Irish Music and Sport in China – My Professional and Social Life Stories
爱尔兰音乐和运动 —— 我的在华职业和社交活动二三事

Thursday 19 February 2026
13:00-14:30
The Auditorium, McClay Library

Speaker:
Seán Cunningham (肖恩) is an Honorary Professor at Hubei Normal University in central China.He has lectured extensively in Second Language Acquisition studies and Sino-Irish Relations. Recently, he became Vice-Chairman and Honorary President of the Ireland China Culture and Tourism Association, which serves as a bridge for mutual understanding and collaboration between both countries. He formerly served as the GAA’s North Asia Officer, as well as it’s Irish Cultural Officer (Asia region). In 2019, he established the Sichuan Shamrocks, south west China’s first ever GAA Club. He is currently the Chairperson of Hubei Harps, which he founded last year and are the first ever GAA Club in central China.

Abstract:
Irish music is experiencing growing popularity in China, driven by a fascination with it’s unique, emotive and rhythmic quality. While initially stemming from Riverdance, there is a growing, dedicated base for traditional Irish music. Regular Irish music sessions, informal gatherings have expanded beyond Beijing and Shanghai, to other cities like Wuhan, Nanjing and Guangzhou.

Gaelic Games are thriving in China. Initially, this was driven by the Irish diaspora. However, recent years has witnessed a surge in native participation. Sean reflects upon this, and discusses the growth of Irish sports beyond the megacities of Beijing, Hong Kong and Shanghai, in regions such as Suzhou, Shunde, Hefei and Hubei.

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