Open to all. More information available here Program of 1st Indigenous Wisdom Conference 26

The next presentation in the Study of Religions Research Seminar Series is on Wednesday 1 April 2026 at 6-7pm on MS Teams with Dr Andrew Wilson

The next presentation in our Study of Religions Research Seminar Series will take place on Wednesday 25 March from 6-7pm on MS Teams with Dr Rachel Woodlock

Dr. Amanullah De Sondy, Head of Department and Senior Lecturer in Contemporary Islam was live at Cork’s RTÉ studios on RTÉ's TV show ‘Today’ for ‘Friday’s Good News’ on Friday 13th March 2026. 

The next presentation in the Study of Religions Research Seminar Series takes place on Wednesday 11 March 2026 from 6-7pm on MS Teams with Cedar Monroe.

Now available to view on YouTube: https://youtu.be/nl6P3snJacA?si=_IFlIDJcFM7j063H

Dr Jenny Butler gave a talk on "Love and Romance in Irish Folklore and Mythology" for the Melbourne Romance Writers Guild, Australia on Valentine's Day 2026.

Join the IUAES Commission on the Anthropology of Religion and the IUAES
Commission on Human Rights on March 19, at 2:00 PM UTC

The next presentation in University College Cork's Study of Religions Research Seminar Series takes place on Wednesday 25 February 2026 from 6-7pm (Irish Time/GMT) online with Leah Stetson

Scheduled events 1:30pm to 5:00pm O'Rahilly Building, room 1.56 on Main Campus

The British Council and the British Embassy in Dublin partnered with University College Cork to host the 2026 UK-IRL Alumni Reception. The event took place in the Aula Maxima on Thursday 5th February 2026. Dr. Amanullah De Sondy, Head of Study of Religions, was MC of the event which was formally opened by Professor John O’Halloran, President of University College Cork. 

Yoginis dansantes et déesses indiennes. Sur le système de connaissances vernaculaires dans les traditions rurales et tribales de l'ouest de l'Odisha, en Inde. Conférence Salle Crozet de 18h à 19h30, 11 FÉV. 2026

Cork Three Faiths Forum, UCC Chaplaincy, UCC Study of Religions and the EDI Unit celebrated UN Interfaith Harmony Week with a social evening with staff, students and wider Cork communities.

Join Cork Three Faiths Forum, UCC Chaplaincy, the Department of the Study of Religions and the EDI Unit for a fun social evening with people of many faiths

Isabella Honan: Wills and Historical Reconstruction

The Goddess and the Milky Way – A New Way of looking at Neolithic and Bronze Age Ceremonial Site

Dr. Amanullah De Sondy, Head of Department and Senior Lecturer in Contemporary Islam, brought a touch of tartan and religion to Cork’s RTÉ studios on Friday 23^rd January 2026, appearing live on RTÉ’s Today show for the ‘Friday’s Good News’ segment - just in time for Robert Burns Day.

Dr. Amanullah De Sondy, Head of Department and Senior Lecturer in Contemporary Islam took part in an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion panel at the National Insight Research Ireland Centre for Data Analytics’ Annual Plenary Meeting on Thursday 8th January 2026 held at Western Gateway Building (University College Cork). 

and Happy New Year!

Dr. Amanullah De Sondy, Head of Department and Senior Lecturer in Contemporary Islam, delivered the keynote address at the Tyndall Institute’s Cultural Event on 11 December 2025. 

Staff from Study of Religions Department, Professor James Kapaló and Dr Tatiana Vagramenko, led the initiative for UCC to join the Global Coalition for Ukrainian Studies, becoming one of the first Irish Institutions that have committed to embedding Ukrainian history, politics, society, language and culture in their research agendas and teaching programmes.

Dr. Amanullah De Sondy, Head of Department and Senior Lecturer in Contemporary Islam was live at Cork’s RTÉ studios on RTÉ's TV show ‘Today’ for ‘Friday’s Good News’ discussing toys for Christmas, professional decorators and the ethics of gratitude  on Friday 5th December 2025.

Dr. Amanullah De Sondy (Head of Department and Senior Lecturer in Contemporary Islam) and Dr Jenny Butler (Lecturer in Study of Religions) attended the Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Religion (AAR) in Boston (22-25 November). The world's largest association of scholars in the field of religious studies and related topics established in 1909. It has some 10,000 members worldwide.

