News

• 2023 saw the retirement of our colleagues Associate Professor Bairbre Ní Fhloinn and Dr Críostóir Mac Cárthaigh. Dr Fintan Keegan joined the School as lecturer in Modern Irish. 
• Award-winning poet and playwright Ciara Ní É joined the School as Artist-in-residence. (January)
• The School received a visit from representatives from the cultural section of the Leipzig government, keen to make ties with the School. (February)
• The LGBTQ+ arts collective AerachAiteachGaelach worked with the School to run a workshop on novel-writing with Laureate na nÓg Áine Ní Ghlinn for Seachtain na Gaeilge. (March)
• The YEELP research group ran the international online conference, Page, Stage, and Everything In-Between: Youth Theatre and Performance in Regional, Minority, and Minoritised Languages. (March)
• Educational Technologist Eoin Mc Evoy visited Aristotle University of Thessaloniki under the Hybrid-e Erasmus+ project. (March)
• The School ran its second Research Day for faculty and postgraduate students. (June)
• Educational Technologist Eoin Mc Evoy visited KTH Stockholm under the Hybrid-e Erasmus+ project. (June)
• Students from Australia, Europe and the USA attend our Irish Studies Summer Study Abroad Programme. (June)
• Educational Technologist Eoin Mc Evoy and David Jennings from UCD Teaching & Learning host an international Erasmus+ Multiplier Event  on the UCD Campus for the Hybrid-e project. Information and registration. (August)
• The B.Ed. with Irish commences. (September)

News

• 2022 saw the retirement of our colleague Dr Linda Doran, who worked in Celtic Studies, and our Teaching Fellow, Stiofán Ó Briain, finished in his role to pursue his PhD under Associate Professor Caoimhín Mac Giolla Léith.
• Dr Máire Nic Cathmhaoil joined the School as a lecturer in Modern Irish.
• The Centre for Global Irish Studies was established.
• The YEELP Research group ran an international online conference on Youth Engagement in Minority and Regional Languages. (March)
• The Cúrsa Gaeltachta resumed in the Gaeltacht areas of Donegal and Galway. (March)
• Professor Meidhbhín Ní Úrdail launched her book Pádraig Ó Laoghaire (1870–1896): an Irish scholar from the Béarra Peninsula. (April)
• Research Officer Associate Professor Ríona Nic Congáil launched the School's first internal Research Day to showcase the research being undertaken by faculty and postgraduate students in the School. (June)
• The School ran its Irish Studies Summer Study Abroad Programme. (June)
• Educational Technologist Eoin Mc Evoy joined the Erasmus+ Hybrid-e project, a collaboration between UCD, Aristotle University Thessaloniki, University of Amsterdam and KTH Stockholm. (July)
• The School co-hosted an online translation workshop for 5th Year students with the EU. (October)

News

• Associate Professor Caoimhín Mac Giolla Léith and Dr Liam Mac Amhlaigh (NUIM) launch their new book Léachtaí Uí Chadhain: Mórchnuasach in ómós do Mháirtín Ó Cadhain (1906–1970), a collection of the lectures given in the Léacht Uí Chadhain series hosted annually by the School since its inception in 1980 in honour of the writer Máirtín Ó Cadhain. The launch can be viewed at:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUKgTtVQEzc (January)
• Teaching continues online in the New Year. 
• Professor Regina Uí Chollatáin is appointed as the Chair of Foras na Gaeilge, the public body responsible for the promotion of the Irish language throughout the island of Ireland. (May)
• Following election in March, Professor Meidhbhín Ní  Úrdail  is admitted to the Royal Irish Academy, the highest academic honour in Ireland. (May)
• Assistant Professor Kelly Fitzgerald took on the mantle of Head of School. (September)

News

• 2020 saw the retirement of our colleagues Professor Máire Ni Annracháin and Dr Dewi Evans.
• It also saw new members join the staff: Dr Tiber Falzett joined us as Lecturer in Foklore (August), Donncha Ó Murchú joined us as Director of the Teanglann [Interim] and Dr Fangzhe Qiu joined us as Ad Astra Fellow and Lecturer in Celtic Studies (Old Irish).

