Third Annual Report from the American Committee for Irish Studies, 1969-70

The eighth annual conference of the American Committee for Irish Studies was held at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois, from 30 April to 2 May 1970, with Professor Thomas Kinsella supervising local arrangements. The theme of the conference was ‘The roots of Ulster’, and representatives from both the Republic and Northern Ireland, as well as regular members of ACIS attended (Appendix A). At the business meeting Professor Harold Orel, of the University of Kansas, officially succeeded Professor John Kelleher of Harvard University as chairman of the executive committee, while Professor Maurice Harmon, of University College, Dublin, was named Irish representative on the executive committee. The business meeting also made the decision to accept the bid of the College of William and Mary for the 1971 conference. Professor J. C. Beckett, of Queen’s University, Belfast, delivered the banquet address. He spoke of the need for scholarly detachment and integrity on the part of the historian, who must strive to overcome personal bias and ‘represent times past as they were indeed’ Professor Beckett made a plea for more ‘popular history’, solidly grounded on historical evidence, but written in such a way that people will read it for pleasure as well as instruction. He explained the efforts being made in Northern Ireland to promote and popularize Irish studies, giving special emphasis to Queen’s University’s Institute of Irish Studies, which was attempting to coordinate work in the various fields of Irish studies.