Take a Trip Down Memory Lane with Trinity Week 2016
Posted on: 05 April 2016
‘Memories are Made of This’… but can you remember who sang that song? Or who won last year’s All Ireland?
How do we remember? Although memories form a crucial part of who we are, do we ever stop to think about this fascinating process – how does memory actually work, why do certain memories persist and others don’t?
The theme of ‘Memory’ runs through this year’s Trinity Week (Monday April 11-Friday April 15), when all are invited to ponder such questions through a range of free events open to the public.
Throughout the week, the college will play host to a number of high-profile guests and academics who will encourage students, staff and the public and to take a trip down memory lane with them as they explore topics such as:
- How a lack of long-term memory contributed to the property crash (Economist Ronan Lyons, Tuesday April 12)
- Memory, dementia and communication – dementia is the illness of our time but by maximising memory and communication we can improve the wellbeing of those affected (visiting Canadian academic Tammy Hopper, Wednesday April 13)
- Memory in the digital age – the digital realm always remembers but some things are better off forgotten (featuring Director of Digital Rights Ireland Antoin Ó Lachtnáin, Thursday April 14)
- How physical exercise can enhance memory while stress will do the opposite (School of Medicine’s Head of Physiology Áine Kelly, Tuesday April 12)
- ‘Memory, the Diaspora and Home’ – looks at the way in which memories are preserved in the Irish diaspora (Director of CELLT Dr Sarah O’Brien, Tuesday April 12)
For poetry fans two highlights will undoubtedly be Michael Longley’s ‘Reflections on Ageing and Memory’ poetry reading on Tuesday night, in conjunction with Mercer’s Institute for Successful Ageing. Longley is renowned for the beauty of his compact, meditative lyrics which have been described as “masterpieces of lucidity”.
Most of us can remember trying to learn off all those poems for the leaving cert but could you stand up and recite any of them now? On Thursday ‘By Heart’ is an open-mic style event of poetry and prose recited from memory in honour of Brendan Kennelly, on the occasion of his 80th birthday. Lots of guests will be taking to the stage including David Norris as well as some local school children.
How memory is represented in literature will be a hot topic on Wednesday. ‘Literature and Memory’ will no doubt be a lively discussion chaired by Dr Philip Coleman from the School of English. Speakers will look at a range of critical perspectives and reference literary and cultural texts.
The digital age in which we live has created a whole new set of challenges when it comes to memory. For example, the everlasting memory of the digital realm remembers what is sometimes best forgotten and privacy in the digital age seems to be a thing of the past. This will be the focus of discussion on Thursday in the seminar ‘Memory in a Digital Age: Collecting, Accessing and Forgetting’.
Reflecting the rich diversity of the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences – organisers of this year’s Trinity Week – a historical approach is taken on Tuesday when Dr Tim Meagher, from the Catholic University of America, re-examines 1916. In particular he will look at the impact the revived nationalist movement in Ireland had on Irish America in ‘Irish-American Dimensions to the 1916 Rising and its Aftermath’.
In addition to symposia, lectures and talks, on Wednesday students will step back in time for an 80s-themed aerobics workout in the arts block while that evening RTE’s Brian Dobson will officiate at the grand final of ‘University Challenge’ in the Public Theatre.
Commenting on this year’s ‘Memory’ theme, Professor Darryl Jones, Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, said: “As the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, we thought it appropriate to recognise the major event of 2016, the centenary of the Easter Rising. But the theme of memory encompasses so much more and allows us to showcase the wide variety of the Faculty’s interests, from psychology and neuroscience, to linguistics to literature and much else besides.”
All events are free but some must be booked in advance. For the full programme of week-long activities and further information visit https://www.tcd.ie/trinityweek/