Patrick Lonergan

Painful watching - must use for teaching.... :)

Arts course at University of Galway to be reformed but not scrapped, internal report reveals The University of Galway has proposed a restructuring of its general arts course, according to official documents acquired by the Irish Independent.

Arts in Galway is not being scrapped - Irish Independent

www.independent.ie/regionals/ga...

Arts course at University of Galway to be reformed but not scrapped, internal report reveals The University of Galway has proposed a restructuring of its general arts course, according to official documents acquired by the Irish Independent.

Arts in Galway is not being scrapped - Irish Independent

www.independent.ie/regionals/ga...

Lovely morning and a warm welcome at @shakesinstitute.bsky.social today, examining a PhD and enjoying the spring sunshine.

Jayme Lawson from Sinners hit the nail on the head and said how I felt with the whole BAFTAs situation.

Mark O'Connell: Think AI uses a lot of energy? Wait til you hear about humans I’m not convinced that AI evangelists like Sam Altman really understand how strange and creepy they come across when they talk about the future

Mark O'Connell: Think AI uses a lot of energy? Wait til you hear about humans

Social media created this nonsense idea that not exposing yourself to hatred is isolationist. Choosing to not spend your free time with bigots isn’t living in a bubble. I don’t need to know what’s going on at X. I won’t be smarter or more knowledgeable or empathic by being there. Neither will you.

University of Galway says it's not discontinuing its general Arts courses | GalwayBayFM The University says it's conscious of changing demographics and students' interests.

Galway Bay FM on that Arts in Galway story -

www.galwaybayfm.ie/galway-bay-f...

I understand!

That sounds really fascinating - hope there's a publication arising from it at some stage...

Yes but, going back to the article, it's ultimately stating that the management group from within the College are suggesting reforms, have laid out several possibilities, and want to consult widely. Still a lot of talking and planning to be done.

Today I have mostly been saying "read the article before you react to the headline" about 75,000 times an hour.

But just to say, a more accurate headline would have been that the University plans to end and replace arts course with other, new Arts courses.

Our Third Year production of Laura.Wade's Posh looks like it's going to make an impact!

There's a script, about 170 photos, and some other files such as stage manager's nightly reports. You can consult them in the library in Galway but not online - a bit more info here: library.universityofgalway.ie/collections/...

This is an excellent new study of Laura Wade's work - great information on production contexts and exceptionally careful analysis of her writing.

There's a video of that production in the Gate archive here in Galway - shot from the back of the room with a single camera but very good quality.

Here in Galway we only get murder mysteries and horror films using the university as a setting.

This may not be entirely inappropriate.

Elaine Sisson's new book - really is important, as Kathryn writes below: a must-read for anyone in Irish Studies.

Very glad to see that the Eye Cinema has re-opened in #Galway after several months of being out of action www.eyecinema.ie

I'm about to finish a second term on one of these RIA committees, and have found it very worthwhile and rewarding. It's a great way to meet people from across the island, with excellent opportunities for collaboration, hosting events, etc. Well worth considering.

Very pleased to share details of a new permanent academic job opportunity in Creative & Cultural Industries at University College Dublin. We are seeking candidates with a PhD whose work engages with the commercial creative industries. Deadline: 6 March 2026 universityvacancies.com/university-c....

Saw #Hamnet last night. Had already read book and seen play, but thought the film showed how there are some things only cinema can do - one of which was to show how there are some things only theatre can do. Jesse Buckley's performance is immense, yes - but Paul Mescal's is too, albeit differently.

In case we thought that ecological disasters were a special talent of modernity, let’s talk about how the 13th-century peat trade of Norfolk made it permanently vulnerable to flooding, including 3 catastrophic floods just since 2013.

#medievalstorytime

Time for an update on the 2026 Dark Tower readalong schedule...

The plan (approx) is:

January 27th – The Talisman
March 17th – Black House
May – Wind Through the Keyhole
August – Wolves of the Calla
October – Hearts in Atlantis
December – ???

Hope you join us for the journey.

Last call! ASLE-UKI online seminar on Eighteenth-Century Literature & Environment. Thur 29 Jan, 15:00-19:00 GMT. With me, Eric Gidal, James Metcalf, Nicolle Jordan, Alessio Mattana, Annette Hulbert, Jodie Matthews, & Tobias Menely. Register FREE at asle.org.uk/events/semin...

Ancient illustration of a mythical figure with intricate designs on a beige background. Bold text reads "WATCH THIS SPACE...".

Hello Bluesky!

Thanks Claire!

Earlier this week, we gathered at the Royal Irish Academy of Music for the Dublin launch of DRUID THEATRE: FIFTY YEARS by @pflonergan.bsky.social, published by @lilliputpress.bsky.social.

Finnegans Wake – human and nonhuman histories Published in Irish Studies Review (Ahead of Print, 2025)

“a substantial and significant intervention”
“The twelve essays […] are both individually and cumulatively impressive”
“an exemplary illustration of the need for recalibrated methodologies for literary analysis at a time of planetary ecological crisis”

www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....