Blue Box Speaker Series with Dr. Sean Cadigan

Friday, Sept. 25, 1-2 p.m.

A-2071

Sean Cadigan

Geography Lessons: John Mannion, Rosemary Ommer, and Publicly Engaged History in Newfoundland

This presentation will highlight the contributions of Geography to the development of a publicly engaged history in Newfoundland. First, it will consider the pioneering role of John Mannion in understanding the dynamics of settlement and community through oral history and student engagement in community research. Second, it will examine how Mannion’s work on Irish cultural transfer and adaptation influenced the work of Rosemary Ommer, informing her ideas about outport resilience. Later influenced by her work with David Alexander and the Atlantic Canada Shipping Project, Ommer pioneered the interdisciplinary study of rural neglect and concomitant ecological degradation that led to the cod moratorium of 1992. Her experience in such research made Ommer a determined advocate for a public scholarship in dialogue with communities and governments in a quest for social and environmental justice.

Bio: Sean Cadigan is a professor of history at Memorial University. His research and teaching interests include the social history of Newfoundland and Labrador, the relationship between war and political culture, and the political economy and history of the offshore oil industry, seafaring, logging, and fishing in Atlantic Canada.

Presented by Department of Geography

Event Listing 2026-09-25 13:00:00 2026-09-25 14:00:00 America/St_Johns Blue Box Speaker Series with Dr. Sean Cadigan Sean Cadigan Geography Lessons: John Mannion, Rosemary Ommer, and Publicly Engaged History in Newfoundland This presentation will highlight the contributions of Geography to the development of a publicly engaged history in Newfoundland. First, it will consider the pioneering role of John Mannion in understanding the dynamics of settlement and community through oral history and student engagement in community research. Second, it will examine how Mannion’s work on Irish cultural transfer and adaptation influenced the work of Rosemary Ommer, informing her ideas about outport resilience. Later influenced by her work with David Alexander and the Atlantic Canada Shipping Project, Ommer pioneered the interdisciplinary study of rural neglect and concomitant ecological degradation that led to the cod moratorium of 1992. Her experience in such research made Ommer a determined advocate for a public scholarship in dialogue with communities and governments in a quest for social and environmental justice. Bio: Sean Cadigan is a professor of history at Memorial University. His research and teaching interests include the social history of Newfoundland and Labrador, the relationship between war and political culture, and the political economy and history of the offshore oil industry, seafaring, logging, and fishing in Atlantic Canada. A-2071 Department of Geography