'"Gaedhilg na haimsire seo" Writing processes and culture in Irish language print media 1909-1920'

Dr Regina Uí Chollatáin will give the third lecture in our series of Lunchtime Lectures on ‘Intellectual life in Ireland 1910-1920’. This series accompanies a library exhibition on the same theme. 

The title of this lecture refers to an article written in 1909 which reflects the orthographical challenges of this period which dictated much debate in language usage in the public sphere of the media. This talk will present an overview of the themes, content and Irish language journals between 1910-1920, examining the impact of developments in Irish language print media on the intellectual life and on the understanding of culture and identity. This is particularly relevant in the context of Intellectual life in Ireland during this period where Revivalist ideology and the language movement helped to make new developments a reality. New writing practices and processes which evolved as a result of new writing styles and print forums were central to the creation of an Irish reading public and a modern Irish literature.

Speaker: Regina Uí Chollatáin is a Senior Lecturer and Head of the School of Irish, Celtic Studies and Folklore in University College Dublin. Her main areas of research are Irish language media, print culture and language revival. She has published widely in academic journals nationally and internationally. Her monograph on the first Irish language newspaper An Claidheamh Soluis agus Fáinne an Lae 1899-1932 (2004) was awarded the  Donnchadh Ó Súilleabháin Oireachtas award. Recent publications include co-editor of Litríocht na Gaeilge ar fud an domhain (2015) the first comprehensive study of Irish language literature in a global context, Cnuasach Comhar 1982-2012 (2014), An Greann sa Ghaeilge (2013). She was the recipient of the Senior Visiting Professor award from the Ireland-Canada University Foundation om 2011-12 and she is currently the Chair of the National Irish Language Development Forum.

Listen to Dr Uí Chollatáin's lecture here