One of Ireland’s most popular folk singer-songwriters, Declan O’Rourke, spent fifteen years writing a song cycle of stories about the Great Irish Famine. He’ll be presenting his award-winning songs at the Irish Cultural Centre on Thursday 4 April. Chronicles Of The Great Irish Famine has been hailed as O’Rourke’s masterpiece, and he received the prestigious … Continue reading “Singing the Great Famine”
Stretch St Patrick celebrations for one more night with traditional Irish band Altan, in concert in Rennes on 19 March. They’re also in Colomiers on 13 April. The five members of Altan, mainly from Donegal, have been playing together for more than thirty years. Fiddle, guitar, accordion and bouzouki blend to play traditional tunes and … Continue reading “Fabulous Irish Music in Rennes and Colomiers”
The new biopic about Oscar Wilde’s final years after leaving prison takes its ironic title from one of the children’s stories he wrote for his sons. The film, written, directed and starring Rupert Everett has a wonderful supporting cast (Colin Firth, Colin Morgan, Emily Watson.) This B2 downloadable resource includes work on an article about … Continue reading “Oscar Wilde: The Happy Prince”
Ireland has long been one of the most socially conservative countries in the European Union. But things have been changing and the country’s current Prime Minister is a sign of the times. Since the creation of Irish Free State in 1922, the post of Taoiseach*, Ireland’s equivalent of Prime Minister, has been held by … Continue reading “Changing Ireland”
St Patrick’s Day, 17 March, is a great time to inject some Irish culture into your classroom, with these videos, audio and interactive activities. Happy St Patrick’s Day – some of the figures may be a bit approximate in this promotional video, but it’s great for becoming familiar with some Irish traditions and traits, and … Continue reading “St Patrick’s Day on the Web”
St Patrick’s Day, 17 March, is the Irish national day. But there are many communities of Irish origin around the world and on St Paddy’s Day, everyone is Irish! There is a large Irish community in the U.S. and the parades in Chicago and New York are famous. The Chicago River, and the Liffey in … Continue reading “Happy St Patrick’s!”
Award-winning novelist Colm Tóibín’s The Testament of Mary will be adapted for the Théâtre de l’Odéon in May. The Irish author will be at the Irish Cultural Centre on 2 May to read from Testament and from Nora Webster, his latest novel, which, like Brooklyn, is set in his home town of Enniscorthy. If you … Continue reading “Irish Novelist Colm Toibin in Person and on Stage”
As the days start getting longer again, it’s time to think of travel! If you teach English in secondary school, you can apply to spend two weeks teaching and observing in a school in the UK or Ireland. The CIEP – Centre international d’études pédagogiques – gives teachers possibility to spend two weeks in UK … Continue reading “Teaching Exchanges”
To accompany the Oscar Wilde exhibition now on at the Petit Palais in Paris, the Sorbonne is offering a free MOOC about Oscar Wilde, in French, from October 26. The online course is taught by English Literature professor Pascal Aquien. It will consist of six sessions, each with six 10-minute parts. They will start out … Continue reading “Oscar Wilde: Online Learning”
A new exhibition in Paris shines a spotlight on a man who never shied away from one: Oscar Wilde. The author of The Picture of Dorian Gray and The Importance of Being Earnest lived a life as witty and provocative as his work. Oscar Wilde had an affinity and long connection with France, so the … Continue reading “Oscar Wilde: Impertinent Portrait”
