This course is aimed at those interested in local history and heritage, members of historical societies, and those working, or intending to work, in the heritage sector. The course will develop skills for those interested in local and regional studies, integrating approaches used by historians, folklorists, Celtic scholars and geographers.  You will study the information that can be gleaned from documents, maps, museum collections and landscapes . A wide range of teaching methods are used including weekly lectures, workshops and field trips. You will be encouraged to learn and research independently and to develop analytical skills, which will support you when producing your research project in year two. You will employ diverse research methods and methodologies and engage with primary and secondary sources. At the end of the course you will have learned to differentiate between the research methodologies employed by a range of disciplines that work under the unifying theme: the significance of locality and region as a basis for study.

Year 1 Modules:

Year 2 Modules:

• AD1031: Fieldwork in Genealogy (10 credits)
  This module will engage students in fieldwork; the building blocks of genealogical practical research. Students will experience field work within both the urban and archival dimension and learn how to capture data through digital photography, mapping and the paper record.
• AD1050: An Introduction to Astronomy (5 credits)
  Astronomical History - the Geocentric and Heliocentric models of the Solar System: Brahe, Kepler, Newton.
  The Night Sky - the constellations, the pole star, the diurnal motion of the stars, the orbit of the Earth about the Sun, the seasons. Finding stars on the sky.
  Time and calendars.
  Astronomy and navigation. The Greenwich meridian.
  Light - the electromagnetic spectrum: Reflecting and Refracting telescopes.
  Telescope operation.
  Different types of Astronomy. Astronomy from Space.
  The distance to stars - parallax.
  Angles, angular separation.
  Small numbers, large numbers, powers-of-ten notation.
  Looking back in time with astronomy.
  
  The Solar System - planets, moons, comets, asteroids.
  The Sun, eclipses.
  Planets around other stars, the Habitable Zone.
  
  Stars: distance, brightness, the magnitude system.
  The colour and temperature of stars.
  Stellar evolution - white dwarfs, neutron stars, black holes.
  The formation of the elements.
  Galaxies and cosmology. Cepheids, the Doppler Shift and the expansion of the Universe.
  Black holes in other galaxies.
  Dark Matter, Dark Energy, and the fate of the Universe.
• AD1872: The Physical Environment (10 credits)
  Earth system, Geology (rock types, minerals), Palaeontology & Earth history, structural geology, geomorphology, geohazards. Practical work - recognition of rock samples, Field trip - Geology of the Burren.
• AD2864: Research Skills for Local and Regional Studies (5 credits)
  This module introduces students to the skills and sources necessary to carry out original research in the area of local and / or regional studies.
• AD2865: Local and Regional Studies Research Project (15 credits)
  Supervised, independent research on a topic agreed between student and supervisor. This may be an analytical or practice-based study. The work will apply the knowledge gained on course modules, and elsewhere, towards the research topic.
• AD2867: An Introduction to Ireland's Marine Heritage and Wildlife (5 credits)
  Key aspects of Ireland's marine heritage; human interation with the ocean; marine ecosystems; marine wildlife; survey methods and marine mammal identification; marine pollution and conservation; and marine eco-tourism.
• AD2868: Local Food Studies: History, Tradition and Identity (5 credits)
  Since the 1970s, the globalisation of food and food production systems has drawn attention to local, regional and national food products and food models. The contrast between 'local' and 'universal' food has also introduced what can be ambiguous and contested concepts of 'authenticity', 'tradition' and 'identity'. This module will explain and discuus the main historical movements and developments in Irish food and it will address the value of local food and local food production to the community, the environment, and industry, in particular the tourism industry.

The programme is normally taught one evening per week, with teaching and fieldtrips occurring on some Saturdays. Students will incur some minor costs for field trips in year one and accommodation and travel costs for the national field trip in year two.

There are no formal written examinations; all work is evaluated on a continuous assessment basis. This incorporates a range of learning techniques including essays, fieldtrip/fieldwork reports, literature/sources review, document study, oral presentation, and research project.

Staff from the School of History, Department of Folklore and Ethnology, Department of Early and Medieval Irish, and Adult and Continuing Education.

Dr Griffin Murray  
Programme Coordinator  
T: +353 (0)21 490 4700 
E: g.murray@ucc.ie