Trinity Long Room Hub Podcasts

TLRHub

Opened in 2010, the Trinity Long Room Hub Arts and Humanities Research Institute is dedicated to advancing Trinity College Dublin’s rich tradition of research excellence in the Arts and Humanities, on an individual, collaborative and inter-disciplinary basis.

  1. 2026 |  A STEM Strategy for Modern Languages? Mapping Ireland’s Multilingual Futures

    6d ago

    2026 | A STEM Strategy for Modern Languages? Mapping Ireland’s Multilingual Futures

    Recorded May 21, 2026. A lecture by Professor Michael Cronin, Chair of French 1776, Trinity College Dublin The Trinity Long Room Hub Annual Humanities Horizons Lecture for 2026 was delivered by Prof Michael Cronin, on A STEM Strategy for Modern Languages? Mapping Ireland’s Multilingual Futures. 250 years ago the first Chairs in Modern Languages in these islands were established in Trinity College Dublin. The TCD Chairs in French and German are the oldest, continuous Chairs in these languages in the world. But what of the future? How does Ireland build on its pioneering role in modern language education to make modern languages central to social cohesion, psychological wellbeing and economic prosperity on the island? The lecture argues for the benefits of a concerted strategy to make modern languages a strategic asset in the future development of our island community. About Michael Cronin Michael Cronin is 1776 Professor of French and Senior Researcher in the Trinity Centre for Literary and Cultural Translation. Michael Cronin received his BA from Trinity College Dublin, his MA from University College Dublin and his PhD from Trinity College Dublin. He has taught in universities in France and Ireland and has held Visiting Research Fellowships to universities in Canada, Belgium, Peru, France and Egypt. He is a Fellow of Trinity College Dublin, an elected Member of the Royal Irish Academy and the Academia Europaea, an Officer in the Ordre des Palmes Académiques. Michael Cronin is the author of 13 monographs, the co-editor of seven edited collections and the author of over 150 refereed articles and book chapters. His work has been translated into 16 languages including Arabic, Mandarin Chinese, Korean and Modern Greek. Among his published works are Across the Lines: travel, language, translation (Cork University Press, 2000), Translation and Globalization (Routledge, 2006), Translation and Identity (Routledge, 2006), The Expanding World: towards a politics of microspection (Zero Books, 2012), Translation in the Digital Age (Routledge, 2013), Eco-Translation: translation and ecology in the Age of the Anthropocene (Routledge, 2017), Irish and Ecology/An Ghaeilge agus an Éiceolaíocht (FÁS, 2019) and Eco-Travel: journeying in the Anthropocene (Cambridge University Press, 2022). His research interests are in the areas of eco-criticism and bio-cultural diversity. Learn more at www.tcd.ie/trinitylongroomhub

    1 min
  2. Together/Apart

    May 14

    Together/Apart

    Recorded May 14th, 2026. A panel discussion on the Irish anti-apartheid struggle featuring key members of the movement organised by the Trinity Long Room Hub with the Little Museum of Dublin. In conjunction with Together/Apart, a collaborative exhibition between the Little Museum of Dublin and the Centre for Humanities Research at the University of the Western Cape, the Trinity Long Room Hub hosts a panel discussion on the Irish anti-apartheid struggle featuring key members of the movement. In April 1964, the Irish Anti-Apartheid Movement (IAAM) was launched in Dublin by Kader Asmal, a South-African law professor in Trinity College Dublin. Lobbying for improved human rights in South Africa, the Movement raised awareness of the racism experienced by communities and campaigned for the release of political prisoners. Twenty years later, eleven young shopworkers in Dunnes Stores in Dublin, refused to handle South African goods. This simple act led to an almost three-year strike that became a symbol of solidarity in the liberation struggle. Together/Apart invites us to consider the deeper resonances of solidarity that link the peoples of Ireland and South Africa. Beyond the spectre of war and violence, this exhibition asks us to reconsider the meaning of generosity, care and solidarity – ideas that once helped to forge a human chain in the face of apartheid. This panel discussion explores the legacy of the Irish anti-apartheid struggle and asks what we can learn from historical expressions of international solidarity. Join the people who marched, campaigned and advocated for the end of apartheid. Chaired by Prof Patrick Geoghegan, Director of the Trinity Long Room Hub, panellists include: Joan Burton, former IAAM Honorary Secretary and Labour Party leader Hugo MacNeill OBE, former Irish rugby international and current Pro-Chancellor of Trinity College Dublin Mary Manning, activist and former Dunnes Stores striker Rafique Mottiar, former IAAM Treasurer and Vice-Chair Dr Connal Parr, historian and author of Solidarity and Pressure The Together/Apart exhibition opens to the public in the Little Museum of Dublin on 14 May 2026 before travelling to South Africa later in the year. Learn more at www.tcd.ie/trinitylongroomhub

    1h 12m
  3. Fellow in Focus: Prof Elke D'hoker in conversation with Dr Paul Delaney

