Everything from the Easter Rising to the Celtic Tiger and the Troubles is covered in this Harvard Irish course. 

Sean McGraw, Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Notre Dame and a renowned scholar on Irish issues is teaching a  course on contemporary Irish politics this fall at the Harvard Extension School. The class will meet on Tuesday evenings from 6-8pm September 4 – December 18. All are welcome.

You can register online for the course (see further information below).

This study of Ireland addresses such critical issues as the legacies of colonialism and civil war, nationalism, democratization, Church and State relations, the Northern Ireland Troubles and Brexit, and the European Union.

What explains Ireland's distinctive political trajectory and how does it compare to other European nations? How should we understand the Celtic Tiger, the rapid series of social, economic and political transformations that have occurred within Ireland since the 1990s? This course explores these questions by studying the political actors and institutional settings of Irish politics, the nature of political influence and the shaping of political priorities, and the forces that shape policy outcomes.  

Read more: Easter 1916 - How Irish America and Ireland saw it very differently

Watch McGraw speaking about his work here:

McGraw is an energetic and engaging teacher and recognized scholar on Irish Politics. In addition to his book “How Parties Win: Shaping the Irish Political Arena” (University of Michigan Press, 2015), he has published many articles on Irish political parties and the political system in journals such as Irish Political Studies, Government and Opposition, Parliamentary Affairs and the European Journal of Political Research.

McGraw lived in Ireland for several years and has been conducting research there every year for over 15 years. He has designed and implemented a parliamentary survey where he and his research team have personally conducted face-to-face interviews with nearly two-thirds of Irish members of parliament (TDs) after the 2007, 2011 and 2016 general elections. He is currently working on a book project that explores the impact of the collapse of the institutional Catholic Church’s role in Irish politics and society.

For more information on how to register online for the course, see here.