Faculty at Molloy College will discuss the 1916 Easter Rebellion 100 years later from the viewpoint of someone in Ireland at that time, as well as historical accounts from New York on Sunday, April 17, at 3 p.m. at Molloy College’s Larini Room, Public Square.
Paul van Wie will present “Voice of an Irish Patriot: The Poems of Bernard Hughes.”
Hughes (1887-1947) was a lifelong resident of Dundalk, County Louth. A poet and writer, Hughes lived through the tumultuous period of Irish history which included the rise of the Gaelic movement, the fight for home rule, the Easter rebellion, War for Independence, and partition.
As an eyewitness of these momentous events, Hughes was inspired to write verse on each of these developments. Truly a man of the people, Hughes’ voice is a unique window into Ireland at the time of Easter 1916.
Van Wie received his Ph.D. in history from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York.
For many years he directed the K-12 Social Studies program for the East Williston Public Schools.
He was a longtime member of the political science department at Hofstra University. In 1995, Dr. van Wie joined the Molloy College faculty, where he is currently an Associate professor of history and political science.
Chuck Howlett will discuss Irish sentiments here in the United States prior to American involvement in the war and how American-Irish then supported the war in hopes of Wilson’s goal of freedom of nationalities from outside rule (role of the Fighting 69th).
Other topics include the postwar disillusionment by the American-Irish resulting from the Treaty of Versailles as the struggle for Independence continued and remarks as to postwar nativist intolerance towards American-Irish on the part of the KKK.
Howlett is a professor in the Division of Education at Molloy College and a retired military officer from the New York Guard as well as having served for 15 years as an Air Force Academy admissions liaison officer.
He is an original board member of the Irish Studies Institute and is the author of numerous books in American history and education and holds a Ph.D. in history.
He received his degrees from Marist College, the University at Albany and Columbia.
He is a former Fulbright Scholar to The Netherlands, a National Endowment for the Humanities Grant recipient, and a Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellow.
