Irish Studies explores the history and culture of the Irish people from the different perspectives of literature, history, art, politics, and folklore, enabling students to understand the richness of Irish culture. It is a culture which traces itself back to the dawn of Western Civilization when the earliest Celts, who were known to the Greeks and challenged by the Romans, established an art which influenced the early Christians. In the ensuing centuries, Irish culture has continued to influence life in Europe and North America while exploring its own directions.

In our time, a renewed awareness of the historic and mythic past led to the Irish literary revival at the beginning of the twentieth century and contributed to those political upheavals in modern Irish life which continue to reverberate. The Irish Studies concentration develops a program whereby students can discover the evolution of modern Ireland from its past.

Irish Studies explores the history and culture of the Irish people from different perspectives — literature, history, art, politics, and folklore. The program is open to students from all colleges. Interested students may also study in Ireland either in a Semester Abroad program or with the Villanova in Ireland Summer program at NUI Galway. Details are available in the Irish Studies Office.