The questions relate specifically to their background, inspirations and intentions with their work. For example, the Oein DeBhairduin interview focused heavily on how his work is the first of its kind. Many works about Irish Travellers are not written by Irish Travellers themselves. DeBhairduin discussed how this collection of tales come to represent the beliefs and traditions of his community.
UCD has had many famous writers study in its lecture halls. The most famous of their alumni is no other than James Joyce, author of Ulysses and A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. The main campus library is even named after him! Thus, it's no wonder why UCD would want to champion and honor its long tradition within the Irish literary canon. By having contemporary authors visit students, it allows us to understand the continuing legacy of Irish literature. Irish literature is representive of the diverse voices and experiences contained within Ireland, like Oein DeBhairduin. It even makes you think that you yourself may be the next famous alumn to come out of your class, giving voice to your perspective of Ireland.
While the current University College Dublin campus now sits a little south of the inner city, the original campus is actually in Dublin's inner city. It is now a museum: the Museum of Literature Ireland (MoLI)! It is a beautiful site that highlights UCD's ongoing tradition of honoring Irish writers of both the past and the present. In time, the authors who visit us will have a space dedicated to them within the museum.