• Educational Technologist Eoin Mc Evoy receives a Teaching Excellence Award from the UCD College of Arts & Humanities. (December)
• Associate Professor Meidhbhín Ní Úrdail and Dr Ciaran McDonough are awarded €91,970 from the Irish Research Council (IRC) for a project entitled Antiquarianism, Politics and Sectarianism in Nineteenth-Century Ireland: A study of Ancient Laws and Institutes of Ireland (1852-1901). (November)
• Dr Bairbre Ní Fhloinn is promoted to Associate Professor. (November)
• Lárionad de Bhaldraithe hosts online translation workshops in conjunction with the European Commission for secondary school students. (November)
• The School hosts a highly successful online conference on behalf of the Association of Celtic Students of Ireland and Britain. The local conference committee is run by our Teaching Fellow Stiofán Ó Briain (Chair), Ailbe van der Heide, Allison Galbari, Fiona Lyons, Katie Whelan and our Educational Technologist Eoin Mc Evoy. (October)
• Destination Ireland, a brand-new online course for international student orientation is designed by our Head of Irish Studies Aoife Whelan and Educational Technologist Eoin Mc Evoy and launched by UCD Global on behalf of the College of Arts & Humanities. (August)
• The campus is shut due to the international rise in Covid-19 cases and our School staff work hard to move our teaching provision, administration functions and assessment online. (March-December)
• Our second and third year students attend the Cúrsa Gaeltachta in Baile na nGall, Carna and Gaoth Dobhair. This annual fieldwork course is organised by the Director of the Teanglann, Eimhear Ní Dhuinn. The course drew to a close just before the Covid-19 lockdown was announced. (March)
• The College of Arts & Humanities 'Ireland in the World' research strand is launched and headed by the School. (January)
• Head of School Professor Regina Uí Chollatáin is appointed to the Chair of Modern Irish. (January)

News

• ERC Researcher Associate Professor Ríona Nic Congáil joins the School. Stiofán Ó Briain takes over from Síle Dolan as our Teaching Fellow in Modern Irish.

• We welcome secondary school students to the School for the annual Seimineár Lae, organised by our Teaching Fellow Stiofán Ó Briain. (December)
  
  
• The European Research Council awards €1,272,260 to Dr Ríona Nic Congáil for her interdisciplinary research project entitled "Youth Engagement in European Language Preservation, 1900-2020". The project is based in the UCD School of Irish, Celtic Studies and Folklore. (September)
  
  
• Refurbishment of the B Block of offices and spaces is completed. (June)

• Our Educational Technologist Eoin Mc Evoy participates in a two-week Erasmus+ visit to Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, Georgia, where he gave workshops on educational technology to staff and lectures on Irish culture and classes in the Irish language to Georgian and Azeri students (June)

• Professor Sture Ureland of Mannheim University donates his archive of ‘The Irish and English of Connemara Gaeltacht School-Children in 1986-88‘ to the School which is now housed in the Dialect Archive within UCD Special Collections. This project was part of Prof. Ureland’s Eurolinguistic Research on Minority Languages. (April)

• Our Year 2 and Year 3 Modern Irish students attend Gaeltacht courses in Donegal, Galway and Kerry. (March)

• Our Head of School Prof. Regina Uí Chollatáin visits St Mary's College and Newman College at Melbourne University, Australia as part of the Newman O'Donnell Fellowship in Irish Studies 2019 (January-February) 

Public Lectures in 2019

Each link in this section will take you to a lecture recording at Cultúr@UCD, our School's Soundcloud account.

• Celtic Studies lectures

  • Charles Doherty ‘The Viking mounds at Jelling and ancient Irish kingship’ (April)

  • Kevin Whelan ‘The impact of Christianity on the Irish landscape in the Early Medieval period.’ (March)

• Graduate Seminar in Irish Folklore (Series)
  • Peter Browne ‘Tuning the Radio’: the close connections between traditional music and radio in Ireland. (April)
  • Michael Fortune ‘The Process and Tools used to Collect and Share Folklore in Contemporary Ireland.’ (March
  • Alan McLeod ‘Documenting tradition in a north Dublin fishing community: Alan McLeod’s ‘Perils and pearls’ and Globby Wore Sea Chart.’ (February)
  • Ellie Nic Fhionnghaile ‘Athbheochan Traidisiún Fidil Dhún nan Gall 1980-2018’ (January)
  • Jim Ledwith ‘The Mind of the Masked: masking in Irish folk tradition.’ (January)

• Irish Studies in a Global Context (Series)
  • Dr James O’Donnell 'News agencies and reporting the Irish Revolution: a case from the West' (February)

• Ó Thrácht go Twitter (Series)
  • Dr Deirdre Nic Mhathúna ‘Filíocht Phiarais Feiritéar: Ó dhúchas go daonnachas’ (April)
  • Aoife Ní Ghloinn ‘B2 or not B2? Sin í an cheist! An Fráma Tagartha Comónta Eorpach (CEFR) agus Measúnú na Gaeilge ag an Tríú Leibhéal.’ (February)
    
    
• School Research Seminar (Series)
  
