Masters Degrees (Irish)

Overview

This programme enables students to examine and research the rich subject area of Irish history from the earliest times to the present day, and to assess the major events which led to the emergence of modern Ireland. Compulsory modules provide students with an in-depth knowledge of the sources and resources at their disposal to undertake a piece of detailed research, and foster their ability to assess and understand the major debates and controversies that have engaged historians in writing Irish history. In a range of specialist modules, students explore key issues and debates associated with the individual fields (social, political, military, historic houses and landed estates, local history, etc.).

Commences

September

Course Structure

Course Structure (Content)

This programme comprises two parts: taught modules (a combination of compulsory and optional modules) [50 credits] and a minor research thesis [40 credits] [90 credits in total].

Compulsory modules

Compulsory taught modules focus on familiarising students with the resources and sources available for the study of Irish history and also with the major debates and controversies in areas such as Irish urban history, women’s history, Irish emigration and Diaspora.

Part-time students may take one module in Semester 1 of their first year and the other in Semester 1 of their second year. Compulsory modules will be delivered in the evening on alternate years to enable part-time students to take both modules over the two-year cycle of the programme.

All students must successfully complete compulsory modules amounting to a total of 25 credits. 

Optional modules

Students choose from a suite of optional modules which include Historic Houses and the world of goods; The evolution of Irish landed estates; The Irish soldier; Victorian Ireland; The evolution of the urban landscape; Doing local history; Reading the Irish landscape. All optional modules are delivered in Semester 2 of each academic year. 

A suite of optional modules on offer will be delivered in the evening on alternate years to enable Part-time students to take a selection over the two-year cycle of the programme.

Note: The range of optional modules available to Part-time students will depend upon the number of students who register for individual modules.

All students must successfully complete optional modules amounting to a total of 25 credits. 

Thesis preparation and thesis completion

Thesis modules span both semesters.

Part-time students complete HY608 Thesis preparation during Semester 1 of Year 2 and HY609 Thesis completion during Semester 2 of Year 2. A total of 40 credits are awarded for thesis preparation and completion. Students submit their thesis by 1 July of Year 2.

 

Module Code

Module Title

HY 602

Interpreting local evidence [12.5] Compulsory

HY 607

Debates and controversies in Irish History [12.5] Compulsory

HY 605

Doing local history (Optional) [2.5] Optional

HY 606

Reading the Irish landscape (Optional) [2.5] Optional

HY 632

The Irish Soldier, 1685 to the Present (Optional) [12.5] Optional

HY 642

Historic houses and the world of goods (Optional) [12.5] Optional

HY 643

The evolution of Irish landed estates (Optional) [10] Optional

HY 604

The Evolution of the Irish urban landscape (Optional) [10] Optional

HY 656

Victorian Ireland (Optional) [12.5] Optional

 

Duration: 2 years Part-time

Read less

On this programme you’ll gain an advanced knowledge of many aspects of modern Ireland, together with the research skills you’d need to take your work further.

The Diploma and MA programmes share four compulsory modules taught by experts in early Irish history, politics, Irish language, history, cultural geography, literature, drama and women’s history.

All modules are taught in small-group seminar format, with each requiring two pieces of assessed coursework. For an MA you’ll need to research and write a dissertation of 20,000 words (60 credits).

The programme’s available one year full-time, or part-time over two years.

Why Institute of Irish Studies?

An important and influential Institute.

The Institute has played a significant part in Ireland’s recent history. The Director, Professor Marianne Elliott OBE, FBA was a major player in the Northern Ireland peace process and the achievements of the Institute have been recognised in the award of a £5million Tony Blair Chair in Irish Studies.

Links with the Irish community.

Historically, the city of Liverpool has always had strong links with the north and south of Ireland. It has long been the hub of Irish migration and you will be in an ideal position to experience living in a multicultural society with a distinctive Irish component. There are excellent links between the Institute and the Liverpool Irish community providing a rich seam to be mined for research purposes as well as opportunities for students to get involved in voluntary work.

Friendly and supportive.

The Institute is based in a fine Regency house in Abercromby Square, on the main University campus where all staff foster a particularly friendly and supportive atmosphere for students.

Renowned speakers.

The high external esteem of the Institute is reflected in the calibre of public lecturers it regularly attracts. In recent years, speakers have included President Michael D. Higgins, President Mary McAleese, former Irish President Mary Robinson, Roddy Doyle, Seamus Heaney, John Hume, Peter Mandelson, US Senator George Mitchell, Paul Muldoon, Tom Paulin, Fintan O’Toole, Jonathan Powell, Dr John Reid, the late David Ervine, the late Dr Mo Mowlam, Peter Robinson and David Trimble. The Institute also hosts events for the Liverpool Irish Festival every October and these have included lectures by the authors Blake Morrison and Patrick McCabe, the filmmaker Peter Lennon and the Keeper of Antiquities of the National Museum of Ireland Dr Eamonn Kelly.