Join Alessandro Salice and Danny Forde from University College Cork for an online lecture on The Phenomenology of Religious Experience on 15 December 2025 at 16:00 CET (15:00 GMT) . To attend please email jason.day@unifr.ch.

Danny Forde joined the Hermitix Podcast to discuss his book on the phenomenology of psychedelic experiences. Listen back here Phenomenology of Psychedelic Experiences with Danny Forde - YouTube 

Find Danny's book here https://link.springer.com/book/9783031952029

Amanullah De Sondy, Head of Department and Senior Lecturer in Contemporary Islam joined RTÉ Brendan O'Connor show live in the Dublin studios to talk through what’s making the news on Sunday 9th November 2025 with Louise Bayliss, Head of Social Justice and Policy at Saint Vincent de Paul, Ellen Coyne, Political Correspondent with the Irish Times and Sarah Carey, Columnist with the Irish Independent. Listen back at https://www.rte.ie/radio/radio1/clips/22558154/

Dr. Amanullah De Sondy, Head of Department and Senior Lecturer in Contemporary Islam attended the Welcome Reception of the new British Ambassador to Ireland, Kara Owen at the Ambassador’s Residence in Dublin on Thursday 6th November 2025. Aman also met with Former President of Ireland, Professor Mary McAleese.  

Convenor of the Panel - Indigenous Environmental Knowledge: Exploring gender and sustainable development (1/2). Dr Guzy presented The sacred grove and sacred forest: Adivasi indigenous knowledge and rituals as sustainable development in India

Dr Guzy is also presenting an alternative paper Nag Baccha - Spirit Possession and Spiritual Healing in rural Western Odisha and is convening Roundtable 7 - Indigenous Ontologies and Healing Practices

Study of Religions was delighted to welcome everyone to UCC’s Undergraduate Open Day. 

Thanks to President John O’Halloran for taking the time to visit our information stand. 

Photograph: President John O'Halloran, Dr. Amanullah De Sondy, Dr. Brendan McNamara 

Dr. Amanullah De Sondy, Head of Department and Senior Lecturer in Contemporary Islam was live at Cork’s RTÉ studios on RTÉ's TV show ‘Today’ for ‘Talk of Today’ discussing our contemporary high ‘content’ culture, AI actors, religion and new lingo added to English dictionaries on Friday 3rd October 2025.

Dr. Amanullah De Sondy, Head of Department and Senior Lecturer in Contemporary Islam attended Cork Indian Community's Navratri celebrations. 

This special issue for Semiotic Review, entitled "Dialogues between Continental Semiotics and Linguistic Anthropology" and edited by Dr Tatsuma Padoan (SENSA Lab, Study of Religions Department, UCC) with Prof Constantine V. Nakassis (Department of Anthropology, University of Chicago), aims at creating a dialogue between Linguistic Anthropology in North America and Continental Semiotics in Europe and South America by exploring common themes and possible points of convergence.

Photo by Jamie O’Sullivan on Unsplash

In this RTÉ Brainstorm piece, Dr Danny Forde reflects on what the monastic tradition of St Finbarr can teach us about slowing down in a fast-paced world.

Exploring Indigenous Worldviews at “Celebrating Tribal & Adivasi Communities of India”

Students from our Study of Religions undergraduate programme have been awarded inaugural prizes for their excellence in academic writing:

Rebecca Desbordes and Finn Mac Callum received the Isabella Honan Essay Prize for the best first year essays.

Alice Stapleton was awarded the Brian Bocking Dissertation Prize for the best final year dissertation.

Dr. Amanullah De Sondy, Head of Department and Senior Lecturer in Contemporary Islam was live at Cork’s RTÉ studios today on RTÉ's TV show Today for ‘Talk of Today’ discussing topical news such as The Conclave, Salaries and Tyres on Wednesday 7th May 2025.

Aman was joined on the panel by Irish media star Terry Prone, Henry McKean, Dáithí Ó Sé and Maura Derrane. Broadcast live from Cork studio. 

