From the signing of the Declaration of Independence to the present day, the connections between Ireland and the United States run far deeper than ancestry alone. The Irish heritage is part of the American democracy and culture, shaped by people, ideas, struggles, leadership, and enduring ties across the Atlantic.

Join the UCF Office of Global Perspectives and International Initiatives (GPII), in collaboration with the Consulate General of Ireland in Miami, for an engaging conversation exploring the centuries of connections between Ireland and the United States, and how Irish heritage and influence have helped shaped the American experience.

Event Details:
Date: Tuesday, October 6, 2026
Time: 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM
Place: UCF Morgridge International Reading Center (MIRC)
4143 Andromeda Loop N, Orlando, FL 32816

This event is free and open to the public.

You can download the University Map, here.

Advanced Registration is REQUIRED. Please REGISTER HERE.

We look forward to seeing you there!

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Featured Speaker:
Dr. Darragh Gannon
Director of Global Irish Studies, Assistant Teaching Professor of Irish History at Georgetown University
Ireland Funds Fellow at the Princess Grace Library, Monaco

Dr. Darragh Gannon is the Director of Global Irish Studies, Assistant Teaching Professor of Irish History at Georgetown University, and Ireland Funds Fellow at the Princess Grace Library, Monaco.
Before coming to Georgetown, he served as Head of Irish Studies at University College Dublin and AHRC Research Fellow at Queen’s University Belfast.

Prof. Gannon has published widely in modern Irish, British and Global History. He also has been awarded major international research fellowships at the University of Melbourne, the University of Toronto, and New York University. He currently serves as the Ireland Funds Fellow to the Princess Grace Library, Monaco.

Prof. Gannon is a former Curator at the National Museum of Ireland. He is a regular commentator on culture and current affairs for international media outlets, including TIME magazine, National Geographic, ABC Australia, BBC, C-Span, Hello Monaco, Irish Times, Le Monde, RTÉ, Sunday Independent, and TRT World.
(https://gufaculty360.georgetown.edu/s/contact/0031Q00002eZ2CHQA0/darragh-gannon)

Welcoming Remarks:
Sarah Kavanagh
Consul General of Ireland in Miami

Sarah Kavanagh took up her post as Consul General of Ireland in Miami in October 2022 and is leading the establishment of Ireland’s first Consulate General in Florida.

She comes to Miami from the Human Rights Unit of the Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin where she served as Deputy Director. Prior to joining the Department in 2020, Ms. Kavanagh served as Special Adviser to the Minister for Justice and Equality (2017-2020) and Special Adviser to the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade (2014-2017). From 2005-2014, she worked for in the Houses of the Oireachtas (Parliament of Ireland) in a range of policy, strategy development and political communication roles.

Ms. Kavanagh is originally from Galmoy, Co. Kilkenny. She holds a Barrister-at-Law Degree (2012) and a Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Studies (2010) from the Honorable Society of King’s Inns, Dublin. She also holds Masters Degrees in Political Communication (Dublin City University, 2007) and Politics (University College Dublin, 2001) and a BA Degree in History and Politics (University College Dublin 2000).
(https://www.ireland.ie/en/usa/miami/about/consul-general/)

Discussion Moderator:
Owen Kirby
GPII Nonresident Fellow Former Department of State and USAID official

Owen Kirby is a non-resident fellow at UCF’s Global Perspectives and International Initiatives, focusing on peace-building and conflict transformation. He has served in both the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development and is a graduate of Trinity College Dublin and the University of Limerick in Ireland.