The focus of the Literature of Irish Exile Autumn School, now in its sixth year, remains on how emigrants from Ireland have given expression in words to feelings of exile. Part of the programme will take place in the stimulating setting of the Outdoor Museum of the Ulster-American Folk Park. The rest will be in the warmth of the library of the Centre for Migration Studies. The aim is to give members of the public a friendly opportunity to meet and mix with experts on some of the less well-known aspects of 'exile' in Irish literature.

It was planned that Frank Harte, the famous traditional singer and one of Ireland's leading experts on songs of emigration, should perform at this year's Autumn School. Sadly, Frank died in June. In his place we have another leading singer, Len Graham, who will take The Hungry Voice, Frank Harte's major collection of emigration songs, as the main focus of his performance.

Lorraine Tennant is Manager of the MCMS Irish Emigration Data Collection Project in Belfast since its inception in 1988
Brian Lambkin is Director of MCMS
Pat O'Donnell is Assistant Curator at the Ulster-American Folk Park and has curated the current Threads of Emigration Exhibition
Jennifer Meegan is Associate Lecturer, Open University in Ireland and has been actively involved with her husband, Brendan, in the conservation of the Irish Chiefs Sampler which is now on display in Threads of Emigration

Len Graham is a leading singer and collector in the Irish traditional song tradition. He was a friend of the late Frank Harte, who was due to have performed at this year's Autumn School. His collection of songs of emigration, The Hungry Voice, will be the main focus of Len's performance

Patrick Fitzgerald is Lecturer and Development Officer at MCMS
Johanne Devlin Trew is Research Fellow, based at MCMS, Omagh, working on the oral history project 'Narratives of Migration and Return'. She previously taught at Memorial University of Newfoundland

Registration
(MCMS Library at Ulster-American Folk Park, Omagh)
Tea / Coffee on arrival

Welcome (MCMS Library)

Brian Lambkin, 'Frank Harte, Songs of Emigration and The Irish Chiefs'

Johanne Devlin Trew, 'The Narratives of Migration and Return Project', including extracts from the archive of oral history interviews
Chair: Piaras Mac Éinrí