CLASSICAL ASSOCIATION OF IRELAND innermost of cut granite blocks of the eleventh century. This was an important fortress of the rulers of south Leinster. It has been excavated. Several cremated burials and a mold for making weapons were found. This seen, the now-sated travellers went home through Tullow, Baltinglass and Blessington to the starting point at Belfield. The sun shone all day and one was left with the impression of a beautiful countryside punctuated by visions of the past… Brian O’Connell
Celtic Classics at UCD More than three hundred scholars from around the world came to Dublin at the end of June when the UCD School of Classics hosted the Ninth Celtic Conference in Classics from June 22 to 25, 2016. The conference is held every two years in Ireland, Wales, Scotland, and France, and since its inaugural meeting, at Maynooth in 2000, it has grown in size and reputation and evolved into a major international conference which attracts scholars from around the globe, above all the UK, EU, and North America. It has been held twice before in Ireland, with four panels at the first meeting at Maynooth in 2000 and eight panels at Cork in 2008. This year’s conference at UCD was the largest to date, with more than 300 registered delegates and a total of 21 panels on a broad range of topics, from Indian Ocean trade and the origins of the Olympic Games to genre in Cicero and court culture in Late Antiquity. Eight panels were organised by scholars with a Dublin connection: Cosetta Cadau, Trinity (Late Antique literature); Aideen Carty, Freie Universität Berlin, formerly UCD (Persia); Daniele Miano, UCD (Historiography of Early Rome); Lynda Mulvin, UCD (Late Antique Palaces); David Newell, UCD (Alcibiades); Alan Ross, UCD and Southampton (Imperial Panegyric from Diocletian to Theodosius); Philip de Souza, UCD (Ancient Greek Warfare); and Alexander Thein, UCD (Sulla). In addition to the panels there were four plenary lectures on topics of general interest. Arnaud Suspène (Orléans-CNRS) delivered a paper in French on coinage in the period of the Roman Revolution, Rosaria Vignolo Munson (Swarthmore College) spoke on narrative and legal time in Athenian forensic oratory, 12
July 2016
‘Homeward Trek’, a week of events promoting the history of Coollattin Estate and encouraging descendants of Canadian emigrants to seek out their family history, will be hosted by the Coollattin Canadian Connection from August 20-26. Details at: http://www.coollattincanadianconnection.com
Victoria Wohl (University of Toronto) addressed the topic of freedom and culture in Herodotus, and Philip de Souza (UCD) offered a new approach to Greek naval warfare. The first and last plenary lectures were sponsored by grants from the Classical Association of Ireland and the UCD College of Arts and Humanities. The UCD School of Classics wishes to thank both institutions for their support. It also wishes to express its gratitude for financial support received from Fáilte Ireland. The conference was a big event, but the organisation ran smoothly due to the efficiency and professionalism of the UCD Conference Office, which booked every available classroom in the Newman Building for the duration of events, and the UCD Restaurant, which ensured that teas, coffees, and pastries were ready and waiting for when all 300 delegates descended en masse at break times. A team of ten students led by Martin Brady manned the registration desks and remained on hand to lend at helping hand. The conference was a great success, and for three days there was a real energy in the Newman Building as scholars from around the world discussed their research and enjoyed a few days of warmth and sunshine. It was, as Professor Andrew Deeks, UCD President, noted in his welcome address, a testament to the global perspective and continuing vitality of the Classics. The conference was organised by Alexander Thein, Alan Ross, and Michelle McDonnell (UCD School of Classics), Douglas Cairns (University of Edinburgh) and Anton Powell (Classical Press of Wales). Alexander Thein Dr A. Thein; Assoc. Prof. P. de Souza; Prof. D. Cairns; & Prof. A. Deeks