2022 Congress for Ireland
Emma Dabiri, Manchán Magan, Fintan O’Toole, Jennifer Walshe

This series 2022 Congress for Ireland echoes the Irish Race Congress held in Paris in January 1922 which presented the grand narrative of Irish cultural achievement to a diasporic and international audience. Jack Yeats delivered his only public lecture on Irish Art, Douglas Hyde spoke on Irish language and W. B. Yeats spoke of Irish literature and theatre. All spoke about their hope and aspirations for the future with the emergence of the new State seeking for world recognition. A century later, today’s experts will address the issue of modern Ireland and its identity. The speeches will be released this autumn as a podcast series.

IDENTITY - Emma Dabiri is an Irish-Nigerian academic, broadcaster and the author of Don’t touch my hair published in 2020. She researches important issues facing Britain’s black population, including that of identity.

LANGUAGES - Manchán Magan is a writer and a travel documentary-maker who writes for the Irish Times. His publications focus on the richness of the Irish language and its links to nature.

EUROPE - Critic and journalist for the Irish Times, the Guardian and the New York Review of Books, Fintan O’Toole is known for his strong opinions about Ireland in relation to its immigration policy, public services and inequalities as well as the country’s position vis-à-vis Britain and Europe.

MUSIC – Composer Jennifer Walshe trained at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and was elected to Aosdana in 2020. Her musical work includes the creation of a fictional history of the musical avant-garde in Ireland and two operas in 2019, Time Time Time written in collaboration with Timothy Morton, and The Site of an Investigation.

Co-curated by CCI director, Nora Hickey M’Sichili, and researcher and Liam Swords Fellow, William Shortall

At the same time as the 'Irish Race Congress' was held in January 1922, the new Irish State presented a major exhibition of Irish art in Paris which Trinity College Dublin has recreated in a wonderful 3D exhibition. You can enjoy this at www.seeingIreland.ie