Charlie Benton

Reporter

This year’s MUW International Series features Ireland, and four events will be presented this semester that will highlight the nation and its culture.

“Well, every year the International Series focuses on a country or region of interest,” said Kim Whitehead, professor of English and religious studies at MUW. “We chose Ireland because we haven’t focused on Europe in seven or eight years and because of the study abroad program.”

The first event of the series, a screening of the BBC documentary “The Story of Ireland: Age of Nations,” was presented on Tuesday, Jan. 21, in Martin Hall. The installment focused on modern Irish history, paying special attention to the relationship between the Catholic and Protestant Irish populations, the rise of Irish Nationalism, and the country’s recent economic development. Nora Corrigan, an MUW history professor, was also on hand to answer questions about the upcoming study abroad trip to Ireland.

Upcoming events include “Imagining Ireland after 1916: Postcolonial Irish Literature” on Feb.17, presented by Kelly Marsh, associate professor of English at Mississippi State University; “Medieval Ireland: Myths and Realities” on March 11, presented by Amber Handy, assistant professor of history at MUW and a Celtic Dance Workshop on April 7, presented by Beverly Joyce, professor of art history at MUW.

All events start at 7:00 p.m. and are free and open to the public. All events will be held in Martin Hall on the MUW campus, except for the Dance Workshop which will be held in the Stark Recreation Center.

The International Series is sponsored by the MUW Department of Languages, Literature and Philosophy, and by the MUW College of Nursing and Speech-Language Pathology.

The Summer Study Abroad trip to Ireland, which is MUW’s first trip to Ireland will last from May 28, 2014, to June 29, 2014. Students will spend time in Dublin and Galway, and will visit various landmarks throughout the country in addition to taking classes from Corrigan and Handy.