Celtic Junction Arts Center in St Paul, MN is celebrating the news this week that late scholar and cultural advocate Dr. Eoin McKiernan is to be inducted into the Irish American Hall of Fame.
The ceremony will take place at the 13th Annual Hall of Fame Gala on Saturday, May 10, 2025—Dr. McKiernan’s 110th birthday—at the Irish American Heritage Center in Chicago.
CJAC Executive Director Natalie Nugent O'Shea will represent CJAC at this black-tie event, recognizing his enduring legacy and contributions to Irish-American culture.
Ahead of the induction, CJAC will host two special seminars on May 4, the pioneering work and enduring influence of Dr McKiernan who founded the Irish American Cultural Institute which first brought the cream of Ireland's artists and musicians — including Séamus Heaney and Brian Friel — to America.
Broadcasting Ireland (from St. Paul!)
May 4, 1:00 – 2:30 p.m. CDT (Hybrid: In-person at CJAC and Online via Zoom, Free)
Brian Miller, Director of the Eoin McKiernan Library, will introduce attendees to the groundbreaking television programs produced by Dr. McKiernan in the early 1960s. Created at the then-new KTCA-TV studio on Como Avenue in St. Paul, these 53 half-hour episodes of Ireland Rediscovered and Irish Diary captivated audiences and were broadcast in 36 cities across America by 1965.
Building Bridges: The Letters of Friel and McKiernan
May 4, 2:30 – 4:00 p.m. CDT (Hybrid: In-person at CJAC and Online via Zoom, Free)
Join CJAC Education Director Patrick O’Donnell for a discussion on the remarkable friendship between Dr. McKiernan and Brian Friel—one of Ireland's greatest playwrights since the 1960s. Utilizing CJAC’s extensive archival collection, this seminar explores the letters exchanged between St. Paul, Minnesota, and Donegal, highlighting their shared passion for Irish culture and bridge-building between Ireland and America.
About Dr. Eoin McKiernan
Dr. Eoin McKiernan (1915–2004) was a pioneer in Irish-American cultural studies. A scholar with a Ph.D. in Literature, he chaired English departments at the State University of New York and the College of St. Thomas in Minnesota—roles that laid the foundation for his most influential work. In 1962, he founded the Irish American Cultural Institute (IACI), an organization dedicated to promoting Irish culture through education, the arts, and public programming. His lifelong friend, Éamon de Valera—a War of Independence leader who served both as Taoiseach (Prime Minister) and President of Ireland—agreed to serve as the Institute’s first patron.
Honored by The Irish Times as “the U.S. Champion of Irish culture and history . . . a patriarch of Irish Studies in the U.S. who laid the ground for the explosion of interest in Irish arts,” Dr. McKiernan dedicated his academic and professional life to illuminating the deep and meaningful connections between Ireland and America . . .”
In the 1960s, Eoin McKiernan campaigned for the revival of the Irish language at a time when successive Irish Governments had overseen its decline, publishing 'The Will of a Nation', a visionary pamphlet on the importance of An Ghaeilge. A frequenter visitor to Belfast even in difficult times, he was resolute in his support of the city's resurgent Irish language schools.
His legacy continues through the Eoin McKiernan Library, founded in 2016 as a program of the Celtic Junction Arts Center, a national hub for Irish arts, culture, and learning. The library holds more than 3,000 items gifted by the McKiernan family, including rare and valuable materials on Irish history, politics, language, folklore, literature, and the arts. Its physical and digital collections emphasize Irish arts, the Irish language, and the Irish in Minnesota, serving researchers and the broader community alike. Located on the north mezzanine level of the Celtic Junction, the reading room offers a quiet, inviting space for study and reflection—a fitting tribute to McKiernan’s belief in lifelong learning and cultural connection. The library is open to the public Monday through Thursday from 4:30– 7:30 p.m.
About Celtic Junction Arts Center
The Celtic Junction Arts Center (CJAC) is a nonprofit cultural center located at 836 Prior Avenue North, St. Paul, MN 55104. Since 2009, CJAC has been dedicated to celebrating and sustaining Irish arts and culture through concerts, classes, festivals, and community gatherings. Learn more at celticjunction.org.
