The joint regional conferences of ACIS Midwest and South will be hosted by the Keough-Naughton Institute for Irish Studies and held on the University of Notre Dame campus on September 24-7, 2026. The theme of the meeting will be “Irish Studies On The Ground: Place, Presence and Community.” The theme acts on a literal and figurative level, wherein we invite papers that focus on physical space and geography, as well as on actions and perspective shifts engendered by active involvement within communities.
Participants will broadly explore the themes of “Place, Presence and Community.” Papers may consider topics related to the role of physical or imagined geographies in politics, art, history and more. Additionally, we hope to examine the ways in which insider/outsider status and being embedded within communities relate to the efficacy of community-engaged work, diplomacy, and scholarship.
We are proud to host three remarkable guest speakers:
THURSDAY KEYNOTE: On the evening of Thursday, September 24th, we will host a public lecture with Jarlath Burns, the President of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). Lecture topic and details TBA. This event will be free and open to the public.
LAWRENCE MCBRIDE ANNUAL LECTURE: Timothy M. O’Neil, Professor of History, Central Michigan University, will deliver the annual McBride lecture on Friday, September 25th. Lecture topic and details TBA.
SATURDAY KEYNOTE: Belfast author Jan Carson will provide the conference’s keynote address on Saturday, September 26th. Jan’s new novel, Few and Far Between, reflects the conference theme as she imagines an alternative historical timeline in which new, but separate, island communities were created through the partial draining of Lough Neagh. Lecture topic and details TBA. This event will be free and open to the public.
Please Note: Presenters must be members of the American Conference for Irish Studies. Early Bird registration runs until September 10.
Should you have questions, please contact the conference organizer, Jennifer Knight, at [email protected]