Island Voices 2017

DERRY CITY & STRABANE DISTRICT COUNCIL

AUTUMN LECTURE SERIES TOWER MUSEUM, DERRY

ISLAND VOICES Northern Confluence: Where Celtic and Nordic Worlds Meet

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ISLAND VOICES 2017 AUTUMN LECTURE SERIES TOWER MUSEUM, DERRY DERRY CITY & STRABANE DISTRICT COUNCIL

Northern Confluence: Where Celtic and Nordic Worlds Meet The North has always captivated our imaginations. When we look to the countries of Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland, we imagine remote landscapes of magic and mystery, dazzling glaciers emerging from fields of snow and night skies which dance with the majesty of the Aurora Borealis.

over the centuries on the seas and waterways that link our island communities.

Derry City and Strabane District Council presents Island Voices 2017- a series of free lunchtime lectures exploring the shared bonds of history, culture and language that exist between the Celtic and Nordic nations of Europe, reflecting on our shared heritage and exploring our unique relationships, past and present.

These are the lands of the midnight sun, a world with which we in these islands share an ancient genetic, cultural and linguistic bond forged

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A Tale of Two Islands: Ireland, Iceland and Viking genetic legacy Professor Dan Bradley // Friday 22nd September 2017, 1:00pm – 2:00pm // Tower Museum, Derry The story of Ireland is closely interwoven with that of Iceland.

Both are island communities situated on the outer edge of Europe surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean and both share deep genetic and cultural links. It is estimated that during the settlement of Iceland approximately 62% of women and 20% of men were of Gaelic origin.

This talk will provide an overview of the genetic legacy that binds these island nations, detailing the story of the Gaelic presence in Iceland and the impact of Norse ancestry in Ireland.

Professor Dan Bradley Dan Bradley spent his early years on an Irish farm at the foot of the Glenshane, waiting to get away and broaden his horizons. After a degree in genetics from Cambridge University and a PhD in medical genetics from Trinity College Dublin he started to work on the genetics of each species on that farm, including Irish humans, and has done so for over 20 years. With colleagues he has undertaken analysis of the origins of ancient and modern cattle and other domesticates, pioneering the

molecular genetic analysis of Irish populations, particularly co-analysis with surnames. Current collaborative research interests include: ancient genomes of domestic animals from bones and parchment; human genetic variation and history including ancient DNA; the genetics of susceptibility to motor-neurone disease; and the genetics of infectious disease susceptibility in cattle. He holds a Personal Chair in the Smurfit Institute of Genetics, Trinity College Dublin, is a member of the RIA and is the holder of an ERC Advanced Grant.

Commonalities in the Literary Traditions of Ireland and Iceland: Dr Nioclás Mac Cathmhaoil // Friday 20th October 2017, 1:00pm – 2:00pm // Tower Museum, Derry There are some striking similarities in the literary output of Iceland and Ireland with both the Gaelic and the Icelandic literary traditions appearing to share much in common. In the Gaelic world, the manuscript culture, the oral tradition of storytelling and the writing of epic sagas was wellestablished and a similar culture

appears to have flourished in Iceland. This talk will explore the literary relationship which exists between the islands of Ireland and Iceland and will examine the prevailing conditions in both countries that brought about commonalities in the respective countries’ literary cultures.

Dr Nioclás Mac Cathmhaoil Nioclás Mac Cathmhaoil is a lecturer in Irish language and Literature at the Irish and Celtic Studies Research Institute at Ulster University, Derry. His research interests include Irish Bardic Poetry, linguistics and European Manuscript culture. He is a former Fulbright Visiting Professor in Celtic Studies at the University of California, Berkeley, and recently published a monograph on scribe-poet Muiris Ó Gormáin.

ISLAND VOICES 2017 AUTUMN LECTURE SERIES TOWER MUSEUM, DERRY DERRY CITY & STRABANE DISTRICT COUNCIL

Voices of the North: Connections and Confluences Professor Séamus Mac Mathúna // Friday 17th November 2017, 1:00pm – 2:00pm // Tower Museum, Derry Tower Museum, Derry

Northern Europe is a place of unique cultural and linguistic diversity, a confluence of languages and identities of predominantly Celtic and Germanic origin. This talk will explore the historical and contemporary linguistic landscape of the region, detailing the IndoEuropean origins of the various language families and looking at how the language map of Northern and Western Europe may evolve in the future.

This talk will also explore the connections and divisions between languages i.e. what distinguishes language families from each other (e.g. Celtic and Germanic), and in contrast, how mutually intelligible are languages in the same family tree?, i.e. Germanic (English and Scots); Celtic (Gaelic and Welsh); and in the Scandinavian context, North Germanic (Norwegian, Swedish and Danish).

Professor Séamus Mac Mathúna Séamus Mac Mathúna is Professor Emeritus of Irish and Celtic Studies, Ulster University, having previously held Lectureships at the University of Uppsala, Sweden, and NUI Galway. He took his undergraduate degree at Queen’s University, Belfast, and carried out postgraduate studies in Indo-European, Old Norse and Linguistics at the University of Zürich, Switzerland, and the University of Iceland, Reykjavík. He is a member of the Royal Irish Academy (Vice-President 200913), Corresponding Member of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, and Distinguished Senior Research Fellow, Ulster University.

President of Societas Celto-Slavica, he is editor of Studia Celto-Slavica, Consultant Editor of Studia Celtica Upsaliensia, and the author and editor of many books and academic articles on subjects ranging from Comparative Celtic and Irish linguistics and literature to aspects of Nordic languages and cultures.

ISLAND VOICES 2017 AUTUMN LECTURE SERIES TOWER MUSEUM, DERRY DERRY CITY & STRABANE

Island Voices is funded

by Derry City & Strabane District Council’s Good Relations Programme.

Please book your place by contacting the Tower Museum (028) 7137 2411 or email tower.reception@derrystrabane.com Lunch provided // Admission Free

This information is available upon request in a number of formats including large print, Braille, PDF, audio formats (CD, MP3, DAISY) and minority languages.

For further information on alternative formats please contact Tel 028 71 253253 text phone: 028 7137 6646