Fall 2026

Visit Celtic courses at the Harvard Course Catalog

Fall 2026 Department of Celtic Languages & Literatures 

Joseph F. Nagy (Henry L. Shattuck Professor of Irish Studies); Ciara Ni Riain (Lecturer), Paul Russell (Chair; Margaret Brooks Robinson Professor in Residence); Katherine Scheidt (Instructional Fellow); Tony Vitt (Instructional Fellow); Carol Zall (Teaching Assistant for Advanced Scottish Gaelic)

Celtic 156. Beyond the Brogue: Exploring Irish America through Text and Culture Ciara Ni Riain, MW 12:00 – 1:15 Celtic 156, Warren 201

In this history and culture course of Irish America, students will explore the cultural landscape of 18th–20th century North America as told in the voices of Irish immigrants themselves. Drawing on a wide variety of original writings, we will accompany Irish immigrants on their journey across the continent - from Newfoundland and Nova Scotia down to Massachusetts and New York, across to Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, before heading west to Montana and California.  Along the way, you’ll work with a range of archival materials to uncover how the Irish expressed their identities, preserved, or in some cases adapted, their culture, and endeavored to make sense of the new world. Expect to engage with everything from personal correspondence to traditional songs and poetry—materials that bring the everyday immigrant experience vividly to life. This analysis will be contextualized by readings from an extensive research bibliography and contemporary newspapers. Together we will develop our critical understanding of language and culture as well as power, or lack thereof, and consider how this landmark era of Irish immigration has been represented and remembered. No prior knowledge of Irish language is required: all texts are available in translation. 

CELTIC 221. The Celtic Languages: A Linguistic Introduction Paul Russell, TTH 10:30-11:45 Celtic 221, Warren 201 

Celtic languages are today spoken primarily in western Britain, Brittany, Ireland and Scotland, but originally they were spoken across the whole of western Europe before the spread of the Roman Empire. This course explores the sources for the Celtic languages,  their Indo-European origins, and their historical development from the earliest evidence through to the modern languages. After a survey of the different types of evidence available to us and an overview of their development, we consider the phonology, morphology, and syntax of the different languages with a focus on the historical development of the languages. The course will be of interest both to Celticists and to those interested in historical linguistics, especially the development of the Indo-European languages. The course will be accessible to those who have not yet learnt a Celtic language, but Welsh 225a, Medieval Welsh Language and Literature, can provide a useful starting point.

Irish 132. Introduction to Modern Irish Katherine Scheidt, MTWTH 9:00-10:15  Irish 132, Warren 201

Irish is the first official language of Ireland, and it has been officially recognized in Northern Ireland since 1998. Today Irish is spoken not only in the western ‘Gaeltachtaí’ (Irish-speaking regions), but also in cities like Dublin and Belfast. There is Irish-language television, film, radio, and print journalism, and many wonderful poets and fiction writers continue into the present a literary tradition that dates back to the sixth century. The course introduces students to Irish as it is spoken and written today. Class work is participatory and includes conversational role play and games as well as grammar study and drills. Audio and audiovisual resources reinforce pronunciation and aural comprehension. Songs, proverbs, and poems are an integral part of the course, introducing students to the vibrant oral and literary tradition of Gaelic Ireland. Undergraduate and Graduate Students.

Irish 160r. Advanced Modern Irish Ciara Ni Riain, TTH 12:00-1:15 Irish 160R, Warren 201

Advanced Modern Irish will build on students first year of language learning. It will focus on developing students' fluency in spoken and written Irish, with detailed attention to grammatical structures. During this course students will examine historical and contemporary Irish language literature and films and produce original short texts and performances. A variety of sources including the internet, radio, and film are incorporated into learning activities.

Irish 205r. Readings in Early Medieval Irish Prose Joseph Nagy, W 3:00-5:45  Irish 205R, Warren 201

Readings in selected texts. Some knowledge of Old/Middle Irish required.

Scottish Gaelic 167. Advanced Scottish Gaelic Carol Zall, M 3:00-5:45 

Geared to the interests and aptitudes of the participants, this course enhances students' confidence in using Scottish Gaelic as a medium of oral and written communication and introduces them to the Scottish Gaelic literary tradition.

Welsh 128. Introduction to Modern Welsh Tony Vitt, MTWTH 9:00-10:15  Welsh 128, Barker 107

Introduction to the Welsh language as spoken and written today, designed for those with little or no prior knowledge of this vibrant Celtic language. Intensive conversation practice is provided, and students learn to write fluently. Internet, audio and video exercises using dialogue, music and film augment a contextualized grammatical survey, and use of authentic literary texts increases as the course progresses. For Undergraduate and Graduate Students.

Welsh 225a. Medieval Welsh Language and Literature Paul Russell, TTH 1:30-2:45 Welsh 225, Warren 201

This course provides an introduction both to the language (including an overview of its origins as a Celtic language) and to the literary culture of medieval Wales, with particular attention to narrative prose literature and its Celtic, Welsh and Norman contexts. By the end of the term, we will have read in the original one of the Four Branches of the Mabinogi and selections from other texts. The initial focus will be on learning the language before turning to literary texts. For those interested in the linguistic aspects of Middle Welsh further study support can be provided, and they may be also interested in Celtic 221, The Celtic Languages: A Linguistic Introduction.