Adopting a thematic and chronological approach, it investigates the depiction of Jews and Jewishness in Ireland from the Annals of Inisfallen in the medieval period, then through centuries of poetry, prose and drama through to the present day.
Inaugural Project Launch
June 30, 2016
Royal Irish Academy, Dawson Street, Dublin
Launched by: Professor Pól Ó Dochartaigh (Registrar and Deputy President NUI Galway) who presented ‘Hyphenated Identitities: Irish-Jewish Autobiographies’, and Yvonne-Altman O’Connor (Vice Chair, Irish-Jewish Museum).
The event launch on 30 June 2016 included an opening address on ‘Hyphenated Identities: Jewish Auto-biographies’ by Professor Pól Ó Dochartaigh. Project team members Dr Barry Montgomery (Ulster University) and Dr Rióna Ní Fhrighil (NUI Galway) also delivered lunchtime lectures over the duration of the exhibition display, which ran until 5 August.
The exhibition included a detailed and impressive complementary display to accompany the exhibition including artefacts directly relating to the materials included on the exhibition panels. These artefacts included a first-edition of Edmund Spenser’s The Fairie Queene, The Annals of Inisfallen and a fourteenth-century manuscript adorned with a picture of a Menorah.
The research team also provided an interview with RTE Radio for Inside Culture.
Read more on our Inaugural Project Launch
Second Launch
Armagh Public Library
August 11, 2016
Launched by: Very Revd. Gregory Dunstan (Keeper, APL), Mayor Garath Keating, Dr Frank Ferguson, Dr Barry Montgomery and Dr Marie-Claire Peters (Ulster University)
Duration of Exhibition: 11 August – 5 September
The exhibition was launched on 11 August by Lord Mayor Garath Keating and Reverend Gregor Dunstan, Keeper of Armagh Public Library. Project research team members also spoke at the event.
The event was attended by over 30 people and received wide spread press coverage including an interview with the research team for regional TV.
The library team prepared and planned launch onsite including a detailed display of artefacts and materials pertaining to the exhibition display including the 1714 pamphlet by Ulster-born philosopher, John Toland.
The exhibition was planned in conjunction with European Heritage week which saw extensive footfall in the library to view the exhibition which ran until early September.
Third Launch
Public Record Office of Northern Ireland
September 2, 2016
Launched by: Lord Mayor Brian Kingston, Dr Ruth Gilligan (University of Birmingham), Ms Bríd Ní Mhorain (Poet).
Duration of Exhibition: 2 September – 7 October
This event included a major launch on Friday 2nd September where Dr Ruth Gilligan (Birmingham University) gave a lecture on her new book Nine Folds Make a Paper Swan - reflecting on her research on Irish-Jewish connections. Award-winning poet Bríd Ní Mhorain gave a reading of her poem entitled ‘Juden’ which features in one of the bi-lingual panels within the exhibition.
The launch was also attended by Lord Mayor Brian Kingston who spoke about the recent attacks on Jewish graves in Belfast City Cemetery and how significant the exhibition was in light of this.
A private tour of the exhibition with Rabbi David Singer and Finance Minister, Máirtín Ó Muilleoir (MLA) was also given by Exhibition Curator, Dr Marie-Claire Peters as well as an interview with Antrim Matters along with key researcher, Dr Barry Montgomery.
Fourth Launch
Literary Festival, Coleraine Town Hall
October 6, 2016
Launched by: Dr Frank Ferguson, Dr Barry Montgomery, Dr Marie-Claire Peters (Ulster University).
The exhibition was launched in Coleraine Town Hall by research team Dr Frank Ferguson, Dr Barry Montgomery and Dr Marie-Claire Peters.
The team addressed an audience of twenty-five people including local people, university students and other academics on aspects of Irish-Jewish history and how the exhibition was created.
Fifth Launch
James Hardiman Library, Galway
December 6, 2016
Launched by: Professor Pól Ó Dochartaigh (NUI Galway), Mr Stanley Price, author of Somewhere to Hang My Hat: An Irish-Jewish Journey.
Principal Investigator Professor Pól Ó Dochartaigh officially launched the exhibition along with author Stanley Price who reflected on his Jewish background and writing.
The exhibition also included the preparation and display of an extensive complementary display which featured alongside the exhibition.
Sixth Launch
Linen Hall Library, Belfast
January 10, 2017
Launched by: Professor Pól Ó Dochartaigh (NUI Galway) who presented on Hyphenated Identities: Irish-Jewish Autobiographies.
The exhibition ran for the month of January and was launched by Professor Pól Ó Dochartaigh to an audience of over twenty people.
Research Associate, Dr Barry Montgomery also gave a special lecture ‘The Holocaust in 20th Century Irish Fiction and Poetry’ on Thursday 26 January, 2017 as part of Holocaust Memorial Day 2017 which was attended by a large audience including many members of the Jewish community.
The exhibition was accompanied by a complementary display for the duration of the exhibition. This included a first edition of James Joyce’s Ulysses and the original keys to the first synagogue in Belfast.
Seventh Launch
Waterford Institute of Technology
February 1, 2017
Launched by: Simon Lewis (Poet, Author of Jewtown), Dr Barry Montgomery (Ulster University).
A display was provided on launch night 1 February, 2017 which included details of the first Jewish couple married in Waterford in 1894. The launch also included talks from Dr Barry Montgomery and Mr Simon Lewis, author of Jewtown who spoke about his Jewish background and research.
The launch was very well attended with over forty people attending including members of the Jewish community locally. The exhibition remained in Waterford until 6 March during which period it had large volumes of visitors including a number of school children who also contributed personal reflections on the exhibition as part of their experience.