Dictionary of Irish Biography Annual Lecture 2026

Professor Hans Renders (Biografie Instituut, University of Groningen) will deliver the DIB's inaugural annual lecture. On Thursday, 19 November, Professor Hans Renders (Biografie Instituut, University of Groningen) will deliver the Dictionary of Irish Biography’s inaugural annual lecture titled ‘Old Lives, New Biographies’, Professor Renders will argue that biography is like a carton of milk; over time, it becomes outdated. He will consider why new biographies of figures such as Winston Churchill, Theodore Roosevelt and Hitler keep appearing. As an optimist, Professor Renders will speak to the great future of biography, as well as the challenges presented by catch-all terms such as life-writing and memoir. Presented in association with the Research Group in Biography and Life Writing, DCU. About the DIB The Dictionary of Irish Biography (DIB) is Ireland’s national biographical dictionary. One of the flagship research programmes based at the Royal Irish Academy, the DIB tells the island’s life story through the biographies of men and women born in Ireland, north and south, who came to prominence either at home or overseas, and the noteworthy Irish careers of those born outside Ireland. Featuring engagingly written, comprehensive and scholarly biographies encompassing every sphere of human activity, the DIB is an indispensable work of reference for scholars, students, journalists, broadcasters, genealogists, diplomats and the general reader interested in Ireland’s past, or in the art of biography and life writing. Access requirements Have you got any access requirements that we can assist you with, so that you can fully engage with our event? Please let us know by contacting our access officer in advance of the event by email: [email protected] Read our Events Code of Conduct and our Data Protection Policies.