  • Dr Roisin McLaughlin ‘Heads and Tails: Marginalia in TCD MS H 2.15B’ & Dr Cathal Billings ‘Cúis na hÉireann agus Tír Kruger’ (March)

• Other talks
  • Prof. Pádraig Ó Siadhail 'Seán Breanach (1891-1967): Gael, Jew and ‘White’. From Ireland’s Irish-Language Revival to Apartheid-Era South Africa.' (May)

News

• The School holds the 'Way in for the World' day-conference on Irish literary translation. (October)
• Dr Bairbre Ní Fhloinn's book Cold Iron: Aspects of the occupational lore of Irish fishermen is shortlisted for the prestigious Katherine Briggs Folklore Award 2018. (October)
• The President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, visits the School to give the inaugural Léacht De hÍde. (September)
  

• The inaugural UCD Summer School in Irish Art & Language is launched. (July)
• Associate Professor Meidhbhín Ní Úrdail's exhibition Seoda Scripte is opened in the UCD Special Collections. (June)
• Refurbishment of the A Block of offices in the School is completed. (June)
• Our School takes part in the annual UCD Festival. (June)
  
  
• Our Head of School Regina Uí Chollatáin is made a full Professor. (May)
• School Research Seminar launched. (April)
• Our Year 2 and Year 3 Modern Irish students attend Gaeltacht courses in Donegal, Galway and Kerry. (March)
• Our video series #Gaeilge365 is launched for Bliain na Gaeilge. This series will run daily through 2018. (January)

Public Lectures in 2018

Each link in this section will take you to a lecture recording at Cultúr@UCD, our School's Soundcloud account.

• Celtic Studies lectures
  • Professor Liv Helga Dommasnes (University Museum of Bergen): 'Viking Women Left at Home?' (October)
  • International Women's Day Special Lecture: Aoife Cranny Walsh (PhD Candidate, UCD): Queens and Sovereignty Goddesses:The historical and legendary perceptions of queenship in Early Medieval Ireland. (March)
  • Dr Matthew Stout (DCU): How settlement studies contibute to our understanding of Early Medieval Ireland. (March)

• Graduate Seminar in Irish Folklore (Series)
  • Dr Daithí Kearney: Folklore on Stage - Fifty Years of Summer Productions by Siamsa Tíre. (November)
  • Seanán Mac Aoidh, MA: The Performance of Irish Language Storytellin until the Present Day. (November)
  • Aisling Ní Churraighín, MA: Seán Ó hEochaidh (1913-2002) agus bailiúchán gairmiúil an bhéaloidis i dTeileann, Tír Chonaill ó 1935-1976. (October)
  • Dr Pauline Garvey: IKEA and the material culture of Swedish social democracy. (October)
  • Dr Tomás Mac Conmara: 'Always in the Human Consciousness' - The Oral Heritage of the Irish War of Independence. (September)
  • Fiona Shannon, MSc: Looking back on traditional medicinal knowledge. A new perspective on the Schools' Manuscripts Collection. (April)
  • Dr Arlene Crampsie: Mutual interests, different perspectives – the potential for collaboration between oral history and folklore in Ireland. (April)
  • Professor Máire Ní Annracháin: Athchóiriú an bhéaloidis i nualitríocht na Gaeilge: tobar nach dtránn. (March)
  • Dr Anne O'Dowd: Straw, hay and rushes in Irish folk tradition. (February)
  • Gregory Darwin, MA: The Mermaid Legend (ML 4080) in Ireland and overseas. (January)

• Irish with Law
  • Professor Jørn Øyrehagen Sunde (University of Bergen) addresses our School and the School of Law and discusses the connections between Irish law and Norwegian medieval law. (April)

• Irish Studies in a Global Context (Series)
  • Dr Asier Altuna-García de Salazar (University of Deusto, Bilbao): 'A Multicultural and Transcultural approach to the concept of family dysfunction in Irish fiction: 1980 - 2010' (April)
  • Dr Peadar Ó Muircheartaigh (DIAS/Aberystwth University): 'Gaelic pasts, presents, and futures in eighteenth-century Ireland and Scotland' (February)
    
    
• Ó Thrácht go Twitter (Series)
  • Dr Ioan Matthews (Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol): 'Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol and developing higher education through the medium of Welsh: the first ten years' (November)
  • Professor Mícheál Ó Mainnín (Queen's University) discusses connections between Irish and Scottish poets in the late Middle Ages. (April)
  • Professor Tadhg Ó hIfearnáin (NUIG) discusses language planning in the Gaeltacht regions. (February)

