation to IASIL Conferences are only issued to IASIL Members in good standing, whose paper proposals have been accepted for conferences. Requests from others will not be processed. IASIL occasionally receives requests for letters of invitation to particular countries from individuals who do not wish to participate in IASIL conferences. In such circumstances, it is not possible to agree to such requests.

I want accommodation/transport information/further details on this year’s IASIL Conference
Go to the conferences homepage, and follow the appropriate links.

General Questions about Ireland and Irish Writing
IASIL online cannot provide help with term papers or research projects for students, and cannot offer other forms of academic/literary advice to non-members.

Normally, it will not be possible for us to answer general queries from non-members about Irish literature, culture, politics, legend, language etc. Many websites do provide such information, however; details of some have been provided in the links section.

Bibliographical information about Irish writing and criticism is available on the Eirdata website.

Exchange of information and advice between IASIL Members is of course encouraged, by means of the IASIL Listserv, the annual conferences, this website, and many other media and settings.

IASIL does not undertake genealogical research – contact the National Library of Ireland if this is your interest.

Can IASIL publish my book?
IASIL is not a publisher, though proceedings of its conferences are often published on an ad hoc basis by IASIL conference organisers. If you wish to publish a manuscript on some element of Irish literature, or if you seek advice about the viability of a publishing proposal, you may wish to contact one of the publishers listed on the Irish Writers Centre website. None of the books mentioned on this website is available for sale from IASIL, though many of the publishers listed should be contactable through the links section.

Anything Else?
Enquiries not covered above should be directed to the Secretary. Queries or comments relating to the website should be sent to the webmaster

You may wish to search the IASIL website with keywords for the information you seek. The search box is available in the top right of the homepage.

IASIL is a voluntary organization. Precedence must therefore be given to requests/questions from members.

Unless stated otherwise, the information on the IASIL website is either copyright, or used with permission. If you wish to reproduce any information from the site, please contact the webmaster first.