Assistant Professor and Irish Studies co-founder, Sarah L. Townsend appeared on a new weekly webinar series, The Irish Influence hosted by Boston College Ireland. The series brings the people at the heart of Irish cultural life today – actors, writers, historians, filmmakers, musicians, dancers – to audiences on both sides of the Atlantic in order to explore how the culture of Ireland has shaped and still shapes the story of America.
During the hour-long session, Dr. Townsend discussed her research on race in Ireland and Irish America, as well as her new book project on the history of Irish-American racial assimilation and the lessons it imparts to contemporary Ireland’s multiracial society. Townsend also discussed her own educational journey as a first-generation college student, the experience of establishing an Irish Studies program in the Southwest, and the need for diversity in the field of Irish Studies.
The webinar is archived and available for viewing.
Townsend recently completed a yearlong residential fellowship at the Suzy Newhouse Center for the Humanities at Wellesley College. A chapter from her most recent research project was published in January 2021 in the Routledge International Handbook to Irish Studies.