• School Research Seminar (Series)
  • Associate Professor Caoimhín Breatnach (UCD) presents his research on medieval Irish versions of the Gospel of Nicodemus. (April)
  • Associate Professor Caoimhín Mac Giolla Léith (UCD) presents his research on contemporary Irish poetry. (April)
    
    
• Other talks
  • Associate Professor Jerry White (Dalhousie University): 'The French Gaeltacht? Introducing Catalunya (del) Nord'. (October)

News

• The National Folklore Collection at UCD is inscribed into the UNESCO Memory of the World Register. (December)
• The School opens its doors to secondary school students for its annual Seimineár Lae. (December)
• The Irish Conference of Folklore and Ethnology takes place in UCD (November).
• The School attends Oireachtas na Samhna. (November)
• The inaugural meeting of the Global Irish Diaspra Congress takes place in UCD. (August)
• The School launches its new MA Folklore and Ethnology.
• The School launches the new Law with Irish undergraduate course in collaboration with the School of Law.
• The School relaunches the MA Irish Studies.

Public Lectures in 2017

• College Lecture
  • Our School selected by the College of Arts & Humanities as host for the inaugural College Lecture. We are grateful to poet Paul Muldoon for his elegant and engaging guest lecture on 18th Century Ulster Poetry. (November)

• Celtic Studies Lecture
  • Professor Neil Pierce (Uppsala University): Viking Warrior Women? - Reassessing Birka Chamber Grave BJ.581 and its implications (November)

• Graduate Seminar in Irish Folklore (Series)
  • Merlo Kelly, MA (UCD): Fínis: A survey of an island (November)
  • Dr Aoife Granville (UCC): An Dreoilín: Traidisiún, Ceol & Féiniúlacht Phobail i nDaingean Uí Chúis (November)
  • Dr Gearóid Ó Crualaoich (UCC Emeritus): Towards an understanding of the ethno-poetic nature of traditional narration (October)
  • Dr Fred Freeman (RCS Glasgow): Hamish Henderson: A New Voice on 'The Carrying Stream' (October)
  • Dr Seán O'Connell (Queen's University Belfast): Interpreting nostalgia: memory and working class communities in Belfast (September)
  • Fionnán MacGabhann (UCD): The Skellig Lists: Shrovetide ballads and rhymes from the south of Ireland (April)
  • Dr Mícheál Briody (Language Centre, University of Helsinki): Social Aspects of the Buaile (transhumance) in Ireland and Gaelic Scotland, with emphasis on women's tradition (March)
  • Elsa Ósk Alfreðsdóttir, MA (University of Iceland): 'Dwelling in the Roots’: Herbal medicine traditions in Iceland (February)
  • 2016
  • Jane Nolan (Maps & GIS Librarian, UCD Library): Visualising your Research with Maps (January)

• Irish Studies in a Global Context (Series)
  • Professor Alan Titley: Translating Máirtín Ó Cadhain (November)
  • Oisín Ó Muirthile: Translating A Game of Thrones to Irish (February)

• Léacht Uí Chadhain 2017 (Annual Lecture)
  • Professor Máirín Nic Eoin: Athnuachan agus athghabháil shaothar liteartha Uí Chadhain (October)

• Ó Thrácht go Twitter (Series)
  • Celia de Fréine: Aistear Teanga Luíse Ghabhánach Ní Dhufaigh (November)
  • Dr Máire Nic an Bhaird (NUIM): Léargas ar scríbhinní pearsanta Dhubhghlas de hÍde: dialanna, litreacha agus cártaí poist (October)

• Osborn Bergin Memorial Lecture 2017 (Series)
  • Dr Jürgen Uhlich (TCD): 'Faithful but unintelligent’: Early Old Irish documents copied and miscopied (September)

News

• Our annual Seimineár Lae, an outreach event for secondary school students studying Irish, takes place. (December)
• The School celebrates 10 years of its MA Scríobh agus Cumarsáid course and invites alumni back from all post-graduate courses for an evening of poetry readings and celebration. (November)
• Our Irish language students launch the 2014-5 edition of student literary magazine Nua-Aois. (November)
• The Irish Conference for Folklore and Ethnology takes place in the UCD Humanities Institute, with the annual Almqvist Lecture forming the centrepiece of the Conference. (November)
• A permanent bilingual exhibition on the 1916 Rising is opened in the GPO. Dr Cathal Billings provided the translation for this interactive exhibition. (March)
• Our Year 2 and Year 3 Irish language students visit Gaeltacht areas in Galway and Kerry for their annual Gaeltacht Course. (March)
• The bilingual conference Torthaí na Réabhlóide | Results of the Revolution examines the legacy of the 1916 Rising. (February)
• The School acquires a new exhibition on the Irish Revival. (February)
• Refurbishment of the student space An Seomra Caidrimh completed (February).

