Screening the Irish in Britain

26 September 2009

A one-day seminar, 'Screening the Irish in Britain', was held in the Arts and Technology Research laboratory (ATRL) at TCD on Saturday 26 September, organised by Dr Ruth Barton.

This was the first ever event held on this topic and follows the successful ‘Screening Irish-America’ research project (now a publication, out with Irish Academic Press). The event was opened by Professor Kevin Rockett of TCD.

The keynote speaker, Dr Lance Pettitt (Leeds Metropolitan University), spoke on the Irish émigré director, Brian Desmond Hurst and his exilic consciousness. Other papers included: Professor Bronwen Walter (Anglia Ruskin University) on the invisibility of Irish identity in British cinema with particular reference to the Irish character in the film version of Notes on A Scandal. Professor John Hill (Royal Holloway, University of London) spoke on Ken Loach’s use of the Irish as a kind of ‘lumpen proleteriat’. Professor Martin McLoone (University of Ulster) discussed the process of ‘naming and claiming’, whereby, for instance, English footballers were claimed as Irish – but with some (Tony Cascarino) playing, but others (Kevin Keegan) never having played for Ireland.

Professor Charles Barr (University College Dublin) spoke of the censorship of films containing Irish characters and pro-Allied messages in wartime Ireland. A number of postgraduates and postdoctoral researchers gave papers and the day ended with a screening of the documentary on elderly Irish immigrants in Britain, titled I Only Came for a Couple of Years. This was introduced by its producer, Dr Tony Murray of London Metropolitan University.

The proceedings will be published in a special issue of Irish Studies Review.

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