EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum is pleased to present Looking East, a multimedia exhibition running from now till September, exploring three centuries of connection between Ireland and India.
The Exhibition
Irish soldiers had a long and often violent record of service in India, while Irish civil servants played an important role in governing what was Britain’s largest colony. By the late 19th century, Irishmen ran seven of the eight provinces of British India. Yet Ireland and India also share an overlapping history of anti-colonial struggle. Just as Irish republicans like Éamon de Valera stressed the common cause of Ireland and India, Bengali freedom fighters drew comparisons between our colonial experiences.
The Indian diaspora today forms one of Ireland’s fastest-growing immigrant communities, but Indian migration to this country stretches back much further in time. Dean Mahomet, a young man born in Patna, published the first English-language book written by an Indian while living in Cork in the late 1700s. A century later, Mir Aulad Ali, a Muslim scholar from modern-day Uttar Pradesh, was appointed professor of Arabic, Hindustani and Persian at Trinity College Dublin.
A note from the curator:
“Looking East explores the multifaceted history of migration between Ireland and India – the migration of both people and ideas. The exhibition draws on the growing body of scholarship looking at the Irish contribution to British colonialism in India, but it also traces the ways in which Irish and Indian nationalists supported and took inspiration from each other’s struggles. We are glad to be hosting this showcase as part of the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between our two countries.” Dr Catherine Healy, Historian-in-Residence at EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum.
Opening Hours & Tickets
The exhibition will run from 19th July – 30th November 2024, and will be open everyday between 9am – 6:45pm (last entry 5pm)
The cost is included as part of museum ticket, but the exhibition will be free to view from 19th July to 5th August.
Join EPIC to discover little-known histories of migration and cultural exchange – stories of empire building and brutality, but also stories of solidarity and resistance! Visit epicchq.com for more information.