    May 14

    Fellow in Focus: Prof Elke D'hoker in conversation with Dr Paul Delaney

    Recorded 12 May 2026. Trinity Long Room Hub Visiting Research Fellow Prof Elke D'hoker (KU Leuven, Belgium) in conversation with Dr Paul Delaney (School of English). About the fellow: Elke is a Professor of English literature at KU Leuven and director of the Leuven Centre for Irish Studies. After a critical study on the novels of John Banville (Rodopi 2004), she turned her attention to the Irish short story. She has published many articles and book chapters on this topic, as well the monograph Irish Women Writers and the Modern Short Story (Palgrave 2016). Her present research focuses on the importance of magazines in supporting, codifying and disseminating Irish short fiction from the late 19th century to the present. Among the books she edited or co-edited in these fields are Irish Women Writers (Lang 2011), Mary Lavin (IAP 2013), The Irish Short Story (Lang 2015), The Modern Short Story and Magazine Culture (EUP 2021), Sarah Hall. Critical Essays (Gylphi 2022), Ethel Colburn Mayne: Selected Stories (EER 2021), The Writer’s Torch: Reading Stories from The Bell (Stinging Fly 2023), and The Edinburgh Companion to Irish Literature and Periodical Culture (EUP, forthcoming). Her interest in literary pedagogy led her to publish a textbook on teaching literature in 2022 and to set up the KU Leuven Centre for Literature and Education. She has long been a board member of EFACIS (European Federation of Associations and Centres of Irish Studies), serving as its vice-president from 2019 to 2025. During her visit at the Trinity Long Room Hub she is working on a project called The Irish Short Story & The Dublin Magazine (1923-1958)'. Learn more at www.tcd.ie/trinitylongroomhub

    43 min
  4. Behind the Headlines - A Social Media Ban for Ireland?

    May 12

    Behind the Headlines - A Social Media Ban for Ireland?

    Recorded April 28th, 2026. As part of our ‘Behind the Headlines’ series,this panel examines the Irish government’s plans for an age-related social media ban amid growing momentum for similar measures internationally. Gathering legal, psychology and social research experts, we will look at all aspects of the proposed legislation, including age verification, and the rights and freedoms of under-16 age groups. The panel also discusses the implications of social media use on this group, including what constitutes problematic internet use, and its implications for public health in the context of children and young persons today. The discussion is chaired by Dr Róisín Á Costello, Assistant Professor of Law at Trinity College Dublin and Deputy Director of TriCON, Trinity Centre for Constitutional Law. Panellists: Dr TJ McIntyre, Associate Professor in Law at the School of Law, University College Dublin and Chairperson of Digital Rights Ireland. Dr Ruth Melia, Associate Professor in Clinical Psychology at the University of Limerick. Dr Gretta Mohan, Senior Research Officer in Economic Analysis at the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI). This discussion is held in partnership with DEMCONEX, The Jean Monnet Centre for Excellence on Freedom of Expression and Democratic Resilience in Europe’s Digital Age. DEMCONEX is a Jean Monnet Centre for Excellence on Freedom of Expression and Democratic Resilience in Europe’s Digital Age is funded by the European Union. The Centre will be hosted by the Law School and the Department of Politics at Trinity College Dublin from 2025-2028 and is focused on research, teaching and public engagement on the Centre’s themes and on European studies. Behind the Headlines is supported by the John Pollard Foundation. Learn more at www.tcd.ie/triniylongroomhub

    56 min
  5. Behind the Headlines: Irish and EU Security in an Age of Global Conflict

    Apr 29

    Behind the Headlines: Irish and EU Security in an Age of Global Conflict

    Recorded April 22nd 2026. Can Ireland protect itself in an era of drone warfare, cyber-attacks and increasing global tensions and is Europe ready for the new security challenges it faces? As Ireland prepares to assume the European Presidency, taking over from Cyprus on 1 July, the Government faces renewed scrutiny over the scale and preparedness of its own defence capabilities in the light of the war in Iran and increasingly fraught geopolitical challenges. Recent changes, including increased defence spending, plans to modernise equipment, and an investment in cyber and maritime surveillance reflect a growing concern about hybrid threats and the protection of critical infrastructure such as undersea cables and airspace. Our upcoming ‘Behind the Headlines’ panel will hear from His Excellency Louis Telemachou, the Ambassador of the Republic of Cyprus to Ireland, on Cyprus’s Presidency of the Council of the EU, followed by a panel discussion on the challenge facing Europe at a time of rapid geo-political shifts. This event will be chaired by Professor Patrick Geoghegan, Director of the Trinity Long Room Hub. Panel: Caitríona Heinl, Executive Director of The Azure Forum for Contemporary Security Strategy and Adjunct Research Fellow at the School of Politics and International Relations at University College Dublin. Vice Admiral Mark Mellett, DSM, retired Irish Naval Service vice admiral and former Chief of Staff of Ireland's Defence Forces. Dr Rory Rowan, Assistant Professor of Geography at Trinity College Dublin and political geographer and expert on the history of geopolitical thought and Irish neutrality. This event is run in partnership with the Trinity Centre for Digital Security and Societal Resilience, a new multidisciplinary research centre designed to address the technological, economic, governance and societal challenges shaping Ireland’s digital future. Learn more at www.tcd.ie/trinitylongroomhub

    1h 12m

About

Opened in 2010, the Trinity Long Room Hub Arts and Humanities Research Institute is dedicated to advancing Trinity College Dublin’s rich tradition of research excellence in the Arts and Humanities, on an individual, collaborative and inter-disciplinary basis.

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