NUI Galway’s Discipline of Spanish will run a series of Mexican themed performances and talks on Saturday, 8 September as part of the San Patricio Mexican-Irish Festival in Clifden.

From 2-4pm members of the public will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in talks such as: An Introduction to the Mexican Revolution and Art and the Revolution by Dr Lorraine Kelly; The Novelist Juan Rulfo and the Mexican Revolution by Professor Bill Richardson; and a Performance of some Corridos, Songs from the Revolution by Yolanda Reyes and Ivan Kenny. At 5pm, there will be a special screening of the famous Mexican film El Violin, introduced by Ivan Kenny.

Author and poet, Dr Michael Hogan will present a talk on The San Patricios Batallion: the Irish Soliders of Mexico at 2pm on Sunday, 9 September.

NUI Galway’s Moore Institute, in collaboration with the Discipline of Spanish and the Mexican Embassy, are giving the public another opportunity to listen to Dr Hogan’s talk. Taking place in the Moore Institute Seminar Room on Monday, 10 September, at 4pm, the talk will be followed by a launch of Dr Hogan’s new book, The Irish Soliders of Mexico.

Running from 7-12 September the five-day San Patricio Mexican-Irish Festival celebrates the life of John Riley of Clifden, the leader of the San Patricios Battalion.

Professor Bill Richardson, Head of Spanish at NUI Galway, emphasised the unique quality of this link between Mexico and the West of Ireland: “The story of John Riley and his comrades in the San Patricios Batallion is one of a fascinating adventure and reflects the courage and commitment of those Irish people who sacrificed their lives for the cause of freedom in an adopted land, thousands of miles from their home. Students and staff in Spanish are looking forward with great excitement to Dr Hogan’s lecture and to our involvement in this festival.”

For more details on the San Patricio Mexican-Irish Festival visit www.clifden2012.org.

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