Jane Conroy is from Connemara. Having studied in NUI Galway and Paris-IV (Sorbonne) she returned to Galway, where she is Professor Emerita of French. A member of the Royal Irish Academy, her publications include works on the cultural and literary history of early modern France, French perceptions of Ireland, and the circulation of ideas through travel. A recent collaborative work is Ireland Illustrated (2014), an online database of illustrated travel accounts.