About Dr. McKiernan

Dr. Eoin McKiernan was an iconic champion of Irish culture in America and, 50 years ago, was the founder of the Irish American Cultural Institute (IACI). Through the work of the IACI, he earned international recognition. The Irish Times named him “The U.S. Champion of Irish culture and history.” Thomas McCarthy, Irish novelist, poet, and critic, said of Dr. McKiernan,

At a time when the presence of Ireland, its memory and influence, might have faded away and been forgotten in the MidWest he dedicated his life and his academic career to rescue and celebrate the memory of an entire Celtic way of life. Eoin knew something that very few people now know; he knew that the Irish past was a very deep part of that beautiful sense of American belonging. He worked for his entire life to illuminate this sense of belonging in Minnesota.

In addition to his work through the IACI, Dr. McKiernan held a Ph.D. in Literature and was Chair of the English Department at the State University of New York and College of St. Thomas, Minnesota. He was the curator of Irish Books and Media.