Given the anniversary of both the 1916 Rising and WWI, and given the imbricated history of the two, this study abroad course considers English and Irish history and literature that prefigures, rises out of, or comments upon events affecting Ireland from 1914-1918. These years helped prepare the ground for an Irish nation—and for a bifurcated “Irish” identity—one based in what we know as the Republic of Ireland, the other in Northern Ireland. In order to better understand these texts and the complex literary and cultural identifications that they register, the course will also include theoretical studies of “place”—by which I mean “space invested with meaning in the context of power.”

This course will combine theoretical considerations, literary analysis and experiential learning in the places that formed the crucible of 20^thand 21^st century Irish identities. These posts reflect the class’s experiences, ideas, and insights while in Ireland, and while considering questions of place, representation, and identity.