Research Unit
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Research Unit
Research is at the heart of the work of the Department of Modern Irish. The function of the Research Unit is to maintain a co-ordinated approach to this research.
The fruits of our research are communicated through lectures, seminars and publications.
Public research seminars are conducted weekly during term: please see Latest News for information.
In the matter of research-led teaching, undergraduates are introduced to the primary sources of Irish language and literature in first year, so that by third year they are well-positioned to undertake research assignments using those sources.
The training that students receive while undergraduates, combined with the comprehensive range of research interests of the staff of the Department of Modern Irish, means that our programme of postgraduate research maintains a consistent standard of excellence.
Research areas
The modules offered by the Department of Modern Irish, and the postraduate dissertations that receive supervision here, reflect the research interests of the staff of the Department. These research areas include:
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Irish manuscripts and palaeography, 12th century to 19th century
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The poetry of Early Modern Irish: bardic poetry, and the lighter poetry of love and satire
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The prose of Early Modern Irish: historic and occasional prose, creative and functional prose
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Literature of the seventeenth century, including the work of such major figures as Ó Cianáín, Keating and Ó Bruadair
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Literature of the eighteenth century, particularly Munster poetry by writers such as Ó Rathaille, Eoghan Rua and Donnchadh Rua
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traditional songs of love and lamentation
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Literature of the nineteenth century, particularly prose of the pre-Famine era as found in correspondence, sermons and in the diary and other writings of Amhlaoibh Ó Súilleabháin
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linguistic and dialectal studies of Irish, particularly Munster Irish
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placename studies
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modern Irish literature: especially the poetry of Seán Ó Ríordáin and the work of contemporary Irish writers
The Mac Niocaill Project
The Department of Modern Irish is engaged in an on-going project to publish the legal documents in Irish, 1493-1621, previously edited and translated by the late Professor Gearóid Mac Niocaill.
We very much appreciate the interest and encouragement of the Mac Niocaill family in this project.
The Irish Watermark Project
A major project to record watermarks in paper in Irish documents is being piloted in the Department of Modern Irish, under the direction of Professor Pádraig Ó Macháin: http://watermarks.ucc.ie/.
It forms part of the Department’s ongoing commitment to digitisation as a central element of its codicological and palaeographical research.
This pilot project is being carried out in collaboration with the Boole Library UCC, and Dr Colette Maloney (Waterford Institute of Technology).
Start-up funding was provided by a UCC Strategic Research Fund grant.