Irish literature exhibition traces shared colonial legacies with Taiwan

Tainan, Dec. 19 (CNA) A special exhibition on Irish literature opened Friday in Tainan, examining the development of Irish writing from the late 19th century to the present and its resonance with Taiwan's own colonial history.

At a Friday press event at the National Museum of Taiwan Literature, Hsieh Chih-hsien (謝志賢), president of the Irish Studies Association Taiwan, said he hopes the exhibition shows that Irish literature is more than just a foreign tradition, but one that "can have a dialogue with our own experiences."

Hsieh noted that while Irish literature is often categorized as a branch of English or American studies in Taiwan, it deserves standalone attention.

"Irish literature has carved out a profound voice from the intersection of small-state identity, peripheral language, and world literature," which "offers a window for mutual understanding because Taiwanese readers are familiar with such a literary experience," he said.

Titled "Love Loves to Love Ireland: Extremely Distant and Incredibly Close," the exhibition traces nearly 150 years of literary history. It features about 100 exhibits, including portraits, stage photos and manuscripts on loan from institutions such as the National Library of Ireland, Trinity College Dublin, and the New York Public Library.

Among the highlights were several original manuscripts provided by the Zurich James Joyce Foundation, including notes from "Finnegans Wake," the final novel by modernist icon James Joyce.

One section focuses specifically on the connection between Ireland and Taiwan. It highlights W.B. Yeats' unfulfilled plan to visit the island and explores how Ireland's struggle for autonomy inspired Lin Hsien-tang's (林獻堂) petition movement for legislative self-rule under Japanese colonial rule.

The exhibition runs through March 8, 2026.