Have you ever wondered about the origin of Ireland and of its path through time? You may be in for a surprise. Consider this quote: “The Ireland we know today was a geological accident forged between two continents and then frozen, dunked beneath warm seas, lifted in part to the heights of the Himalayas, covered with lush tropical swamps, blistering deserts and vast expanses of molten rock, then again buried under ice and finally thawed out.” In this online lecture, Irish historian Sean Murphy will introduce you to the geological history of Ireland and explain the origin of the physical Ireland people live on today. You will be fascinated to hear where Ireland has been over the past two billion years and the forms and structure it has gone through.
Sean Murphy was born and reared in Dublin and came to live on Cape Cod in 2005. He has a passion for his homeland and loves to share his knowledge and interest about his heritage through classes, workshops and conversation. He worked as a math teacher in public schools until he retired in 2017. He is a teacher of Irish history, music, and dance. Over the past twenty years he has taught courses at the Irish Cultural Center of New England in Canton, Cape Cod Sons of Erin, Cape Cod Cultural Center, the Cotuit Center for the Arts, and at venues on Nantucket. His interest in Irish history and culture stems from his involvement in a wide range of community activities in Ireland starting in the late 60's. In 1998 he was elected as the representative of the community and voluntary sector on the Dublin City Development Board that produced the strategic Plan "Dublin: A City of Possibilities 2001-2012". In 2014 and 2019 he was awarded the Thomas P McCann "Altruism Award" trophy by the Cape Cod St. Patrick's Day Committee for his "support and commitment to the Culture and Heritage of Ireland and its people."
He leads a traditional Irish music session in O’Shea’s Old Inne in West Dennis every Sunday night.
He speaks on Irish cultural, historic, and general issues at libraries, private and community events, and in recent years on the Joanie Madden Folk and Irish cruise.
Sean Murphy has a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from Trinity College Dublin's department of Economic and Social Studies; a BSc in Mathematics and Physics from London University; and is qualified as a Management Accountant with the Dublin Business School. He is a nationally certified Business Mentor.
He has developed a comprehensive Irish history program that has two elements: a chronological history of Ireland from its formation as a physical entity to the present day, and a history of each of the 32 counties in Ireland.
Sean Murphy
