American Conference for Irish Studies

21 Sep 2024

In September, Adel Coleman, Barr na gCnoc Project Manager presented the achievements of the project at the American Conference for Irish Studies, hosted by the University of Montana, Missoula.  

This year's conference theme, "Community and the Environment," offered a timely and stimulating exploration of the intricate relationship between these fundamental aspects of Irish life. 

The Barr na gCnoc aligned with several conference themes:  Preserving the Irish Language; Methodologies and Pedagogies; Inclusive Features, and Sustainable Approaches to Irish Studies. 

Adel provided an overview of the Barr na gCnoc project, its pillars, how it developed, and the future of the project. Her paper explored how Barr na gCnoc supports the preservation of the Irish language, the project's theoretically and empirically informed education-improvement methodology. She discussed how the Barr na gCnoc model embraces the idea that those learners who have access to culturally appropriate language-learning, holistic community resources, and equal opportunities, are better equipped to develop and flourish in society. She provided an in-depth review of Barr na gCnoc’s community partnerships and the community participation that led to improved levels of social capital in the Knocknaheeny/ Hollyhill area of Cork City.

Thank you to the University of Montana and the American Conference of Irish Studies for a very warm welcome.

For more on this story contact:

Adel Coleman, Project Manager, adel.coleman@ucc.ie