‘Of Noble Sentiment and Of Noble Thought’: Burns Clubs and Commemoration in Ireland 1800–1950

Abstract

The reception of Robert Burns's work and legacy in Ireland, particularly in its Northern province of Ulster has been well documented. Less explored is the range of clubs, commemorations and events that exist and have existed throughout Ireland to honour his memory. This article will explore the foundation and activities of a variety of Burns Clubs and in particular the Belfast Burns Association, one of the longest standing groups within the Burns Federation. While these clubs were mostly situated in the province of Ulster, the article will argue that the commemoration and celebration of Burns was not confined to the northern province, nor was it merely the preserve of those from an Ulster-Scottish cultural background or indeed those from Scotland, or their descendants residing in Ireland. This article will trace the early efforts to mark Burns's significance in Ireland from the early decades of the nineteenth century, chart the widespread engagement in the 1859 Centenary activities across the island and continue into the twentieth century and twenty first centuries where Burns events continued to play a role in Irish civic and cultural life. This survey of commemorative engagement across Ireland pre- and post-partition will provide an insight into the role Burns's legacy played in the shaping of cultural exchange between Ireland and Scotland, the range and variety of civic, cultural and social discourse on Burns's writing and character in an Irish setting, and how the representation of Burns in the Irish public sphere mirrored and diverged from similar initiatives in Scotland and England.