Administrative history

The Irish Institute was launched in 1998 and widely praised for offering programs and initiatives to promote reconciliation between Ireland and Northern Ireland through increased mutual understanding and cross-border partnerships. During the early 2010s, the institute broadened its geographical scope to include other regions—notably the Middle East and North Africa—and took a broader role within the University to aid international outreach.

Under director Robert Mauro, in 2014 it became the Global Leadership Institute, retaining elements of the Irish Institute model while undertaking ventures such as a leadership program for Kuwaiti youths and an initiative to assist in the professionalization of Mexico’s police force. Mauro, who died in the fall of 2022, retained the institute’s ties to, and interest in, Ireland in the midst of various political and economic changes, including Ireland’s emergence as a landing place for major technology firms and the advent of Brexit.

Upon the appointment of Mary C. Murphy in 2024, the institute again changed direction by once again focusing on relationships between Boston College and Irish political networks.