Welcome to the website of the Center for Irish Studies. CUA's academic commitment to Irish Studies began over a century ago, when in 1896, the university established a professorship devoted to teaching the Irish language, "Gaelic," as it was then termed. This was accomplished with an endowment from the Ancient Order of Hibernians and became the first teaching position of its kind in America. The university also has the distinction of offering this country's only interdisciplinary Master's degree in Irish Studies, which was initiated in 1991.