℘℘℘ Over the last four decades, stamp-collecting, also known as “philately,” has been undergoing a slow but sure death. This has been mirrored by a decline in letter-writing and a similar wane in the use of cursive writing. Consequently, the hobby of stamp-collecting, so beloved by generations of schoolchildren, is mostly the preserve of peopleRead more..
Born a slave, Frederick Douglass died as a champion of human rights, and Ireland played an important role in his political awakening. ℘℘℘ In 1845, Ireland provided a safe refuge to Frederick Douglass, a 27-year-old “fugitive” slave from America. Douglass described his four months in the country as the “happiest times” in his life andRead more..
The first issue of The Weekly Irish Times published following the Easter Rising has been digitized for free by Ireland’s Great Hunger Institute at Quinnipiac University. The issue, covering the weeks of April 29, May 6, and May 13, calls the Rising “The Darkest Week in the History of Dublin.” A subheading on page oneRead more..
A new exhibit on the Grey Nuns hosted by Ireland’s Great Hunger Institute at Quinnipiac University opened April 1. A private event launching the exhibit took place on March 31 with the Canadian Consul General, Quebec Delegate to New England, and the Irish Consul General of New York all in attendance. The long overdue exhibitRead more..
A Window on the Past: Historian Christine Kinealy debunks the myth that Ulster was untouched by the Great Hunger. The myth of Ulster exceptionalism and affluence has roots in the Great Hunger itself. As early as 1849, Protestant loyalists were laying the foundation for a binary, two-nation view of the Famine. Objecting to a newRead more..
The Great Hunger Institute at Quinnipiac University recently received over 4,000 books, historical documents and rare first editions, from the Irish American Cultural Institute. Professor Christine Kinealy, director of the Great Hunger Institute said of the gift, “We are delighted that the Irish American Cultural Institute has chosen the Great Hunger Institute to act asRead more..
Patrick J. Healy, Quinnipiac University’s senior vice president for finance, is retiring effective June 30, 2015. His 43-year career cannot be fully captured, but there are several areas that deserve highlighting. First, under Pat’s leadership the university maintained a balanced budget during his entire tenure. He planned for and oversaw the construction and financing ofRead more..
The 20th Ulster-American Symposium hosted at Quinnipiac University was held this past June in conjunction with Ireland’s Great Hunger Institute. Since 1976, the Ulster-American Heritage Symposium has met every two years at co-sponsoring universities in North America and Northern Ireland in an effort to shed light on the historical connections between the two places. ThisRead more..
Ambassador Anne Anderson visited Quinnipiac University on April 29th for the grand opening of the exhibit, “The Lady Sligo Letters: Westport House and Ireland’s Great Hunger.” Anderson said the exhibit, as well as Quinnipiac’s Ireland’s Great Hunger Institute and Ireland’s Great Hunger Museum, helps to “give a face or a voice through art, letters, diaries,Read more..
The new Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut is attracting students in primary care medicine. Dr. Bruce Koeppen didn’t just do a double take in 2009 when he first read the announcement that Quinnipiac University was planning to build a medical school. He took action. The Yale-educated Koeppen, thenRead more..