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Question: Describe a professor or project that has taught you about history, politics or business from an international perspective.
Written by: Katherine Webber
The most interesting thing about my Irish History course, other than the material, is the fact that the professor is Canadian. The class is called “From Colony to Republic: The Making of Modern Ireland,” and while my teacher’s background is not life-altering, it does tend to give more of an outsider’s view and a more objective viewpoint of the history of Ireland than I expected.
Like many others in her field, Dr. Hay has been studying this subject for years, during which she has spent numerous hours in the library. She tries to give us as broad a view of the subject as possible.
Whenever I was taught U. S. History at home, it was always by an American, and therefore was not always objective. I could always tell the teachers who loved a particular historic person more than the rest or skimmed over a subject because it was thought to be shameful, such as former presidents being slave owners.
However, in my Irish History class, all the brutality of this young country comes out in full force. We are taught about the events that occurred and the people and ideas of the time with as much detail as possible.
It is interesting to see the comparisons between the U.S. and Ireland, as well. Because the professor is not from either country, she gives a completely impartial view of the influences. Our revolution, along with France’s, helped bring about further ideas of independence. Also, as many professors like to point out, Ireland is a young republic, much like the U.S., and as a result, is still growing and developing.
Dr. Hay is full of information about Ireland, beginning back in the 12th century with the Norman invasion, when Ireland was little more than a colony of the United Kingdom. Her unique outsider’s viewpoint enables us to have a full, neutral insight that perhaps many Irish people do not have.
Along with lectures, we are also able to attend events outside of the classroom, such as tours of the National Museum, the Leinster House, and the seat of Parliament, which are planned by Dr. Hay to help compound the ideas and events that we are learning about in class.
We are also privileged to be able to learn about Northern Ireland, as its history is closely tied to that of the Republic of Ireland, and though it still remains in the hands of the British, to go on a tour of its Parliamentary building next week.
Many of the other Irish history courses offered here at UCD focus strictly on modern Ireland or on the republic’s formation, and not on the entire seven centuries since people first began recording its history. This is part of what makes the class so unique.
When hearing people talk about their country, pride can usually be detected in their voices. Not only does Dr. Hay have pride when she talks about Ireland, but she also has a sense of realism, almost as if she had lived through all of this rather than simply having read about it in books.
This gives us a unique international perspective of Ireland along with some of the most interesting side stories due to our professor’s specialization.
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