The Perceptions of Irish Culture seminar during Seactain na Gaeilge 2019 featured three lecturers examining Irish culture from varying viewpoints
Irish culture is not easy to define or describe. There are lots of different interpretations of 'Irishness' and Irish culture. Three WIT academics came together on 13 March 2019 to share their perceptions of Irish culture with a very captive and receptive audience.
Art
Dr Susan Connolly, lecturer and artist, in the Department of Creative and Performing Arts discussed her understanding of Irish culture as it portrays itself through the medium of art and artists. The attendees were treated to a very interesting description of Irish culture as shown through the creations of Irish artists.
Plants
Next up was Dr Cara Daly, Programme Leader for the BSc. in Horticulture. Cara gave a very entertaining and thought provoking account of Irish culture through the plant life of Ireland. We see these plants every day but often do not take notice of them but, as Cara pointed out, many of them have their own 'story of Ireland' to tell.
Language
The final speaker was Dr Séamus Dillon, Irish language lecturer on the Department of Languages, Tourism and Hospitality. Séamus described the symbolic and functional importance of Irish as a living and vibrant part of Irish culture.
Viking Triangle
These three talks and the discussion that followed were expertly moderated by Lauren Traynor, a native of Waterford and Executive Project Director of the Waterford Viking Triangle. Lauren explained the importance of Irish culture in Waterford and particularly in relation to the Viking Triangle and she commented: "it was a pleasure to chair this event. I found all of the contributions very interesting indeed and opened my eyes to some new ways of looking at culture".
Keep a look out for some more Perceptions of Irish Culture seminars on www.wit.ie/events.
SETU Waterford, Cork Road, Waterford City, 
