UCC Music student Fiona Kelly wins prestigious Dissertation of the Year Award

21 Feb 2025

• Fiona Kelly, a UCC Music student, won the CHMHE Annual Undergraduate Musicology Prize for her dissertation on music's role in enhancing the well-being of older adults in residential care.
• Fiona graduated with a first-class honours Bachelor of Arts (BA) – Music and is now expanding on her undergraduate research through pursuing a Masters by Research at UCC.

A dissertation exploring the role of music in enhancing the health and wellbeing of older individuals in residential care has won a prestigious national award. UCC Music student Fiona Kelly was awarded first prize in the CHMHE Annual Undergraduate Musicology Prize. The competition recognises excellence in undergraduate thesis writing, and Fiona’s dissertation, ‘Timeless: A Caregiver-led Music Intervention in the Context of Residential Care Settings’, stood out for its innovative research and meaningful impact.

Fiona’s research focuses on a caregiver-led music intervention designed to foster social relationships between residents and caregivers while also stimulating cognitive and motor function, emotion regulation, and socialisation. Through musical activities such as singing, instrument playing, movement, and reflective listening, the study examined how varying experiences of music sessions per week affected participants' overall well-being.

Fiona was invited to present her research at the joint Society of Musicology in Ireland (SMI) and International Council for Traditions of Music and Dance Ireland (ICTMD-IE) postgraduate conference in January. 

Having graduated from UCC with a first-class honours Bachelor of Arts (BA) – Music, Fiona is she is now expanding on her undergraduate research through pursuing a Masters by Research at UCC, further investigating the effects of caregiver-led music programmes on cognitive ability, mobility, and quality of life in residential care settings.

Fiona said: "This study highlighted the potential benefits of music interventions in residential care, particularly in supporting residents' well-being and strengthening caregiver-resident interactions. The music programme was kindly facilitated by management and staff at Haven Bay Care Centre in Kinsale and UCC Department of Music, creating opportunities for ongoing engagement and knowledge exchange. I’m excited to build on this research through my postgraduate studies."

Dr Eva McMullan, Lecturer at UCC Department of Music who supervised Fiona’s dissertation, said: “Congratulations to Fiona on this well-deserved honour. Her dedication to using music as a tool for positive change exemplifies the power of research in making a meaningful difference in people’s lives."

Music At UCC 

UCC is ranked in the top 100 universities for Performing Arts in the QS World University Rankings 2024–25.

Music at UCC offers the most musically diverse undergraduate BA/BMus Music degree in Ireland. Designed to reflect the true diversity of the contemporary musical world, UCC Bachelor of Arts - Music (CK104) students interact with renowned performers, composers and scholars, engage with a community of talented peers and open career opportunities in creative, cultural and music industries with UCC music graduates working as sound designers, composers, producers and educators in diverse environments. 

Learn more about undergraduate and postgraduate programmes at UCC's Department of Music here.