, the Thomas Moore and Judy Livingston Director of the in the and the at the University of Notre Dame, was admitted to the as an honorary member in a ceremony in Dublin on Friday (May 26).
Membership in the RIA is the highest academic honor in Ireland. Members are elected in recognition of their academic contributions to the sciences, humanities and social sciences, as well as to public service. Griffin was one of 28 newly elected members and was recognized for his work on revolution and rebellion, migration, colonization and violence in North America.聽
Griffin was also chosen for his leadership and chairmanship of the, a joint initiative between RIA and Notre Dame鈥檚 Keough-Naughton Institute that brings together leading experts from Ireland and abroad to examine policy issues affecting the entire island of Ireland in the post-Brexit era.聽
鈥淚 am so gratified to be recognized by one of the leading learned societies in the world,鈥� Griffin said. 鈥淭o be named as one of a small number of honorary members, and as an American who studies the United States, makes my election all that more meaningful.鈥�
Griffin, who is a faculty fellow at the and the , earned a doctorate in American history at Northwestern University and taught at the University of Virginia before joining Notre Dame in 2008. His expertise lies in the intersection of colonial America and early modern Irish and British history, and the ways in which all three countries differed and were linked during the 17th and 18th centuries.聽
鈥淧atrick Griffin is the rare scholar who combines impressive erudition, command of the modern histories of three North Atlantic countries, profound insight into contemporary Irish politics and the ability to influence a wide array of publics through his eloquence and openness to dialogue,鈥� said , the Marilyn Keough Dean of the . 鈥淭he Royal Irish Academy, in recognizing these marks of distinction, has honored not only Professor Griffin but also the University of Notre Dame.鈥澛�
For the 2021-22 academic year, Griffin was named the at the University of Oxford, and in 2018 had the distinction of honorary professor conferred on him from the University of Edinburgh.
Griffin鈥檚 single-authored books include 鈥淭he Age of Atlantic Revolution: The Fall and Rise of a Connected World鈥� (2023); 鈥淭he Townshend Moment: The Making of Empire and Revolution in the Eighteenth Century鈥� (2017); 鈥淎merica鈥檚 Revolution鈥� (2012); 鈥淎merican Leviathan: Empire, Nation and Revolutionary Frontier鈥� (2007); and 鈥淭he People with No Name: Ireland鈥檚 Ulster Scots, America鈥檚 Scots Irish and the Creation of a British Atlantic World鈥� (2001).聽
The RIA, which was founded in 1785, is Ireland鈥檚 leading body of experts who support and promote the sciences and humanities. A forum of peer-elected experts, the academy seeks to make significant contributions to public debate and policy formation on issues in culture, technology and science by leading national research projects, particularly those highlighting Ireland and its heritage.聽
The RIA draws its membership from the whole island of Ireland, both north and south, with a small number of honorary members being elected each year who have made major international efforts on behalf of their disciplines but who are not residents of Ireland. RIA members assist by providing expert advice as well as representing and promoting the academy and its mission globally. 聽聽
鈥淭hese individuals, elected by their peers, have made exceptional contributions in their fields of endeavor,鈥� said Pat Guiry, president of RIA. 鈥淲e are delighted to recognize their achievements. As members of the academy, they will support the RIA by engaging and leading in activities that strengthen the international recognition of the academy鈥檚 scholarship and serve the public good through their knowledge and insight.鈥�
Griffin joins a cohort of 670 other academy members, 95 of whom are honorary members, with several past members including Nobel Laureates such as W.B. Yeats, Ernest Walton, Max Planck, Erwin Schr枚dinger, Bob Grubbs and Seamus Heaney.
The is a teaching and research institute dedicated to the study and understanding of Irish culture in all of its manifestations 鈥� not only in Ireland but around the world. The institute offers undergraduate- and graduate-level minors in Irish studies; wide-ranging courses in Irish language, literature, politics, culture, history and music; lectures, readings and performances given by scholars, poets and musicians; archeological digs in Western Ireland; and the summer IRISH Seminar, in which graduate students from Notre Dame and other universities engage with key figures in Irish cultural, intellectual and political life.聽
In 1996, the institute 鈥� along with Notre Dame International 鈥� established a presence in Ireland with the creation of Newman House in Dublin and, later on, O鈥機onnell House, both of which serve Notre Dame undergraduates in joint programs with Trinity College Dublin, University College Dublin and Dublin City University.聽
Contact: Tracy DeStazio, assistant director of media relations, 574-631-9958 or tdestazi@nd.edu