irish and celtic studies research institute - University of Ulster

• Many Voices Literary Festival
February 2007, Coleraine (2005-2007)
• Éigse Cholm Chille
2-4 March 2007, Magee (2003-2007)
• Bho Chuan gu cuan: Scottish Gaelic in Canada
26-27 April 2007, Belfast
• Sacred Topology in Early Ireland and India
20-22 May 2007, Coleraine
Further comment on conferences (see also Director’s Introduction)
The principal organiser of the Second International Colloquium of Societas Celto-Slavica which was held in Moscow in
September 2006 was Associate Institute member Professor Tatyana Mikhailova. The opening ceremony was addressed
by the President of the Society, Professor Mac Mathúna, and by the Secretary, Dr Fomin. The Colloquium was also
attended by Professor Ó Corráin, Dr Bondarenko and Dr Borsje, all of whom delivered papers.
A number of staff who attended the Celto-Slavica Colloquium in Moscow proceeded from there to the Ninth
Symposium of Societas Celtologica Nordica, held in Helsinki. This well-established symposium was also very successful
and was addressed by many international scholars of Celtic Studies.
Dr Grigory Bondarenko organised a very successful conference in Moscow on ‘Aspects of Celtic Hagiography’. He
also chaired many of the sessions.
Dr Frank Sewell continued his organisation of the very successful Many Voices Literary Festival which was addressed
by a number of distinguished creative writers including Dr Sewell and Professor Welch.
The subject of this year’s Éigse Cholm Chille was ‘The Flight of the Earls’. In addition to other high profile speakers,
Dr Diarmaid Ó Doibhlin, Dr Nollaig Ó Muraile, and Dr Antaine Ó Donnaile, all formerly of Irish Studies at UU, gave
papers. The lectures were of a uniformly very high standard and overall the Éigse was a great success. The Proceedings
of the 2006 Éigse on the writings of Monsignor Professor Breandán Ó Doibhlin were launched after the opening
lecture by Dr Brian Lacey, formerly a Lecturer at the Magee Campus.
The conference Bho Chuan gu Cuan: Scottish Gaelic in Canada was a very successful academic and community-based
interdiscipinary event with papers from noted scholars in the field of Scottish Gaelic studies on both sides of the
Atlantic. As noted in the Director’s Introduction, the world premiere of the film, Ìompaireachd nan Gaidheal, written
and presented by Iain Mac a’ Phearsain, took place at the beginning of the conference. Thanks to Iain, to Professor
Seosamh Watson, one of the organizing committee, and to the supporting partner institutions - Colm Cille, University
College Dublin, Government of Nova Scotia.
The Celto-Indica project, which included the conference Sacred Topology in Early Ireland and India, as well as Workshops
on an Anthology of Indo-Irish work in language, literature, history and folklore, took place on the Coleraine Campus
between 20 and 29 May 2007. Both the Conference and the workshops were most successful and work is ongoing
on both fronts.
Forthcoming Conferences
• The Flight of the Earls (Letterkenny, 17-19 August 2007)
• EUROCALL (September 2007)
• Celtic Cosmology and the Power of Words (14-16 February 2008)
• Third International Colloquium of Societas Celto-Slavica (Dubrovnik, September 2008)
• Third Ulster Cycle Conference (22-25 June 2009)
• Fourth International Colloquium of Societas Celto-Slavica (Lodz, 2009)
• Teangeolaíocht na Gaeilge (2009)
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