SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — On Friday, Oct. 21, at 8:30 a.m, Seton Hall University is hosting an all-day conference in honor of the centenary of the Easter Rising, which signified a major milestone in the history of Irish independence. Panelists will explore the history, personalities, music, art and theater that defined this pivotal event in the Irish experience and its impact worldwide. Speakers include historian Lorcan Collins, author of “Easter 1916,” who will give the keynote address; prize-winning Irish poet Micheal O’Siadhail; and other noted experts in the field. The program will conclude with a performance of excerpts from Sean O’Casey’s “The Plough and the Stars,” by professor Daniel Yates and a troupe of Seton Hall student performers prior to a day-ending reception.
Keynote speaker Lorcan Collins was born and raised in Dublin and he founded the 1916 Walking Tour in 1996. O’Siadhail, a full-time writer, has published 16 collections of poetry and was awarded an Irish American Cultural Institute prize for poetry in 1982 and in 1998 the Marten Toonder prize for Literature.
The event will take place in the Chancellor’s Suite of the University Center. Admission is free of charge. For more information about the conference, schedule or pre-registration, visit the http://library.shu.edu/Irish-studies/shu-rising-conference. Seton Hall University is located at 400 South Orange Ave. in South Orange.