Department of Celtic Languages and Literatures strengthened by Cullinane Gift

Harvard is justly proud of its contribution to the study of Celtic languages and literatures, having offered courses in the field for 100 years, and supporting the only department in the United States to offer advanced degrees in the subject. While the department is small, with 14 students and 3 full-time faculty members, its influence is widespread, with Harvard Ph.D.s teaching in Ireland, Wales, England, and other countries, making the University an internationally recognized center for the study of Celtic culture.

With a recent gift of $250,000, John J. and Agnes "Diddy" Cullinane have now given the Department of Celtic Languages and Literatures the opportunity to significantly enrich an already strong educational experience.

Jeremy R. Knowles, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, notes, "Harvard has long been known for its work on the subtle yet powerful influence of Celtic literature and culture. The Cullinanes' wonderful gift will provide our students with a direct experience of the origins of that influence."

The gift was announced at a reception held at the Faculty Club on Jan. 17. The event was attended by faculty, staff, and students of the department, and members of the steering committee of the Friends of Harvard Celtic Studies, as well as Conor O'Riordan, the Irish consul general in Boston, and James Poston, British consul general.

John Cullinane is president of The Cullinane Group Inc., which invests in emerging software companies, including American/Irish high technology ventures. Diddy Cullinane is active in a number of philanthropic efforts, including programs promoting greater interaction between the Boston Public Library and the city's various schools, and "Black and White Boston Coming Together," a group that fosters opportunities for racial cooperation in the city.

The Cullinanes have been involved in several capacities with the University, including serving three terms as co-chairs of the Harvard-Radcliffe Parents Fund. They have two children, John Jr. '86, MBA '93, and Suzanne '91.

The impetus for their gift was a dinner sponsored by the Friends of Harvard Celtic Studies. Nobel Prize-winning poet and Boylston Professor of Rhetoric and Oratory Seamus Heaney spoke, as did department chair Patrick K. Ford. In commenting on the occasion, John Cullinane says, "I first became aware of the Celtic studies program at Harvard when our son John took Seamus Heaney's course in the 1980s. While my wife and I both have Celtic origins, it's only been in recent years that many people with Irish and Scottish backgrounds have come to appreciate the importance of the Celtic tradition to Western civilization. It is within this context that we are pleased to be able to support the work of Celtic studies at Harvard."

According to Patrick Ford, the Cullinane gift is unrestricted, but much of the funds will go toward sending students from the department to Ireland, Wales, and other Celtic-speaking regions, such as Brittany and Gaelic Scotland. "These are the 'living laboratories' in which our students conduct their best research. It is critical for them to be able to travel to these areas at key moments in their careers, and we can now support them in doing so."