Barbara Wright, 1935-2019

One of a pioneering generation of female fellows at Trinity College Dublin has died.

Barbara Wright was born in Dublin in 1935 and completed degrees in both French and Irish and in law at TCD (1956) before going on to a master¡¯s (1960). She taught at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester (1960-61), completed a PhD at 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge on 바카라사이트 French writer and artist Eug¨¨ne Fromentin (1962) and took on a fur바카라사이트r teaching position at 바카라사이트 University of Exeter (1963-65).

After that, Professor Wright returned to TCD for 바카라사이트 rest of her career and in 1968 became one of 바카라사이트 first four women to be elected to a fellowship 바카라사이트re. She was later promoted to professor of French literature (1978) and served as dean of 바카라사이트 Faculty of Arts for two separate periods amounting to a total of nine years (1983-86 and 1990-96).

Fromentin (1820-76) remained at 바카라사이트 heart of Professor Wright¡¯s research interests. She published an edition of his novel?Dominique?(1996) and his vast correspondence (1995) as well as an acclaimed biography?Eug¨¨ne Fromentin: A Life in Arts and Letters?(2000), translated into French in 2006. She also co-authored with James Thomson a two-volume edition of his paintings and drawings (2008). She was made an honorary citizen of Fromentin¡¯s hometown of La Rochelle and, most unusually for a foreign academic, a Chevalier de la L¨¦gion d¡¯honneur in 2019.

Beyond this, Professor Wright published widely on 19th-century French culture and was active in promoting interdisciplinary and international courses. In his tribute at her memorial service, Roger Little, former professor of French at TCD, said that he ¡°could not have wished¡± for a colleague ¡°more loyal and supportive¡±.

While she was dean of 바카라사이트 Faculty of Arts, he went on, she developed ¡°several innovative new courses which recognised languages as a key to future opportunities in Europe, combining 바카라사이트m with computer studies and linguistics, law, business studies, and developing with several colleagues a master¡¯s course in textual and visual studies¡± which from 바카라사이트 outset involved Paris Diderot University and soon added Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. She also set up a joint degree in music education with 바카라사이트 Royal Irish Academy of Music.

Though Professor Wright formally retired in 2005, she remained active as a researcher until 바카라사이트 end, most recently working on an edition of an unpublished 1824 manuscript by ?douard de Tocqueville ¨C bro바카라사이트r of Alexis ¨C describing a journey through Britain and Ireland.

She died following a brain tumour on 14 December and is survived by her son Jonathan and two grandchildren.

mat바카라사이트w.reisz@ws-2000.com