Show Notes
What can literature tell us about the Irish-American experience? In this episode, literary scholar and author Mary Burke (Professor of English at the University of Connecticut) explores how Irish-American writing has reflected changing ideas of identity, belonging and race across generations.
From forgotten writers of the 18th century through to Scott Fitzgerald and Margaret Mitchell in the 20th century, this conversation examines how literature reveals the complexity and diversity of Irish America - and why it's time to rethink what we mean by "Irish-American writing."
More from Ireland and the Making of America
In this special bonus episode, co-hosts Liam Kennedy, Scott Lucas and producer Michelle May look back on Ireland and the Making of America, reflecting on the moments that surprised them most, the themes that connected every conversation, and why these stories matter in the era of America 250. From the Scots-Irish on the frontier to Hollywood, politics, literature, sport and identity, they revisit the insights that challenged familiar narratives and ask what the Irish-American story still has to teach us about belonging, migration and the future.
For more than a century, Irish actors, directors and filmmakers have helped shape Hollywood, both on screen and behind the camera. In this episode, film historian Ruth Barton (Professor in Film Studies at Trinity College Dublin) traces the Irish influence on American cinema - from silent-film pioneer Rex Ingram and John Ford's iconic westerns to today's Oscar-winning generation of Irish actors.
Sport became one of the most important ways Irish immigrants connected with one another, maintained ties to home and found their place in American society. In this episode, historian Mike Cronin (Academic Director of Boston College in Ireland) explores the Irish sporting experience in America: from the arrival of Gaelic games in the nineteenth century to the Irish presence in baseball, boxing, basketball and beyond.
The story of Irish America is often told through the experiences of men, but Irish women played a central role in building immigrant communities across the United States. In this episode, historian Elizabeth Stack (Education Director for the Celtic Junction Arts Center) explores the lives of the largely forgotten women who crossed the Atlantic, often alone, to work, support their families and create networks that helped generations of Irish immigrants settle and thrive.
How did race shape the Irish experience in America? In this episode, historian Miriam Nyhan (Assistant Professor at Mary Immaculate College) explores how Irish immigrants navigated questions of race, identity and belonging in the United States, challenging many of the assumptions that surround the Irish-American story.