Salve’s Dr. O’Callaghan to give talk on Ireland’s Blasket Islands

The Museum of Newport Irish History will present the fifth and final talk of its 24th Annual Lecture Series on Monday, March 23, at 6 p.m. at the Wyndham Newport Hotel, 400 Aquidneck Ave., Middletown, and via Zoom.

Dr. Sean O’Callaghan, an associate professor at Salve Regina University, a native of Ireland and an Irish language speaker, will deliver a talk titled “Echoing Ancient Voices: The Literary and Cultural Legacy of Ireland’s Blasket Islands.”

The Blasket Islands, once home to a thriving Irish-speaking community, were abandoned in the 1950s. O’Callaghan’s presentation will explore the lives of the islanders through excerpts from the literature that emerged from the remote island community.

The talk is made possible by a gift from Frank Furtado, in memory of his wife, Barbara Carr Furtado.

For a complete talk overview, speaker biography and reservation links, visit the “Lectures” page at NewportIrishHistory.org. For more information or assistance with reservations, contact Ann Arnold at (401) 841-5493.

Ryan Belmore is the owner and publisher of What's Up Newp. He took over the publication in 2012 and has grown it into a three-time Rhode Island Monthly Best Local News Blog (2018, 2019, 2020). He was named LION Publishers Member of the Year in 2020 and received the Dominique Award from the Arts & Cultural Society of Newport County the same year. He has been awarded grants for investigative and community journalism, and continues to coach and mentor new local news publications nationwide. Ryan...