An Cartlann Gael-Mheiriceánach: An Introduction

As we enter the summer and conclude with our spring semester, we are pleased to announce another issue of An Cartlann. This journal, published through New York University by NYU undergraduates and archival interns in the American Irish Historical Society (AIHS), celebrates the ongoing study of Irish history in America. By welcoming younger scholars to share their work across a range of disciplines, we are excited to show a new arena of Irish Studies.

Last semester's issue featured a small (but skilled) group of scholars. This semester, we have expanded to a larger number and are pleased to show not only historical research but archival studies. This issue is complimented by a special issue published simultaneously, which creates a carefully constructed finding aid on a lesser known collection of Irish-American music. By sharing the complex work of archival processing, Melanie Zhang weaves AIHS collections together with external sources, including those held at NYU.

In our featured research papers, the range of topics demonstrates the depth and complexity of Irish Studies. Laoise McDaid and Jillian Prunty explore the construction of national identity through athletics, revolution, and circulating news. In literary studies, Ella Rose Fingado and Cora Burkholder look at Irish playwrights Brendan Behan and Seamus O'Brien, exploring their hidden personal identities as well as their written ones. Finally, Audrey Chapin and Caroline Stetson perform close readings of lesser known archival subjects and place them in a wider context, connecting them to other collections and authors.

We look forward to sharing this and future issues with our audience.

Mark Lindenburg, Editor, Lead Archivist. MA, MSLIS.