Join me for three online sessions spread over three weeks in February 2025 where I will share all that I’ve learned over 7 years of independent research and deep involvement in the History of Ireland.
Ireland boasts one of the richest recorded history in the whole world; a deep and rich spectrum of written, archaeological and cultural heritage. Its depth and complexity are fascinating, containing patterns and connections that only become clear when viewed from a broader perspective.
Over the past seven years, during my Irish travels and the journey of rooting my life here, I studied the History of Ireland as thoroughly as I could without officially becoming an academic. My perspective as a foreigner, has granted me a unique insight (not only from books, but from my experience living, working and loving amongst Irish people), and I've gained a unique, well-researched understanding of what I call the '9 Waves of Irish History'; 9 defining epochs that trace Ireland's story from its earliest human inhabitants to the transformative events of the 1916 Rising.
In this online course, I invite you to explore Irish history in a way that feels alive, engaging and unlike the manner it was taught to you in school or mainstream culture. It is a journey through history that promises madness, crazy facts, coincidences, insightful revelations, fascinating implications and hopefully thought-inducing questions to consider regarding Irish identity.
• Week 1: Pre-Gaelic, Gaelic & Christian Ireland (Feb 6th at 7-8.30pm)
We will look at all the peoples and cultures that settled the land before the Gaels, the ways they changed the landscape and the heritage they left behind, as well as a closer look at what does it mean to be 'native' to a place. We will study the way in which the 'Celtic invasions' differ or not from any other form of Colonization, and all the ways in which Gaelic culture developed for a thousand years. Then we will shine light on how the 'new Faith' changed Ireland forever, what was lost and what was gained, and all the underappreciated ways in which Christianity elevated Ireland's might and legacy.
• Week 2: Viking, Norman & English Ireland (Feb 13th at 7-8.30pm)
Invaders, invaders everywhere! These three waves of invasion threw the Gaelic world into an inner turmoil that burns to this day. We will re-think the way in which Viking culture adapted to Irish, and the complex tapestry of customs, beliefs and conflicts that culminated with the death of King Brian Boru. We will also reconsider and deconstruct the concept of '800 years of occupation' by taking a closer look at Norman society, and the way in which they were, like the Vikings, for the most part absorbed into the Gaelic world. Finally, we will sit with the brutal details of the English conquest, looking at figures like Gráinne O' Malley and Oliver Cromwell.
• Week 3: Anglo-Irish, Hungry & Celtic Ireland (Feb 20th at 7-8.30pm)
After the final crumbling of the Gaelic order, we will see the ways in which a new aristocracy took over the ruling of Ireland and did great efforts to break its spirit, language and sense of itself. We will see all the ways in which the landscape was again transformed by this new society, and how a little organism that traveled to Europe from South America in a ship carrying guano caused the Potato Blight (and how the English administration brought in the Great Hunger). Finally, we will witness the cultural bloom and recuperation of a shared Gaelic past that inspired the hearts of the Irish people as well as the descendants of the Aristocracy, all the ways in which the old stories, gods and language returned to inspire the people of Ireland to Rise.
• Week 4: For those who want to, we will have one extra session for debating, sharing and asking questions.
*Concession Tickets: I'm a big believer in ease-of-access to information and knowledge. If you'd like to join but can't afford the full fee, please contact me directly and we shall sort it out!
*Course Material: After each session, attendees will receive copies of the visual material created for this course in PDF format, for further study and reference; and Recordings will be freely offered for a limited time after the end of the course.
For more information about my work, please visit
deercun.com
