MIC conference recognised with Fáilte Ireland Conference Ambassador Award

Mary Immaculate College conference has recently been recognised with a Fáilte Ireland Conference Ambassador Award

The American Conference for Irish Studies (ACIS), which took place at MIC in 2024, was officially acknowledged by Fáilte Ireland

A Mary Immaculate College (MIC) conference has recently been recognised with a Fáilte Ireland Conference Ambassador Award at a recent event held at The Royal Dublin Society.

The American Conference for Irish Studies (ACIS), which took place at MIC in 2024, was officially acknowledged by Fáilte Ireland, with the College named a Conference Ambassador as a result. The event was supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs, Limerick City & County Council and Fáilte Ireland.

Conference Ambassadors are academics and industry leaders who have successfully attracted international conferences to Ireland, thereby contributing to a significant economic impact and a lasting legacy. Collectively, conferences recognised through the initiative generated an estimated €117 million for the Irish economy between 2023 and 2024 playing a key role in supporting the Government’s Business Events 2030 strategy.

advertisementadvertisement
advertisementadvertisement
advertisementadvertisement
advertisementadvertisement

The conference was co-organised by Professor Eugene O’Brien, Head of the English Language and Literature Department and Dr Richard Butler, Interim Head of Research at the Research and Graduate School (RGSO). Titled Embracing Change, Navigating Uncertainty: Ireland and New Beginnings, the conference explored how Irish Studies as a field is responding to social, political and cultural change, and how scholars are reimagining Ireland’s past, present and future through new critical perspectives.

Founded in 1960, the American Conference for Irish Studies is the oldest and largest academic organisation dedicated to the study of Ireland and the Irish worldwide. The 2024 conference at MIC brought together over 350 international delegates to engage with a wide range of topics, including Northern Ireland, the legacy of the mother and baby homes, Irish migration to Argentina, Irish American propaganda and Brexit.

Reflecting on the recognition, Professor Eugene O’Brien said, “This award is a welcome acknowledgement of the work that went into hosting the ACIS conference at MIC. The event brought together a wide range of perspectives on Ireland’s past and present, and it was encouraging to see those conversations take place here in Limerick, with strong international participation.”

Dr Richard Butler also welcomed the award, noting, “The Conference Ambassador Award recognises the wider value of research events like ACIS. Beyond academic discussion, the conference had a real cultural and economic impact, and we are pleased that MIC was able to play a central role in hosting it”.