معرفی
Gavin Foster is an Associate Professor of modern Irish history at Concordia University's School of Irish Studies, with a cross-appointment in the History department. He holds a PhD in Irish history from the University of Notre Dame (2009). His research focuses on the early twentieth-century Irish revolutionary period, political violence, republican political culture, party and state formation, social conflict, class dynamics, labour history, migration, and social memory. He has published a monograph, *The Irish Civil War and Society: Politics, Class and Conflict* (2015), which received the American Conference for Irish Studies’ 2015 James S. Donnelly Prize. His work also extends to oral history and digital storytelling, particularly exploring later-generation memory of the Irish Civil War through fieldwork in Ireland. He is a Core Member of Concordia’s Centre for Oral History and Digital Storytelling, served as interim chair of the School of Irish Studies, and acted as book reviews editor for the *Canadian Journal of Irish Studies*.
- Education: PhD in Irish History, University of Notre Dame, 2009
Dr. Foster’s research interests emphasize the interplay between political movements, social structures, and cultural memory in Ireland’s transformative periods. He investigates themes such as the IRA’s role in republican culture, the formation of Irish political institutions, and how migration and popular culture shape historical narratives. His work often bridges historical analysis with contemporary societal legacies, as seen in his contributions to podcasts, documentaries, and public platforms like RTÉ’s Irish Revolution centenary website. His current projects, initially funded by FQRSC, utilize oral histories to study intergenerational memory of the Irish Civil War.
His teaching spans undergraduate courses on Ireland’s modern history, including the Great Famine, the Irish Revolution, the Northern Irish Troubles, and comparative studies of Irish and Scottish unions. He also leads seminars on History and Memory and research methods in Irish Studies. He actively advises History PhD and MA students engaged in research on modern Ireland, particularly the early 20th century.
- Grants: Funded by FQRSC for his current oral history research
Dr. Foster’s affiliations include collaborative roles in interdisciplinary teams, such as the Centre for Oral History and Digital Storytelling, and contributions to edited volumes like the *Atlas of the Irish Revolution* (2017) and collections on Ireland’s political and social history. His public engagement extends to media appearances and documentary collaborations, reflecting his commitment to historical dissemination beyond academia.>
