Regina Donlon

Educator/Teacher

Dr Regina Donlon is lecturer in Irish History at Carlow College, St Patrick's. She teaches course on nineteenth-century Irish social and political history, migration and diaspora studies, public history and nineteenth-century America. She is an award-winning author and has written on the German and Irish immigrant experience in the United States, Irish-American nationalism in the nineteenth century and Irish social history. She research interests include transnationalism, diaspora studies and gender history. She is a former recipient of the IRC Postdoctoral Research Fellowship. Her primary degree (German and History) was awarded by Maynooth University in 2008.

I am passionate about ideas, stories, and the ways people make meaning in times of change. My work and teaching are driven by a belief in the value of history, education, and thoughtful conversation. Outside of academia, I am passionate about music, family life, and creating moments of stillness and connection in a busy world.

An idea worth spreading ... that history matters most when it helps us to understand the lives of ordinary people - especially those who are displaced, marginalised or silenced. My work as a historian of Irish social history and migration history is grounded in the idea that the past is not just something we study but something we live with. By paying attention to how communities experience change, movement, survival and care, we can gain insights into contemporary questions of belonging, inequality and resilience. The idea worth spreading: that when we tell stories of the past, we equip ourselves to think more compassionately about the present.

Great Famine, Irish diaspora, Irish History,

I am a historian and lecturer working in a liberal arts institution, with research interests in Irish history, migration, the Great Famine, and women’s lives. My work sits at the intersection of scholarship, teaching, and public engagement, and I am particularly interested in how historical ideas can be shared beyond academic spaces. Being involved in TEDx reflects my belief in the value of accessible ideas, thoughtful dialogue, and creating platforms where different voices and perspectives can be heard.

... listening carefully and helping people clarify what they are really trying to say. Much of my work involves distilling complex ideas into clear, accessible narratives, whether in teaching, writing, or collaborative projects.