About
This event offers an opportunity to hear Isadore Ryan discuss the themes, stories and inspirations behind Irish Paris, as well as the rich histories that connect Ireland and France. Through conversation and audience questions, the evening will explore themes of emigration, identity and cultural exchange, reflecting on how Irish people have…
This event offers an opportunity to hear Isadore Ryan discuss the themes, stories and inspirations behind Irish Paris, as well as the rich histories that connect Ireland and France. Through conversation and audience questions, the evening will explore themes of emigration, identity and cultural exchange, reflecting on how Irish people have shaped and been shaped by life abroad. Closely aligned with EPIC’s exploration of the Irish diaspora, the discussion will bring to life the vibrant and often unexpected experiences of Irish emigrants in Paris across the centuries, before concluding with a book signing.
Ticket holders should arrive about 10 minutes before 5:30pm at the Visitor Information desk within chq. There they will be escorted to the event’s location. We would ask that you arrive no later than 5:35pm, as it’s imperative these events begin on time to ensure the best experience for the author and for our visitors.
About the Book
Irish Paris brings the vibrant history of the Irish in the French capital to life through nearly ninety captivating portraits. From Saint Fiacre to Charles Haughey, and from seventeenth-century vagrants to Oscar Wilde, this book reveals the fascinating – and sometimes unexpected – ways Irish expats have shaped and been shaped by Paris, from the seventh century to today.
About the Author
Born in Dublin, Isadore Ryan has lived outside Ireland for several decades, largely in Paris, but also in cities such as Frankfurt, Milan, Trieste, Geneva and San Francisco, building a career as a financial journalist and editor.
Isadore has published three books on the Irish in Europe: ‘No Way Out—The Irish in Wartime France’, ‘Roman Imbroglio—Italy and the Irish During World War Two’ and ‘Irish Paris—stories of famous and infamous Irish people in Paris through the centuries’. The most recent of the numerous articles he has penned, ‘Fool of Fortune: Stanislaus Joyce’s wartime travails’, appeared in the May/June 2026 edition of History Ireland.
Isadore has also produced a YouTube series called ‘Forgotten Irish in Europe’ (www.youtube.com/@ForgottenIrishinEurope) and is currently completing a book on the same theme.
Endorsements of Irish Paris
“What is it they say about Paris—city of dreams, city of lights, city of love? It has been all these things and more to the hordes of Irish soldiers, nobles, priests, writers and vagabonds who came and went over the centuries (..) Now a Paris-based writer, Isadore Ryan, has chronicle the stories of Irish people who left their mark on the city, from the fleeting visit of bank robber ‘Chicago May’ Duignan from Longford, to the writer Samuel Beckett and Margaret Kelly, the founder of the Bluebill Girls dance troupe.” – Liam Collins, Sunday Independent