Allihies Autumn School 2026
Who Belongs? Migration, Identity, and the Politics of Place
Join us in Allihies for a three-day Autumn School exploring migration, identity, and the politics of place through talks, exhibition, film, local voices, and shared discussion.
About the Autumn School
Who belongs? Migration didn’t invent the question, but it refuses to let anyone dodge it. Every wave of people arriving somewhere new forces the same reckoning: who gets called local, who gets called outsider, and who decides?
This year’s Allihies Autumn School explores migration, identity, and the politics of place through scholarship, lived experience, creative work, and public conversation. Across three days, the event brings together researchers, archivists, artists, historians, and community voices from Ireland and the United States.
Programme
Friday, 9 October 2026
- 18:30 — Registration and welcome by Klaudia Drozdzik.
- 19:15 — Opening welcome by Mr. Tadhg O’Sullivan.
- 19:30 — Official opening by Senator Noel O’Donovan.
- 20:00 — Exhibition opening: Aubrey Edwards, followed by a wine reception.
Saturday, 10 October 2026
- 10:00 — From Beara to Butte: Aubrey Jaap and Lindsay Mulcahy, Butte Silver Bow Archives.
- 11:00 — Coffee break.
- 11:15 — Making sense of migration: Prof. Mary Gilmartin, Maynooth University.
- 12:15 — An American Wake: Filleadh, Aubrey Edwards.
- 13:00 — Lunch at the Copper Café.
- 13:45 — Community contribution: Finbarr O’Shea, Bantry Credit Union.
- 14:00 — Film screening: Home: The Story of Zak Moradi.
- 15:00 — Comings and goings: Prof. Flora Cornish.
- 15:45 — Local voices: Pat Holland, Clogheen, Garnish; Donal Kelly Lehanmore Garnish Beara; Michael Miney O Sullivan, Cahermore, Beara.
- 16:30 — Discussion panel and Q&A.
- 17:00 — Free time.
- 19:30 — Evening entertainment: Scullion’s Concert.
Sunday, 11 October 2026
- 10:00 — Migration in rural areas: challenges and opportunities, Dr Andrea Ciribuco.
- 11:00 — Coffee break.
- 11:15 — Leadville and diaspora memory: Luke Finken and Kathleen Fitzsimmons.
- 12:15 — Who belongs in modern Ireland? Ms. Teresa Buczkowska.
- 13:00 — Lunch at the Copper Café.
- 14:00 — Official closing, feedback, and group photo.
Speakers and contributors
Teresa Buczkowska
Immigrant Council of Ireland
CEO of the Immigrant Council of Ireland, writer, and media commentator on migration, democracy, and women’s rights. Her work has appeared in The Irish Times, Irish Independent, Dublin Inquirer, The Journal, and openDemocracy. She received the Women of Europe – Woman in Media Award in 2024 and is a 2022 Obama Scholar.
Dr Andrea Ciribuco
University of Galway
Lecturer in the School of Languages, Literatures and Cultures at the University of Galway. His work focuses on translation, intercultural communication, and migrant integration, and his Autumn School presentation addresses migration in rural areas.
Prof. Flora Cornish
London School of Economics
Born on the Beara Peninsula, Flora Cornish is Professor in Research Methodology at the London School of Economics. Her session reflects on family migrations into and out of Beara and invites participants into a personal writing exercise on mobility and memory.
Aubrey Edwards
Artist and Public Humanities Researcher
A multidisciplinary artist, cultural anthropologist, historical archaeologist, and memory worker based in Wyoming. Her project An American Wake: Filleadh explores the lives, labour, and legacies of Irish immigrant workers in the American West.
Kathleen Fitzsimmons
Leadville History Hub
Educator, public historian, and researcher from Leadville, Colorado, Kathleen Fitzsimmons focuses on Irish immigration to the American West, immigrant identity, and the social history of mining communities.
Luke Finken
Leadville, Colorado
Educator and community leader in Leadville, Luke Finken has been involved in public life, heritage, and business, including the Leadville Irish Miners’ Memorial and the twinning of Leadville and Allihies.
Prof. Mary Gilmartin
Maynooth University
Professor of Geography at Maynooth University whose research focuses on contemporary migration to and from Ireland. Her presentation at the Autumn School is titled Making sense of migration.
Aubrey Jaap
Butte-Silver Bow Public Archives
Director of the Butte-Silver Bow Public Archives, Aubrey Jaap works to preserve and share Butte’s cultural heritage through exhibits, oral history, public programming, and community outreach.
Lindsay Mulcahy
Butte-Silver Bow Public Archives
Assistant Director of the Butte-Silver Bow Public Archives, Lindsay Mulcahy is passionate about helping people discover Butte’s rich history and also serves in local historical and festival committees.
Zak Moradi
Featured film subject
Semaco “Zak” Moradi is a Kurdish-Irish hurler who moved from Iraq to Ireland in 2002. His story is featured in the programme film Home: The Story of Zak Moradi.
Local Voices
Local voices: Pat Holland, Clogheen, Garnish; Donal Kelly Lehanmore Garnish Beara; Michael Miney O Sullivan, Cahermore, Beara
Stories of emigration and return, life in the 1950s and 60s.
Book your place
Tickets are €199 and include all sessions across the three days, lunches, tea and coffee, and Saturday evening entertainment.
Venue: Allihies Copper Mine Museum, Allihies, Beara Peninsula, Co. Cork, P75 Y329, Ireland
If the booking form does not load, use this direct link: Allihies Autumn School 2026 – Ticket Booking.
Practical information
- Venue: Allihies Copper Mine Museum, Allihies, Beara Peninsula, Co. Cork, P75 Y329, Ireland
- Museum contact: +353 (0)27 73218
- Email: info@aceh.ie