Concordia University is bringing a little of Emerald Isle to Montreal by opening the School of Canadian Irish Studies, according to Maclean’s magazine.
Starting this fall, Concordia is offering the option to major in Irish Canadian studies.
The degree will focus on the unique experience of the Irish people in North America, and the interplay between the Irish, Quebecois, and other nationalities that immigrated to Canada, according to Maclean’s.
In addition to the major, students can also take a minor or a certificate in Canadian Irish studies.
Support to graduate students is also offered in the form of research grants in conjunction with other departments at the university.
Despite the small number of people who claim an Irish ancestry in Quebec, it would appear that the program is taking off like a field of clover.
“Here in Quebec, if you’re interested in cultural nationalism, colonialism, post-imperial identities, partition and decolonization, rebellion and independence, Ireland is a case study for all of that,” Michael Keneally, Concordia’s principal, told Maclean’s.
Seven hundred students have already enrolled in the program, Maclean’s reported.
