Irish Legal Diaspora Conference, 7-8 July 2013

The Irish Legal History Society is apporaching its 25th Anniversary. As part of its celebrations, it is promoting a conference on the Irish Legal Diaspora.

The Irish Legal History Society accordingly would like to invite Irish and international scholars to Dublin in order to celebrate the global significance of the Irish legal diaspora. For centuries the reality of Irish immigration has included qualified lawyers and persons who would qualify abroad. They served at all levels of the first and second British Empires, in the United States, in the former dominions and colonies that became the British Commonwealth and the independent states that grew from it. The objective of this conference is to gain an understanding of these people, their political outlook and the contribution made to their new countries.

Irish lawyers have imbued the laws and politics of many lands with ther own ideas and experience. Significant contributions were made in other ways, too. Thus, Thomas D'Arcy McGee, law graduate, politician and journalist, is seen as one of the fathers of Canadian confederation. See http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/confederation/023001-4000.52-e.html. A young Dublin lawyer, John Robert Godley, was the driving force behind the settlement and organisation of a new city in New Zealand that he named Christchurch. See http://christchurchcitylibraries.com/heritage/earlychristchurch/johnrobertgodley.asp

 

 

The dates of this conference, 7-8 July 2013, dovetail with the British Legal History Conference that will be held at the University of Glasgow on 10-13 July 2013. Some participants may wish to attend both events.
Proposals of less than 500 words for papers relating to the Irish legal diaspora in any part of the world should reach the organisers by 30 September 2012. Contributors who are unsure whether their proposals suitably reflect the conference theme should contact the organisers at the email address below.
A draft programme and details of registration and accommodation will be circulated early in 2013. Selected papers may be chosen for inclusion in a future publication of the Irish Legal History Society.
Conference email: ildc2013@yahoo.ie

Conference Sub-Committee: Mr Robert Marshall, Dr Niamh Howlin, Ms Yvonne Mullen, Dr Thomas Moh