Teaching Unit
Teaching Unit
The education and development of the student are the primary objectives of the Department of Modern Irish. The Teaching Unit co-ordinates this important work.
There are two main aspects to teaching within the Department: (a) Irish literature, and (b) the writing and speaking of Irish.
Most teaching takes place in lectures and small classes: tutorials and conversation classes. Weekend classes are also conducted in the Gaeltacht.
Research-led Teaching
Research-led teaching has now been introduced at undergraduate level in the Department of Modern Irish.
In first year, students are made familiar with primary sources and basic Irish palaeography. By third year, they are able to build on these foundation courses through conducting editorial research projects in class.
Current projects include an edition of Cork poetry from the early nineteenth century.
Commerce and Law
Teaching is not exclusively confined to literary and linguistic subjects. The Department of of Modern Irish has formal links with the Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Commerce. Part of the teaching, therefore, is focussed on matters such as the study of the Irish Constitution, or of Irish in administrative and management contexts. One element of the work of the Teaching Unit is the organisation of work-placements with businesses located in Gaeltacht areas.
Commerce students may, if they choose, spend a year in Aberdeen or Edinburgh Universities under the Erasmus programme.