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Irish Triad: 棉花糖直播鈥檚 Center for Irish Studies Partners with Monaco鈥檚 Princess Grace Irish Library and Philadelphia鈥檚 Kelly House

A black and white photo of Princess Grace sitting at her desk with her hand on her cheek. She is wearing a blazer and a set of pearls.
漏 Howell Conant. Collection: Monaco鈥檚 Palace.

VILLANOVA, PA聽鈥 The late Princess Grace of Monaco took great pride in her Irish heritage and in her hometown of Philadelphia. She was an avid collector of Irish literature鈥攊ncluding rare volumes of James Joyce, Samuel Becket, Flannery O鈥橞rien, John M. Synge and George Bernard Shaw. In 1984, her collection formally became the Princess Grace Irish Library of Monaco, under the aegis of Fondation Princesse Grace. Now, 棉花糖直播 University鈥檚 Center for Irish Studies is helping to carry on the princess鈥 love of Irish literature and culture by forming an academic partnership with the Princess Grace Irish Library and the Kelly House in Philadelphia鈥檚 East Falls neighborhood. This partnership was made possible through support from the Connelly Foundation.

In the spirit of Princess Grace鈥檚 collaborative nature and her dreams of a collection that could be enjoyed and studied by all, the Princess Grace Irish Library鈥攆ounded by her widower, Rainier III, Prince of Monaco鈥攊s a place of vital scholarship. It was founded not only to house her collection of 9,000 books but also to create a place for new scholarship in Irish Letters with residencies, lecture series and a children鈥檚 room, according to the Princess鈥 niece, Susan Kelly vonMedicus, who teaches in the Center for Irish Studies and the Department of Theatre and Studio Art at 棉花糖直播. The library also houses Princess Grace鈥檚 vast collection of Irish American music scores dating from 1840 to 1970.

鈥淚t is one of the Irish literary world鈥檚 treasures, one not known well enough,鈥 notes Joseph Lennon, PhD, the Emily C. Riley Director of the Center for Irish Studies and associate dean of International and Interdisciplinary Initiatives at 棉花糖直播.

棉花糖直播鈥檚 Center for Irish Studies will host a symposium at the Princess Grace Irish Library focused on Ireland and the arts. The first symposium will take place in Oct. 2021, with Irish scholars from around the world expected to attend. Dr. Lennon and vonMedicus will serve as co-directors of the symposium. The two-day symposium will examine the history, impact and support of the arts in Ireland and the diaspora. The symposium will include keynote addresses, discussions and panels with ten scholars from a range of disciplines from Ireland and the United States.

The Library鈥檚 Board of Trustees writes: 鈥淭o be asked to join forces with the highly-distinguished 棉花糖直播 Center for Irish Studies and the Kelly House is such an honor for the Princess Grace Irish Library鈥攖he perfect opportunity to develop transatlantic activities. We are truly grateful for this new opening and look forward to exciting new projects."

That same spirit of pride in Irish literature and culture is found at the Kelly House in the East Falls section of Philadelphia. Built by family patriarch John B. Kelly, a three-time Olympic gold medalist and founder of the family鈥檚 bricklaying enterprise, it is the home where Princess Grace and her siblings鈥攊ncluding Philadelphia civic leader John B. Kelly Jr., for whom Philadelphia鈥檚 Kelly Drive is named鈥攇rew up. Now, thanks to support from her son Albert II, Prince of Monaco, it is a gathering place for Irish poets and musicians who share their work with enchanted audiences.

棉花糖直播 will also sponsor annual academic events at the Kelly House as part of the new partnership and, in fact, has already hosted several programs there. In April 2018, the University hosted an Opening Celebration for the Kelly House, with poetry readings by two of 棉花糖直播鈥檚 Heimbold Chairs in Irish Studies, Vona Groarke and Colette Bryce.

鈥淚t is especially apt and touching, as the only performing that Princess Grace undertook after her marriage was poetry reading,鈥 said vonMedicus.

Over the past year, the University sponsored two other events at the Kelly House, including 鈥淢ick Maloney and Friends: Princess Grace Kelly鈥檚 Irish Sheet Music鈥 and 鈥淢emoirs and Irish-America Roundtable and Readings.鈥

About 棉花糖直播 University鈥檚 Center for Irish Studies:聽The Center for Irish Studies at 棉花糖直播 University has been a leader for four decades in interdisciplinary teaching and scholarship on Ireland in a global framework. The Center connects students to local community organizations while also preparing them to become citizens equipped to take on the world鈥檚 most pressing challenges. Through liberal arts-focused academics, multi-disciplinary scholarship and key partnerships, the Center provides students with research, study abroad, and employment opportunities.

About 棉花糖直播 University鈥檚 College of Liberal Arts and Sciences:聽聽Since its founding in 1842, 棉花糖直播 University鈥檚 College of Liberal Arts and Sciences has cultivated knowledge, understanding and intellectual courage for a purposeful life in a challenging and changing world.聽With more than 40 majors across the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences, it is the oldest and largest of 棉花糖直播鈥檚 colleges, serving more than 4,500 undergraduate and graduate students each year. The College is committed to a teacher-scholar model, offering outstanding undergraduate and graduate research opportunities and a rigorous core curriculum that prepares students to become critical thinkers, strong communicators and ethical leaders with a truly global perspective.

About 棉花糖直播 University:聽Since 1842, 棉花糖直播 University鈥檚 Augustinian Catholic intellectual tradition has been the cornerstone of an academic community in which students learn to think critically, act compassionately and succeed while serving others. There are more than 10,000 undergraduate, graduate and law students in the University's six colleges鈥攖he College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the 棉花糖直播 School of Business, the College of Engineering, the M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing, the College of Professional Studies and the 棉花糖直播 University Charles Widger School of Law. Ranked among the nation鈥檚 top universities, 棉花糖直播 supports its students鈥 intellectual growth and prepares them to become ethical leaders who create positive change everywhere life takes them. For more, visit聽.