Learning Irish History and Connecting with the Community

“Ireland - Famine to Freedom” is a spring semester Irish History course that covers Ireland’s history from the time of St. Patrick in the fifth century, through the Great Famine in the 1800s, and the Northern Ireland “Troubles” conflict that extended from about 1968 to 1998.

“My hope is that it helps students see how Irish history translates into American history, because many people identify so strongly with their Irish heritage,” said Dr. Shereen Ilahi, associate professor of history.

Ilahi has taught the course since 2008. However, the spring 2024 semester was the first time that students could take it to fulfill a community-engaged learning requirement as part of North Central’s general education curriculum. Adding community-engaged learning as a new dimension to the course curriculum meant Ilahi needed to partner with a local organization that could benefit from student involvement.

“Community-engaged learning is meant to get students to connect what they're doing in the classroom with the world outside the classroom,” said Ilahi. “As part of the course, students are required to fulfill 15 hours of project work with a local community partner.”

Connecting with West Suburban Irish
Eric Shuman, experiential learning coordinator at North Central, helped connect Ilahi with West Suburban Irish (WSI), a nonprofit based in Naperville. WSI’s mission is to “cultivate a genuine appreciation and understanding of Irish heritage, culture, language, music, art, literature and sports across the communities in the western suburbs of Chicago.” 

Last year and again this year, North Central students met with WSI members to identify ways they could help advance the organization’s mission, such as volunteering at the annual Naperville St. Patrick’s Day Parade; writing articles about Irish history and culture for the WSI blog; developing questions for trivia night events at a local Irish pub; and helping digitize the WSI archives.

While completing their community-engaged learning hours, students gained valuable experience through networking and collaborating with organization members. “It’s a professionalizing experience, an opportunity to learn and network with people who are business leaders in the community,” said Ilahi. “I tell the students to interact with WSI as if it was your employer.”

For example, in writing for the WSI blog, students pitched their ideas and met deadlines to submit drafts to Colleen Doyle, WSI board member and marketing committee chair. “The collaboration has been incredible,” Doyle said. “Working with Dr. Ilahi and her students has deepened how our organization fulfills its mission of celebrating Irish heritage and building our community’s connection to Irish heritage.”

Studying Abroad in Ireland

North Central also offers opportunities for students to travel to Ireland — whether for a full semester of study abroad or for a few weeks during the College’s May Term. Led by Ilahi and Dr. Nicole Rivera, professor of psychology, the May Term course “An Exploration of Identity Here and Abroad” includes travel throughout Ireland and Northern Ireland as students learn about the social, economic, and political factors that have shaped Irish identity.
 
“It is a massive difference thinking about something in theory and then getting to experience it in practice,” said Ilahi. “There’s a big difference between a cab driver or waiter telling you about their history, as opposed to a professor telling you.”
 
A Deeper Understanding of St. Patrick’s Day
Since the “Ireland - Famine to Freedom” course coincides with St. Patrick’s Day, the holiday offers another opportunity for learning, since traditional observances and celebrations have evolved in Ireland.
 
“For a long time after the Great Famine, it was practiced as a very sober and spiritual day,” Ilahi said. “The famine was so traumatizing that the country engaged in a devotional revolution, which changed the ways the country celebrated saints’ days. But once the Irish economy started booming in the 1990s, young people no longer had to leave. As Ireland became younger, its politics and its culture have changed.” 

North Central student Trevor Share ’25 said the impact of the course has been significant for him. “The way Dr. Ilahi taught had me engaged from the start and made me look forward to coming to class every time,” he said. “Everything I have learned from Irish History class has stuck with me and fueled my love for Ireland and even inspired a future trip.”
 
Visit the West Suburban Irish website to read blog entries about Irish history and culture by North Central College students. Articles include “Why ‘The Quiet Man’ is Such a Beloved Movie” and “The Legacy of Irish Scientists: Francis Beaufort.”