An Taoiseach Micheál Martin delivers the inaugural Dermot Keogh Memorial Lecture
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- An Taoiseach Micheál Martin delivers the first Dermot Keogh Memorial Lecture and launches the respected historian’s final publication at University College Cork.
An Taoiseach Micheál Martin led a special event on Friday, 12 December recognising the lasting legacy of Professor Dermot Keogh, the prolific historian, former journalist, and advocate for oppressed and displaced communities whose work, in the Taoiseach’s words, “shaped how we understand ourselves as a nation.”
In University College Cork (UCC), where he once studied under Professor Keogh, An Taoiseach delivered the inaugural memorial lecture and launched the historian’s final book, The Irish Revolution: Diplomacy and Reactions 1919–1923, co-edited with Owen McGee and Dr Mervyn O’Driscoll (UCC).
Broke new ground in the study of modern Irish history
An Taoiseach Micheál Martin said: “Dermot Keogh leaves behind a legacy that shaped how we understand ourselves as a nation. His scholarship brought nuance, courage and humanity to some of the most complex chapters of our past. Ireland is richer for his work, and his contribution will endure for generations.”
Professor Dermot Keogh broke new ground in the study of modern Irish history, diplomacy, and Church–State relations, and he played a central role in tracing Ireland’s wider global connections, including its links with Latin America. Over the course of his career, he wrote ten monographs and co-edited twenty volumes. Among his most widely recognised publications are Jews in Twentieth-Century Ireland (Cork University Press, 1998) and his influential studies of Irish foreign policy and constitutional development.
A former Jean Monnet Professor and Head of UCC’s Department of History, Professor Keogh was twice a Fulbright Scholar and also a Woodrow Wilson Fellow. President Michael D. Higgins described him as “one of Ireland’s finest historians,” acknowledging his significant contributions to understanding Ireland’s international relations and its record on human rights.
His final book, The Irish Revolution: Diplomacy and Reactions 1919–1923, now published, explores the international dimension of the Irish Revolution, tracing the efforts of Irish envoys to secure recognition for Dáil Éireann and the varied global responses to Ireland’s fight for independence. Professor Keogh’s essays examine the international reverberations of Terence MacSwiney’s hunger strike, the influence of Catholic networks, the mobilisation of diaspora activists, and the contributions of women volunteers. Together, they place Ireland’s struggle within the wider turmoil that reshaped global politics after the First World War.
The Dermot Keogh memorial lecture series
UCC President Professor John O’Halloran MRIA said: “Professor Keogh was one of the defining historians of twentieth-century Ireland, a greatly admired educator, and a deeply respected colleague. He joined UCC more than four decades ago and remained a valued and inspiring presence in the School of History long after his retirement. His scholarship, integrity, and determination to place Ireland within a wider international story have left a profound and lasting mark. We are deeply grateful to An Taoiseach Micheál Martin, a former student of Professor Keogh, for honouring his legacy by delivering the inaugural memorial lecture.”
Dr Hiram Morgan, Head of the School of History at UCC, said: “The School of History at UCC is pleased to launch the Dermot Keogh memorial lecture series. Professor Dermot Keogh (1945-2023) was a very significant historian of modern Ireland who covered many facets of its history both domestic and international and who brought huge prestige to the subject and to the university. We are especially pleased that the inaugural lecture will be given by one of his masters students, the current Irish head of government, an Taoiseach Micheál Martin. We are also pleased to launch on the same occasion Dermot's last book The Irish Revolution: Diplomacy and reactions 1919–1923, co-edited by Dr Mervyn O'Driscoll and Dr Owen McGee which has been published by Cork University Press.”
Sinéad Neville, Head of Publishing at Cork University Press, said: “The Irish Revolution reflects the late Professor Dermot Keogh’s unwavering commitment to the study of modern Irish history and his career-spanning dedication to understanding Ireland’s global connections. A former member of the Cork University Press Board, he was a tireless champion of the Press. He authored, co-authored and co-edited numerous works and we are honoured to publish final work."