An tIonad Taighde agus Teagaisc na hÉireann
The Flagship Irish Studies Unit in the University System of Georgia
Founded on St. Patrick’s Day of 1995, Georgia Southern University’s Center for Irish Research and Teaching (CIRT) flies the flag for Ireland and advances Irish America in the University System of Georgia, whose 26 member institutions serve more than 340,000 students.
Appropriately based in Savannah because of the city’s historic connections with Ireland, CIRT is committed studying the identities, experiences, and achievements that constitute Irishness, a concept that continues to evolve and that, at its best, enlarges the ancient Gaelic principle of flaithiúlacht (generosity).
The center provides rich opportunities to Georgia Southern students and researchers around the state to study the connections between Ireland and Savannah and to provide access to primary-source research in Ireland and the United States, including the CIRT’s Lawless papers, which follow Virginia-native and Irish descendant Joseph Thomas Lawless’ involvement in the southern leg of an extensive U.S. tour by Éamon de Valera, a prominent political leader in Ireland’s history. The collection includes letters, advertisements and more that document an important narrative in modern Irish-American history.
Interdisciplinary Minor in Irish Studies
The Interdisciplinary Minor in Irish Studies at Georgia Southern blends history, culture, and global studies, with courses in the U.S. and Ireland, enhancing career prospects and international understanding.
Minor in Irish Studies
Study Abroad in Wexford, Ireland
Study abroad in Wexford, Ireland, with Georgia Southern! Immerse yourself in Irish history, culture, and global perspectives while earning academic credit in a vibrant, coastal town.
Learn More About Study Abroad in Ireland
Contacts & Locations
Dr. Howard Keeley, Director
Howard Keeley (Ph.D. Princeton) directs Georgia Southern University’s Center for Irish Research and Teaching. In addition, he is an Associate Professor in the Department of English, where he teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in Irish literature.
One focus of Howard’s research and publication is representations of the homestead and domesticity in Irish literature, especially during the second half of the nineteenth century. Another focus is Irish emigration to and integration into the city of Savannah, Georgia. In particular, Howard and his students explore how hundreds of natives of County Wexford, Ireland, formed a unique diaspora community in Savannah, living alongside African Americans, Jews, and Germans in working-class districts on the city’s eastern and western peripheries.
Under Howard’s leadership, the Center for Irish Research and Teaching has developed a strong practice of community engagement and service in and beyond Savannah. In addition, Howard has spearheaded the development of Georgia Southern University’s first permanent overseas facility, anchored in heritage buildings in the historic town of Wexford, Ireland. From that base, he and a talented faculty team are delivering high-value teaching, internship, and research opportunities.
Another important achievement by the Center for Irish Research and Teaching during Howard’s tenure has been a long-term partnership with World Trade Center Savannah, Wexford County Council, Wexford Enterprise Center, and others. Known as TradeBridge, the grant-supported initiative fosters economic development between the Savannah-Coastal Georgia region and the five-county Ireland South East region.
CIRT Associate Director
Dr. Meaghan Dwyer-Ryan: mryan@georgiasouthern.edu
CIRT Headquarters, Savannah
Armstrong Center
Unit #10
Georgia Southern University Armstrong Campus
1935 Abercorn Street
Savannah, GA 31419
USA
Phone: +1-912-344-2930
Statesboro
Interdisciplinary Academic Building
Rooms 2008 and 2010
Post Office Box 8023
Statesboro, GA 30460
USA
Phone: +1-912-478-5518
Wexford
Spawell Centre
Block A
Georgia Southern University Wexford Campus
Wexford Town
County Wexford Y35 E2FK
Ireland