Career prospects

Our programmes aim not only to provide an in-depth understanding of Ireland but also to provide students with key transferable skills, such as presentation skills and opportunities for networking with businesses, voluntary organisations and leading members of the Irish Studies academic community. The MA programmes have dedicated skills modules designed to equip students with key employment skills for a range of sectors such as questionnaire design, interviewing techniques and textual and data analysis. Former postgraduates have gone on to further study as well as a wide range of successful careers in areas such as teaching (at both university and secondary level), journalism, research and museum work. As Ciaran O’Neill, who completed a PhD in 2010 and the current Government of Ireland Postdoctoral Fellow at Hertford College, Oxford, highlights: ‘I came to Liverpool in 2006 to begin a PhD part-time at the Institute of Irish Studies. While there I won external full-time funding from the National University of Ireland which enabled me to complete my doctorate in 2010 before taking up a post-doctoral position at Oxford two weeks later. The years I spent at the Institute were among the best in my life both professionally and personally. What I will remember most is a tight-knit community of warm and friendly staff who excel in their own disciplines, a hard-working and vibrant post-grad community and a lively and engaged student body. In short, the Institute is a fantastic place to study, to research and to grow and develop as an academic.’

Read less

Summary

We offer a comprehensive range of programmes in Irish in both part-time and full-time mode at a number of centres which serve a diverse body of students. Irish language provision and practice amongst staff and students reflects the University’s strong commitment to cultural and linguistic diversity within Northern Ireland.

Our Irish programmes play a vital role in preserving, sustaining and celebrating Ireland’s Gaelic literary and linguistic heritage as well as serving the demands of the Irish language sector within the local and international job market.

At a personal level our programmes fulfil the needs of individuals who wish to acquire the necessary competence to fully participate in the Irish language community as confident and independent users of the language.

About

This course is ideal for those who have already attained a high level of proficiency in spoken and written Irish and who wish to pursue a full-time or part-time career in Translation/ Interpretation, although this course would also be suitable for anyone working in the Irish Language sector who wishes to improve their language skills.

Career options

It is estimated that 700 new jobs will be created within the EU in Irish translation/interpretation over the next 5-6 years. This exciting new MA programme is in response to the need for translators, editors and lexicographers to work in both domestic and European institutions, and will equip students with advanced language skills currently in demand in the Irish Language sector and in the European Union.

Irish, graduates from this programme will have career prospects in translation/interpretation for business and communications, in the legal sector, as well as in translation for the public sector and in tourism, and in the ever growing fields of both lexicography and language planning, in particular with 'Foclóir Gaeilge/Béarla an Fhorais.'

Read less

Our MRes programme provide a personalised and focused introduction to postgraduate research allowing you to develop as an independent researcher with the support of an expert in Irish Studies.

It provides a rigorous overview of the current state of scholarship in your selected field, guides you, through a programme of directed, individualised reading, to the selection of a feasible research project, and allows you to complete a substantial piece of research.

Key Facts

RAE 2008
The most recent exercise rated 40% of our research activity as ‘world leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’, with a further 35% classed as ‘internationally recognised’.

Facilities
Based in Abercromby Square, on the main University campus, the Institute has a pleasant student common room and it is close to the Sydney Jones Library and all other University services while being only about 10 minutes walk from the city centre.

Why Institute of Irish Studies ?
An important and influential Institute.
The Institute has played a significant part in Ireland’s recent history. The Director, Professor Marianne Elliott OBE, FBA was a major player in the Northern Ireland peace process and the achievements of the Institute have been recognised in the award of a £5million Tony Blair Chair in Irish Studies.

Links with the Irish community.
Historically, the city of Liverpool has always had strong links with the north and south of Ireland. It has long been the hub of Irish migration and you will be in an ideal position to experience living in a multicultural society with a distinctive Irish component. There are excellent links between the Institute and the Liverpool Irish community providing a rich seam to be mined for research purposes as well as opportunities for students to get involved in voluntary work.

Friendly and supportive.
The Institute is based in a fine Regency house in Abercromby Square, on the main University campus where all staff foster a particularly friendly and supportive atmosphere for students.

Renowned speakers.
The high external esteem of the Institute is reflected in the calibre of public lecturers it regularly attracts. In recent years, speakers have included President Michael D. Higgins, President Mary McAleese, former Irish President Mary Robinson, Roddy Doyle, Seamus Heaney, John Hume, Peter Mandelson, US Senator George Mitchell, Paul Muldoon, Tom Paulin, Fintan O’Toole, Jonathan Powell, Dr John Reid, the late David Ervine, the late Dr Mo Mowlam, Peter Robinson and David Trimble. The Institute also hosts events for the Liverpool Irish Festival every October and these have included lectures by the authors Blake Morrison and Patrick McCabe, the filmmaker Peter Lennon and the Keeper of Antiquities of the National Museum of Ireland Dr Eamonn Kelly.

