Past Talks
Since its foundation in 1955 the Society’s principal activity has been the presentation of talks by members or invited guests on topics relating to Ireland and Irish heritage in Australia. In that time several hundred talks have been given. From 1974 many of those talks were audio recorded and we hold copies of those recordings from 1974 to 2008 and from 2014 to 2017, numbering in all 198 talks of variable quality. Since 2020, when during Covid we began to livestream our meetings via Zoom, the talks given to the Society have been video recorded, accumulating at the rate of about seven per year. In addition, we hold copies of manuscripts of some 56 talks, some dating back to the 1950s and 1960s. Access to these recordings is available to members and to researchers upon application to the Honorary Secretary. A list of recorded talks held by the Society is available here.
Summaries of talks and events back to 2011 can be viewed below.
2025 TALKS
February
Dr Jeff Kildea, honorary professor in Irish Studies at UNSW and honorary secretary of the Aisling Society, gave a talk entitled ‘Bridget and the Bishop’ in which he discussed his book Sister Liguori: The Nun who Divided a Nation (Connor Court Publishing, 2024) and showed a video of simulated AI interviews with Bridget Partridge and Bishop Dwyer.
March
We celebrated St Patrick’s Day at Sancta Sophia College, University of Sydney. It was a wonderful get-together at which guest speaker, Siobhán McHugh, author, podcaster, and academic, reflected on the major cultural and societal changes she has witnessed in Ireland and Australia in the four decades since she left her native Dublin for Sydney in 1985.
April
Hugh Myers, gave a talk about Roger Casement and the new biography of him by Roland Philipps, Broken Archangel: The Tempestuous Lives of Roger Casement.
May
Award-winning Irish novelist and short story writer Mary Morrissy gave a talk titled “Disappearing into History” focussing on Irish artist Una Watters.
June
Historian Dr Perry McIntyre AM gave a talk entitled ‘Who were the workhouse single women?’ in which she spoke about single female workhouse immigration during the Great Irish Famine.
July
Dr Pamela O’Neill gave a talk titled ‘Lost Early Medieval Manuscripts of Ireland?’ during which she posed the question: Where are the original manuscripts dating back to the 5th century which have been reproduced in later centuries but have since disappeared?
August
At this year’s mid-year lunch, held on Saturday 23 August at the Gaelic Club, we celebrated the society’s 70th anniversary. There was a very good roll up and the club was brilliantly decorated with bunting that contributed to a wonderful ambience. We were entertained with music and poetry and we heard three great speeches from Peter Gray, Tony Baine, and Mary Barthelemy on the past, the present and the future of the society.
September
Melissa Pavihi gave a talk on the Good Friday Agreement peace process as a model for restorative justice in international conflict.
October
In the last of the monthly talks for the year, Aisling member Dr Mel Keenan gave a fascinating and informative talk entitled “Re-divided Gaels: The historiographical rise and fall of the Gaelic realm of Dál Riata” in which he examined the close linguistic, cultural and familial links of the Gaels on either side of the North Channel.
November
This year’s Christmas party was held at a new venue, the rooftop function centre at Rydges Surry Hills. Members and guests farewelled the year 2025 with fine food, jolly company and a singalong. We were entertained with the beautiful singing of Doireann Nic Mathúna accompanied by Dominic Breen.
