Modern Languages in Irish Life: 1776–2026 and beyond.

Conference to mark the 250th anniversary of the establishment of Modern Languages at Trinity College Dublin in 1776.

Venue: Trinity Long Room Hub Arts & Humanities Research Institute
Date: Friday, 9 October 2026
Booking details will be updated, closer to the conference date.

Conference Programme

All papers are 20 minutes, with 10 minutes for Q&A.

9.00–9.30 am: Opening

Organisers Michael Cronin, Jürgen Barkhoff, Dean, Head of School

9.30–11.00 am, Section I: Policies

Paul Gillespie (UCD/Irish Times) Languages and Politics in Ireland. Lost Decades, Missed Opportunities – Fresh Start?

Phyllis Gaffney (UCD) Appointments and disappointments. Five professorial scandals

Gillian Martin (TCD) Languages for Business: The First 50 Years

11.00–11.30am: Break

Refreshments

11.30-13.00 | Section II: Society

Mervyn O’Driscoll (UCC): Neglected and Underappreciated: Europe’s Contributions to Ireland’s Economic Transformation

Imelda Maher and Stephanie FitzPatrick (UCD): Modern Languages and the Irish Courts

Anne O’Connor (UG): Modern Languages and Catholicism in Ireland (ca. 1600–ca. 1900)

13.00–14.00: Lunch

14.00–16.00 | Section III: Art and Literature

Catherine Marshall (formerly IMMA) Irish Artists and Continental Europe, 1970–2020

Máirín Nic Eoin (DCU) From “Polyglot Paper” to “Multilingual Mermaid”.
Multilingualism and modern Irish-Language Literature

John McCourt (UNiversity of Macerata) The Continental Weave. Europe in Irish English-Language Literature

Michael Cronin (TCD) The Open Island. Ireland in Translation

16.00–16.30 | Break

Refreshments

16.30-18.30 | Section IV: Music, Food, Medicine and Science

AXEL KLEIN (Frankfurt) Music as a 'universal language'. The case for Ireland

Regina Sexton (UCC) Edible Connections. Some case study illustrations of the historical Ireland-Europe food relationship 

Luke Drury (DIAS) European Influences on the Development of Science in Ireland

Desmond O’Neill (TCD) Synergies Between Irish and European Medicine

Followed by reception.

 

Graphic with the words Teangacha Languages 250 at Trinity (1776-2026).

The 'Languages 250 at Trinity (1776-2026)' programme of events marks the 250th anniversary of the establishment of Modern Languages in Trinity College Dublin.