Public Lectures

Each link in this section will take you to a lecture recording at Cultúr@UCD, our School's Soundcloud account.

• Almqvist Lecture (Annual Lecture)
  • Professor Maureen Murphy (Hofstra University, NY): 'I haven't been that far, but I've been to America'. Professor Murphy's keynote lecture deals with the folklore of Irish women's emigration at the turn of the twentieth century, and in particular the returning 'Yank' - the self-dowered emigrant woman returning home.
    
    
• Graduate Seminar in Irish Folklore (Series)
  • Dr Marcas Mac Coinnigh (QUB): Tied Stones and Loose Dogs: Examining an 'Ancient Irish Adage' (November)
  • Dr Claudia Kinmonth MA (RCA), Visiting Research Fellow, Moore Institute N.U.I. Galway: Irish Country Furniture 1700-1950: Decoration & Display in the Farmhouse Kitchen (November)
  • An tOllamh Ríonach uí Ógáin, (UCD Emerita): Cycling the Coast of Clare: the Collecting Work of Séamus Ennis. (November)
  • Grace Toland (Irish Traditional Music Archive): ITMA  - Present & Future. (October)
  • Dr Deirdre Nuttall (IAPH): A Hidden Folk: Understanding the Protestant Minority in the Republic of Ireland Through Folklore (September)
    
    
• Irish Studies in a Global Context (Series)
  • Professor Jerry White (Dalhousie University): Aspects of an Cadhnach: Máirtín Ó Cadhain as historical force, translation problem and multi-media extravaganza. (November)
  • Associate Professor Brian Ó Conchubhair (Notre Dame): The Audacity of Youth: Flann O'Brien and UCD. (October)
  • Dr Dymphna Lonergan (Flinders University): Looking for Irish in Australia. (March)

• Léacht Uí Chadhain (Annual Lecture)
  • Joe Steve Ó Neachtain: Ó Cadhain: an ag doras an bháis atá lorg a láimhe anois? (October)

• Ó Thrácht go Twitter (Series)
  • Dr Diarmuid Ó Sé: Caighdeán, téarmaíocht agus dúchas (April)
  • Dr Éilis Ní Dhuibhne: Is binn peann ina thost: guth na mban i bhficsean na Gaeilge (February)

• Seacht mBua an Éirí Amach (Series)
  
  • Professor Cormac Ó Gráda, on Economics (April)
  • Dr Regina Uí Chollatáin, on the Media (March)
  • Dr Jerry White, on Cinema (February)
  • Tarla MacGabhann, on Architecture (January)
    
    
• Results of the Revolution 2016 (Conference)
  • Keynote lecture given bilingually by Professor Jerry White from Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada. Also part of the Seacht mBua an Éirí Amach series.

News

• Bairbre Ní Chonchúir joins the School as Administrator (Marketing & Events) and Eoin Mc Evoy join the School as Educational Technologist.
• The School's Soundcloud account Cultúr@UCD is launched. (December)
• The School's Twitter (@UCDScoilGLCB) & Facebook (@UCDScoilGLCB) accounts are launched. (December)

Public Lectures

• Léacht Uí Chadhain (Annual Lecture) 
  • Peadar Ó Riada: Fuaimeint Gaeil (October)
    
    
• Léann na Teanga (Series)
  • Dónall Ó Braonáin, MA (Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge, NUIG): Teanga na Reitrice in iriseoireacht Uí Chadhain (Márta)
  • Dr Peadar Ó Muircheartaigh (NUIM): Sochtheangeolaíocht stairiúil na Gaeilge? (Márta)
  • Dr Máire Ní Chiosáin (UCD): Caol agus leathan: sonrú na ndifríochtaí (February)

• Seacht mBua an Éirí Amach (Series) is launched to examine the transformative effect of the 1916 Easter Rising on culture and society in Ireland:
  • Professor Máirín Nic Eoin, on Literature (December)
  • Dr Caoimhín Mac Giolla Léith, on the Visual Arts (November)
  • Peadar Ó Riada, on Music (October) - Léacht Uí Chadhain

• Ó Thrácht go Twitter (Series)
  • Dr Roisín McLaughlin (UCD): Ó lámhscríbhinní go heagráin: roinnt dánta Luath-Ghaeilge (November)
  • Professor Nicholas Williams (UCD, Emeritus): Ó Bhéarla go Gaeilge (April)
  • Pádraig Ó Cíobháin (NUIG): An Sean á ghabháil sa Nua: Nua-Éachtaint ar an Litríocht Luath-Mheánaoiseach (February)