TU Dublin Hosted Launch of Eamon Maher’s New Book on Jean Sulivan
TU Dublin hosted the launch of a new book by Eamon Maher, The Prophetic Voice: Jean Sulivan’s Ongoing Relevance for France and Ireland, on Monday, 27 March. The event took place in the Courtyard Room at the TU Dublin Aungier Street campus, beginning at 18:30.
The evening opened with remarks from the French Ambassador to Ireland, Her Excellency Céline Place. Following this, former President of Ireland, Mary McAleese, engaged Maher in a conversation exploring the origins and development of the book, which focused on the influential French priest-writer Jean Sulivan (1913–1980).
Sulivan, born Joseph Lemarchand, was a significant literary and spiritual voice in 20th-century France. His work received numerous accolades and was published by the renowned French publishing house Gallimard. Maher’s study examined the enduring relevance of Sulivan’s prophetic voice, particularly in relation to contemporary social and religious challenges in both Ireland and France.
The event offered an opportunity to reflect on the intersections of literature, faith, and society, and to engage with a work that highlighted the continued significance of Sulivan’s thought in a modern context.
Building on his extensive scholarship on Sulivan, Maher situated the writer within a broader literary tradition. He drew comparisons with leading figures of the French Catholic novel, including François Mauriac and Georges Bernanos, as well as Irish priest-writers such as Canon Sheehan, William King, and Tony Flannery. The study also considered connections with major Irish literary figures like Colum McCann and John McGahern.