"Darkness Echoing": Gillian O'Brien discusses her new haunting book at the AIHS

In "The Darkness Echoing", historian Gillian O’Brien takes readers on a captivating tour through Ireland’s bleakest landmarks, from cemeteries to castles, uncovering the narratives of suffering, struggle, and survival. O'Brien challenges traditional views of Ireland's past, asking how these dark moments continue to shape the nation's identity today.

It's no secret that the Irish are obsessed with misery, suffering and death. No wonder, for there is darkness everywhere you look: in cemeteries and castles, monuments and museums, stories and songs. In "The Darkness Echoing", Gillian O'Brien tours Ireland's most deliciously dark heritage sites, delving into the stories behind them and asking what they reveal about the Irish.

Energetic, illuminating and surprisingly funny, "The Darkness Echoing" challenges old, accepted narratives about Ireland, and asks intriguing questions about Ireland's past, present and future.

Dr. O' Brien is the Program Leader for the MA in Modern History and module leader for "Ireland 1690-1922", "Celebration and Commemoration in Irish History" and "Revolutionary Traditions in Ireland". She is currently working on a number of projects including books on the Irish in America from the Civil War to the turn of the 20th century and on crime and dark tourism in Ireland.

She is also involved in a collaborative study with Jessie Castle (an architectural historian and Visiting Research Fellow at LJMU) on an architectural and social history of convents in eighteenth and 19th century Ireland.

In addition, she is interested in the history of women journalists in America and representations of the Irish in the illustrations of Thomas Nast. Gillian is also involved in a number of public history projects and has been the historical advisor for museum and heritage scheme including the development of Spike Island in Co. Cork, Ireland and work on Kilmainham Gaol and Courthouse in Co. Dublin and Nano Nagle Place in Cork city.

As part of her work on museums and heritage centers she has published 'Inception, Development, Operation: A Report on Best Practice for Site-Specific Museums and Heritage Centers' (2018) and 'Beyond Storytelling: Exhibiting the Past (2020)

The American Irish Historical Society

The American Irish Historical Society (AIHS) in New York City is an organization dedicated to preserving and promoting the history and culture of the Irish in America.

Founded in 1897, it serves as a cultural and historical repository, offering resources, exhibits, and events that highlight the contributions of Irish Americans to the United States.

For more information on the AIHS and its upcoming events, visit AIHSNY.org.

"The Darkness Echoing: Exploring Ireland's Places of Famine, Death and Rebellion" talk will take place on Monday, October 21, 2024 at 6pm.