Next we have Niamh MacGloin (University of York), whose bursary facilitated archival research and Irish language classes to deepen her research:

I first travelled to Dublin to access Dónall Mac Amhlaigh’s archives at the National Library of Ireland. I spent time reading through his personal diaries from 1951, when he first moved to Britain, to 1989, when he sadly passed away. I had to seek permission from Foras na Gaeilge to access the archives, and I believe I am the first person to request them since they were bequeathed to the library. This means my discoveries are entirely novel in research about the author. Access to these diaries allowed me to translate important passages regarding Mac Amhlaigh’s experience of moving to Britain and finding a sense of community in his new home, as well as to gain some fascinating insights into his process of writing Exiles, the text my chapter focuses on.

I then travelled from Dublin to Kerry to join my Irish language class for a course in the Corca Dhuibhne Gaeltacht. Here, we had Irish lessons in the morning and enjoyed lectures by local historians and Irish language activists in the evenings. We also visited Great Blasket and attended the Féile na Bealtine celebrations in Dingle. The course provided me with a rare opportunity to practice my spoken fluency in Irish, as well as to appreciate the Irish literary legacy of the Munster Gaeltacht.

My Irish language classes are a collaboration between the Irish Cultural Centre in Hammersmith and the University of Liverpool, and thus have already provided me with great connections for further research impact. While joining my fellow Irish language students, I was given a great opportunity to discuss my research with a variety of people who are learning Irish in London and, by default, have their own unique experiences of the London-Irish community. I met one lady in particular who is a friend of Dónall Mac Amlaigh’s sister, Dee Mac Amhlaigh, and attends the Irish music sessions held at the ICC with her. Since my trip, I have also been to one of the sessions and met Dee myself. I now plan to interview her to provide a richer picture of Mac Amhlaigh’s life in Britain and its influence on his literary work.

Niamh is a PhD student at the University of York. Her research aims to highlight the unique connections between London-Irish writers and the immigrant experience and emphasise the cohesiveness of the literary canon these writers have produced. Her work examines Donall Mac Amhlaigh’s Exiles, John B. Keane’s The Contractors, Padraic O’ Conaire’s Exile, Maeve Kelly’s Florrie’s Girls and Anne Devlin’s After Easter.

Image of the London Irish Centre in Camden in 1950s.