St Patrick's Day with the authors of A history of Ireland in 100 words

We're all going to miss the parade - again - this year. But if you're looking for an original and multicultural way to celebrate St Patrick's Day, join RIA authors of A history of Ireland in 100 words as they take you from Liverpool to Madrid in just a couple of clicks.

Liverpool: Patrick’s Words and Worlds: A St Patrick’s Day Event 
17 March, 18.00-19.00, online, free of charge. Register via Eventbrite.
The event is organised by the Institute of Irish Studies, University of Liverpool.
The Institute of Irish Studies is delighted to invite you to 'Patrick’s Words and Worlds: A St Patrick’s Day Event' with Dr Sharon Arbuthnot and Professor Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, authors of A History of Ireland in 100 Words. The event will be moderated by Ruth Hegarty, Managing Editor, Royal Irish Academy, and introduced by Professor Peter Shirlow, FAcSS, Director, The Institue of Irish Studies, University of Liverpool.
The event will feature a short series of live talks on points of interest around the theme of St Patrick and will be followed by a live Q&A. Just like the book, no knowledge of Irish is required.

Madrid: Fadó, Fadó: A Celebration of Irishness 
17 March, 19.00-20.00, online, free of charge. Premiered on YouTube (the video will appear in due time).
The event is organised by El Arpa Media. 
El Arpa presents 'Fadó, Fadó: A Celebration of Irishness', an online event premiering on YouTube on 17th March 2021 at 7pm (Irish time) / 8pm (Spanish time). The event will feature Irish poetry, storytelling, music and performance, including contributions by the authors of A History of Ireland in 100 Words, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh and Gregory Toner, and award-winning actor Denis Rafter. 

About A history of Ireland in 100 words
Did you know that Cú Chulainn was conceived with a thirst-quenching drink? That 'cluas', the modern Irish word for 'ear', also means the handle of a cup? That the Old Irish word for 'ring' may have inspired Tolkien's 'nazg'? How and why does the word for noble (saor) come to mean cheap? Why does a word that once meant law (cáin) now mean tax? And why are turkeys in Irish French birds? From murder to beekeeping and everything between, discover how the Irish ate, drank, dressed, loved and lied.

This book tells a history of Ireland by looking at the development of 100 medieval Irish words drawn from the Royal Irish Academy’s Dictionary of the Irish Language. Words tell stories and encapsulate histories and this book captures aspects of Ireland’s changing history by examining the changing meaning of 100 key words. The book is aimed at a general readership and no prior knowledge of the Irish language is required to delve into the fascinating insights it provides. The book is divided into themes, including writing and literature; food and feasting; technology and science; mind and body. Readers can explore words relating to particular concepts, dipping in and out where they please.

You can purchase your copy from our website.