Lecture, Barnard's Inn Hall, Thursday, 1 Oct 2026 - 18:00

Shakespearean England and Views of the Irish Language

An ornate book cover titled "A View of the Present State of Ireland" sits on a textured surface showing green land on the left and blue sea on the right

The Irish language has been associated with politicisation and conflict, particularly in the context of contemporary Northern Ireland identity politics. However, debates around the language extend much further back in time and some key elements of the discourse may be traced to the sixteenth century in particular.

This lecture looks at the portrayal of the Irish language by Shakespeare and his contemporaries, and the motivations for some negative stereotypes which were to prove resilient and enduring in later centuries.

Professor Mícheál B. Ó Mainnín

Professor Mícheál Ó Mainnín

Visiting Professor of Linguistics

Professor Mícheál Ó Mainnín works within the School of Arts, English and Languages at Queen's University Belfast.

His principal research interests lie in the...

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