Linguistic lecture series

Entitled ‘Island Voices’, the lecture series will run during the months of September, October and November, and will feature three lectures by guest speakers presenting their individual perspectives on the languages of English, Irish and Ulster-Scots. Each talk will be followed by an opportunity for discussion and debate.

The first lecture, entitled ‘Planter and Gael Women of Ulster’, is scheduled to take place next Thursday, September 15 at the Tower Museum at 7pm.

The lecture will be delivered by Jacqui Reed, a writer, poet, facilitator, complimentary therapist and creative consultant, who is a member of the Ulster Scots Agency and went on to manage the Monreagh Ulster-Scots Heritage and Education Centre in Co Donegal.

Linguistics Professor Kevin McCafferty will deliver the second lecture, entitled ‘Exploring (London)Derry English’, on Wednesday, October 12.

He has been researching Irish-English for nearly 20 years and has undertaken detailed research on Northern Irish-English.

His talk will explore the ways in which social class, gender, age and ethnicity influence our language.

The third and last lecture, scheduled for Thursday, November 17 will be delivered by Seoirse Ó’Dochartaigh and is entitled ‘Turas Teanga na Gaeilge: the Irish Language, a Journey’.

Seoirse is a painter, musician and researcher with family roots in Inishowen. He has previously worked in the O’Dochartaigh Family Research Centre in Inch and now works as a freelance genealogist. He has published a number of books including a compendium featuring the placenames of Inishowen.

Encouraging people to attend the lectures, Margaret Edwards, Education Officer with the Heritage and Museum Service said it was an excellent opportunity to visit the Tower Museum and hear some interesting discussions on the English, Irish and Ulster-Scots languages.

“We are really excited about these lectures and think they will be of huge interest to the public. We have lined up an excellent panel of guest speakers and are confident that the lectures will prompt interesting debate and engagement,” she said.

Pól Ó Frighil, Irish language Officer with Derry City Council extended a warm welcome to anyone interested in language, culture and identity to come along and take part in what promises to be a thought-provoking exploration of our relationships with language and each other”.

The Island Voices programme is funded by Derry City Council’s Good Relations Programme and is supported by Foras na Gaeiige. To book contact the Tower Museum at Tel: 028 7137 2411 or [email protected]