BCL (Law and Irish) Degree (CK304)
Why choose the BCL (Law and Irish) – CK 304?
The BCL (Law and Irish) is a degree unique to UCC and it is designed to specifically address the interaction between law and issues of Irish history, culture and tradition. Modules on the Irish version of the Constitution, on case law and the language, and on the centuries old interweaving of Law and Irish literature will provide you with a stimulating learning experience. Scrúdaítear gnéithe tábhachtacha de thaithí fhairsing na tíre seo ar cheisteanna teanga is dlí in éineacht sa chéim, á suíomh sin ina gcomhthéacs náisiúnta is idirnáisiúnta.
The third year of your degree will be spent on placement in either Irish or European institutions and workplaces. Placement hosts have included Rannóg an Aistriúcháin (The Translation Service) of the Houses of the Oireachtas, the Office of the Attorney General, the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Courts Service, RTÉ, Údarás na Gaeltachta, the Welsh National Assembly, groupings in the European Parliament, as well as solicitors, barristers and Irish-language services in various regions of Ireland. You also have the opportunity to take a placement with Chief Judge Molloy in the District Court of Montana in the U.S. in conjunction with attending courses in the University of Montana.
From an employment perspective a UCC Law and Irish degree has become more valuable for two important reasons. The first is the designation of Irish as an official language of the European Union in 2005. The second is the enactment of the Official Languages Act 2003 which places duties on State departments and public bodies to provide various services through Irish.
The BCL (Law and Irish) degree has been on offer to incoming students since 1999 and it is a qualifying degree recognised by the King’s Inns, the professional body for barristers in Ireland. The skills learned are transferable and are respected by employers legal or otherwise. You can also avail of the summer placement scheme.
Student Testimony
Eoin O’Muineachain, BCL (Law and Irish) Graduate, Moot Court Competitor
“When I decided to do Law and Irish, it was out of a desire to learn about the law and a fear of forgetting the Irish I had spent my whole life learning. I thought having a degree in Irish would be a useful safety net in case I never went into law as a career. I thoroughly enjoyed my four years in UCC and would gladly have done another year! The third year is spent on work placement, the first term at An Rannóg Aistriúcháin in the Oireachtas inDublinand the second term in some other appropriate place that the student and programme director agree on beforehand. I did my second term in the Department of Foreign Affairs, also inDublin. The work placement was a great way to get some much needed experience on my CV before I graduated and the money was handy too!
"The programme is structured in such a way as to allow the student to study all the requisite subjects for admittance to eitherBlackhall Placeor Kings Inns should he or she wish to qualify as a solicitor or a barrister. The student can choose Irish subjects from a wide range of modules in second year while studying three mandatory law subjects and in fourth year the student has almost complete freedom of choice with subjects, with only one law subject and one Irish subject being mandatory. I would recommend the BCL (Dlí agus Gaeilge) to anyone with a genuine interest in Law and in Irish and who has the capacity to study independently.”
Eoin was a finalist in the Annual Gala Moot Court Competition.Core Modules
The core modules covered over the four-year degree are:
Law Core Modules
- Legal Writing
- Introduction to Legal Systems
- Criminal Law
- Law of Contract
- Dlí Bunreachtúil (Constitutional Law)
- Law of Torts
- Legal Skills - Statutory Interpretation
- Law of Property
- Law of the European Union
- Jurisprudence
Irish Core Modules
- Bunstaidéar ar Theanga agus ar Chultúr na Gaeilge
- Bunreacht na hÉireann (1937): An Leagan Gaeilge
- Úsáid agus Cruinneas na Gaeilge II
- Cásanna Dlí agus an Ghaeilge
- Úsáid agus Cruinneas na Gaeilge
- Litríocht na Nua-Ghaeilge agus an Dlí
The third year of the programme is spent on placement.
For more information on the programme structure and for access to module descriptors, please visit the Undergraduate Calendar.
Please also visit Roinn na Nua-Ghaeilge/Department of Modern Irish for more information on the Irish aspect of this degree or contact the Director of the programme here in Law, Seán Ó Conaill at s.oconaill@ucc.ie.
