Gerard Beirne

Gerard Beirne was the University of New Brunswick's twenty-seventh writer-in-residence for the 2008-2009 school year and then returned again during the 2015 Winter term. Beirne was born in Ireland, but has Canadian citizenship and has lived over ten years in Canada. He received his BA at Trinity College in Dublin, and then received his MFA from Eastern Washington University. Gerard Beirne has previously worked as a former Domestic Appliance Design Engineer and has previously lived in Sierra Leone where he worked as a volunteer hospital administrator. In 1996 he was awarded the Sunday Tribune/ Hennessy New Irish Writer of the Year Award in 1996. One of his short stories, called Sightings of Bono, was adapted into a short film in 200 and came out on DVD in 2004. As well, the short film actually featured Bono from U2.

While living for three years in a Cree community in northern Manitoba, Beirne interviewed elders and edited an anthology of those interviews for publication.

While at UNB, he gave a reading on September 29^th, 2008, in the Alumni Lounge at UNB; he gave a reading on March 1^st, 2009, at the odd sundays event at Molly's Coffee House; and on April 14^th, 2009, he was part of a reading in the Alumni Lounge at UNB. During his second academic year as writer-in-residence, he read on November 19^th, 2015, at the Wilser's Room. Beirne has previously taught part time as a member of the UNB English department.

In 2008, Beirne was proceeded by Patricia Young, and succeeded by Fred Stenson in 2009.

For his second bout as UNB's writer-in-residence in 2015, Beirne succeeded Jeramy Dodds, and after him the position was given to Naomi Lewis. 

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Source(s):

UA Case 191; Section 2; Gerard Beirne