The Sixth Literature of Irish Exile

Autumn School

Centre for Migration Studies at the Ulster-American Folk Park, Omagh

Saturday, 15 October 2005

The focus of the Literature of Irish Exile Autumn School, now in its sixth year, remains on how emigrants from Ireland have given expression in words to feelings of exile. Part of the programme will take place in the stimulating setting of the Outdoor Museum of the Ulster-American Folk Park. The rest will be in the warmth of the library of the Centre for Migration Studies. The aim is to give members of the public a friendly opportunity to meet and mix with experts on some of the less well-known aspects of 'exile' in Irish literature.

It was planned that Frank Harte, the famous traditional singer and one of Ireland’s leading experts on songs of emigration, should perform at this year’s Autumn School. Sadly, Frank died in June. In his place we have another leading singer, Len Graham, who will take The Hungry Voice, Frank Harte’s major collection of emigration songs, as the main focus of his performance.

Speakers

Lorraine Tennant is Manager of the CMS Irish Emigration Data Collection Project in Belfast since its inception in 1988

Brian Lambkin is Director of CMS

Pat O’Donnell is Assistant Curator at the Ulster-American Folk Park and has curated the current Threads of Emigration Exhibition

Jennifer Meegan is Associate Lecturer, Open University in Ireland and has been actively involved with her husband, Brendan, in the conservation of the Irish Chiefs Sampler which is now on display in Threads of Emigration

Len Graham is a leading singer and collector in the Irish traditional song tradition. He was a friend of the late Frank Harte, who was due to have performed at this year’s Autumn School. His collection of songs of emigration, The Hungry Voice, will be the main focus of Len’s performance

Patrick Fitzgerald is Lecturer and Development Officer at CMS

Johanne Devlin Trew is Research Fellow, based at CMS, Omagh, working on the oral history project ‘Narratives of Migration and Return’. She previously taught at Memorial University of Newfoundland

Please see overleaf for programme details

Saturday 15 October, 2005

10.45 Registration (CMS Library at Ulster-American Folk Park, Omagh)

Tea / Coffee on arrival

11.00 Welcome (CMS Library)

11.05Lorraine Tennant, ‘Exploring the Emigration Letters of James Alexander Smyth (1873-1954)’

Chair: Brian Lambkin

11.35 Discussion

12.00 Brian Lambkin, ‘Frank Harte, Songs of Emigration and The Irish Chiefs’

12.15Pat O’Donnell, ‘Introducing the new Threads of Emigration Exhibition’

Round Gallery

Jennifer and Brendan Meegan ‘Conserving the Irish Chiefs Sampler’

12.45 Lunch, Ulster-American Folk Park Visitor Centre

2.00Len Graham, ‘The Hungry Voice: singing songs of emigration’

Ship Gallery

3.05Patrick Fitzgerald, ‘Publicans as Emigration Agents’

Reilly’s Pub, Ulster Street

3.15 Afternoon Tea (CMS Library)

3.30Johanne Devlin Trew, ‘The Narratives of Migration and Return Project’, including extracts from the archive of oral history interviews

Chair: Piaras Mac Éinrí

4.15Reception

4.45 Close

Fee: £20.00 stg (£15.00 concession for students, unwaged and senior citizens)

This includes: registration, morning tea/coffee, lunch, afternoon

tea/coffee and drinks reception.

Contact

Tel: 028 8225 6315; Fax: 028 8224 2241; Email: