The Voice:

From That Small Island

On 23 September 2025, the University of São Paulo will host an event bringing together history, literature, and cinema. At 6:00 pm, in the Auditório Milton Santos, historian Jane Ohlmeyer, professor at the prestigious Trinity College Dublin, will deliver a lecture followed by a Q&A session and the launch of the collective Brazilian Portuguese translation of her book Making Empire: Ireland, Imperialism and the Early Modern World. At 8:30 pm, at CINUSP, audiences will be able to watch the documentary From That Small Island: A Story of the Irish.

Making Empire

Born in Zambia and raised in Belfast during the Troubles, Ohlmeyer brings together in Making Empire the reflections presented in her Ford Lectures, in 2021. The title references Brian Friel’s play Making History (1988), staged at the height of the Troubles, a sectarian conflict in Northern Ireland, which questions essentialist narratives of history. Inspired by this critical spirit, Ohlmeyer analyses Ireland not as a periphery, but as a central part of the English empire between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries. The book examines Ireland’s integration into the imperial system, the role of the Irish as colonial agents, the island as a “laboratory” for colonization, and the impact of empire on everyday life. The Brazilian translation, carried out as a collective project, brings together scholars and students and strengthens the circulation of critical ideas on colonialism and identity between Ireland and Brazil.

From That Small Island

At 8:30 pm, CINUSP will host the screening of the documentary From That Small Island: A Story of the Irish, narrated by Colin Farrell and produced by Bríona Nic Dhiarmada. This four-part series and feature-length film portrays the history of the Irish people, from the first settlers to the global diaspora, now numbering over 80 million people. The documentary combines rich storytelling, immersive visuals, and the latest scientific discoveries, with an original score by composer Colm Mac Con Iomaire. It was filmed in 17 countries, including Ireland, Argentina, Barbados, Belgium, Singapore, Switzerland, the UAE, and the United States. Bríona Nic Dhiarmada, writer and producer, is an academic and filmmaker whose award-winning work includes 1916: The Irish Rebellion, broadcast worldwide. The film is directed by Rachael Moriarty and Peter Murphy, directors of the acclaimed features Traders and Róise & Frank, both internationally recognised and nominated for the Irish Film and Television Academy Awards.

Continuing the programme – Joy in Service on Rue Tagore

The programme continues on 26 September at 2:00 pm, at the Irish Corner, with the launch of the Portuguese translation of Joy in Service on Rue Tagore by poet Paul Muldoon, translated by Luci Collin.