This new book:

• Explores the psychedelic experience from a phenomenological perspective
• Argues that the psychedelic experience can reveal aspects of reality which would not otherwise be disclosed
• Discusses how psychedelic experience can open the subject to the essential nature of reality

Dr. Amanullah De Sondy, Senior Lecturer in Contemporary Islam and Head of Department led a seminar for University College London’s  Commonwealth Scholarship Commission Fellows Programme on ‘Gender and Sexuality in Islam’ with healthcare professionals from Uganda, Zambia, Nigeria and Bangladesh on Monday 28th April 2025. Thanks to Irwin Nazareth (Professor of Primary Care and Population Sciences) for organising. 

Aman also met Lord Mayor of Cork - Dan Boyle, film producer and former Member of the House of Lords of the United Kingdom - David Puttnam, TD and Minister of State - Jerry Buttimer and UCC's VP Global - Professor Ursula Kilkelly

First Year student on the RG1001: Religions and Global Diversity Programme, Rebecca Desbordes aka Rivka Salomé, will participate in the Harvard Divinity School Conference 'Art and Spirituality' connected to HDS's Program on the Evolution of Spirituality.

Dr. Amanullah De Sondy presented at a keynote conversation honouring the life and legacy of Tudor Parfitt, Distinguished University Professor and President Yitzhak Navon Professor of Sephardic-Mizrahi Studies at Florida International University (Miami, USA) at ‘The Fringes of the Jewish World Colloquium’ at the Jewish Museum of Florida in Miami (April 6/7). 

Dr. Amanullah De Sondy’s ‘One God: Judaism, Christianity and Islam’ students welcomed the West Cork Artist and Writer, Brian Lalor to class on Thursday 3rd April 2035. A specialist archeologist having worked extensively in the Middle East, Brian explored the built heritage of Jerusalem over successive periods and discussed archaeological discoveries and their interpretation.

They also welcomed Clair Lalor (Co-Chair of Cork Three Faiths Forum) and other members to class. Clair introduced the work of the forum and its significance in building bridges between Jews, Christians and Muslims in Cork and beyond. Photo includes Rev, Tony Murphy (Church of Ireland)

Dr Jenny Butler is participating in the workshop entitled "The Echo of Ancestors: The Reemergence and Claims of 'Ancient' Religions in Europe"

The interdisciplinary workshop explores the revival of ancient religions in Europe, examining their resurgence, dissemination, institutional recognition, and sociopolitical impact. As non-monotheistic beliefs—polytheism, paganism, and animism—gain renewed interest and are increasingly leveraged in identity debates, the initiative brings together researchers from across Europe for a cross-disciplinary investigation of these evolving dynamics.

Michelle Gonzalez Maldonado, Professor of Theology and Religious Studies at the University of Scranton (USA) gave a guest lecture to RG2008: One God – Judaism, Christianity and Islam students on the topic of ‘Latin American Christianity’ on Thursday 27^th March 2025. Students were honoured to discuss topics such a liberation and black theology in Latin America as they connected to historical and contemporary themes with Professor Maldonado.

Animal Studies and Ecocriticism in India

A conference within the context of PRIN Project 2022 funded by the Italian Ministry of University and Research   

“For a Multivocal History of the Attitudes Towards Non-Human Animals in South Asia. Ethics, Practices, Symbolism. Investigating New and Unsolved Issues”

The next presentation in the Study of Religions Research Seminar Series will be on Wednesday 26 March from 6-7pm with Dr Olesia Zhytkova on

"Activity of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church in Kyiv (1919-1930)"

Considering a postgraduate programme in Anthropology or the Study of Religions? Join our webinar and hear directly from Programme Directors from UCC's MA in Anthropology and Higher Diploma in the Study of Religions. Sign up: http://bit.ly/UCCW325

Professor Max Strassfeld, Religious Studies from University of Southern California Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences spoke with Dr. Amanullah De Sondy’s One God: Judaism, Christianity and Islam students on the topic of ‘Trans Talmud: Androgynes and Eunuchs in Rabbinic Literature’.

Dr. Amanullah De Sondy, Head of Department and Senior Lecturer in Contemporary Islam was honoured to represent University College Cork - Study of Religions as guest of his dear friend Bishop Paul Colton at the Feast of Saint Patrick and Civic Choral Eucharist - alongside Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Cllrs, Oireachtas members and civic representatives led by the Lord Mayor of Cork.