Read less

About the course

The Aberystwyth University MA in Irish offers you an exciting opportunity to engage with Irish language and literature through historical, social and intellectual approaches. You will study a rich array of Irish texts and cultural phenomena through a wide array of study modules. Few courses offer such a tremendous range of study options; consequently, you will be able to tailor your study to your interests perfectly.

By studying the central canon of Irish texts, you will develop a sound knowledge of the language across a broad period. You may also get to grips with relevant languages, including a comparative study of Scots and Irish Gaelic. You will also be able to converse in these languages.

Along side this process, you will examine the subject from a range of historical and contemporary perspectives to sharpen your critical faculties and prepare to make your own contribution to the subject in your dissertation project. You will do this by developing complex concepts within the field of study and apply to them the same critical and analytical rigour. In developing, testing and coherently presenting your own argument, you will become a formidable academic of Irish literature.

In addition to the subject-specific knowledge, this study programme is constructed in such a way to develop you personally, and equip you with a strong compliment of skills that you can draw upon in many postgraduate employment situations. Your confidence in writing, reporting and discussion will be backed up by tried and tested skills in critical evaluation and argument formation and you will be an attractive opportunity for any employer who prizes clarity, independence of thought and self-motivated, analytical rigour.

The Department’s expert staff will teach you through a complementary pattern of supervisions, supervised reading, seminars, tutorials, preparation and writing of essays and presentations, and directed reading. You will be assessed via formal examinations, language tests, coursework and oral assessment. In addition, you will have access to substantial library resources in the form of the Hugh Owen Library, the Thomas Jones Collection (within the Old College Library) and the National Library of Wales (copyright library).

This degree will suit you:

• If you wish to study Irish language and literature at an advanced academic level;
• If you desire a strengthen your critical and scholarly abilities through engagement with Irish texts;
• If you wish to explore your enthusiasm for this exciting and highly satisfying subject;
• If you aim to foster transferable skills and engage in professional and personal development for entering employment.

Course content

Dissertation

The dissertation will allow you to develop a topic of your choice and to produce a sustained piece of work up to 20,000 words which will demonstrate to future employers your ability to research independently and to exercise your critical faculties and writing skills in a demanding field of study.

Contact time

Approximately 10-14 hours a week in the first two semesters. During semester three you will arrange your level of contact time with your assigned supervisor.

Assessment

The taught part of the course (Part 1) is delivered and assessed through lectures, tutorials and essay projects. Successful completion of your portfolio (Part 2) leads to the award of an MA.

Employability

Every element of the Aberystwyth Master’s in Irish enhances your employability. Alongside the development of your subject-specific knowledge and experience, an especially noteworthy strength of this course is the emphasis on personal development. As an emerging language specialist, your strengthened research and critical faculties will make you a strong candidate for any post where ideas and topics need research, analysis, discussion, expansion and classification.

Throughout the course you will demonstrate initiative and self-motivated learning, supported by the crucial self-awareness to be flexible and independently-minded. Allied with strengthened skills in communication, you will be fully confident in framing coherent and insightful questions and expressing them in oral and written form.

Employers in every industry value such skills and the pattern of creativity, research, analysis and discussion you will undertake in this course creates highly marketable skills which will, upon graduation, stand you in excellent stead for entry into the jobs market. The organisational skills you will learn on this course will help you direct and therefore make the most of your individual flair, bringing a balance of skills that prospective employers will find attractive.

Personal, Professional and Project-Management Skills

The MA will require of you a high level of personal and professional discipline. As the assessment for this Master’s course is done through essay-writing, tutorial and seminar presentation, culminating in the dissertation of up to 20,000 words, you will receive much practise in writing and reporting, as well as rigorous feedback on your submissions. This will develop in you a thorough knowledge of the structure, conventions and development of written communications, which will, in turn, make your writing clear, accurate and authoritative. These skills will stand you in good stead for your future progression into employed and academic environments.

You will have to work independently and pursue your own individual dissertation topic with care and energy. You will be required to cultivate a professional work ethic to deliver the combination of research, analysis, communication and presentation demanded by your dissertation. This rigorous part of the MA will require you to employ project management skills which are entirely transferrable to almost any work context that Master’s graduates apply for.

Studying for this Master’s degree will allow you to sharpen up all your research and analysis disciplines, your professional work ethos and your presentation and communication skills. A host of employers look for accuracy, thoroughness, an eye for detail and the ability to find and prove connections across broad subject matter, and you certainly will have proven yourself, simply by graduating from this prestigious MA course.

Read less

Overview

The MA in Irish Literature and Culture is designed to develop a strong scholarly appreciation of the texture and range of literary and cultural production in Ireland and to engage students in current theoretical developments in the area. The programme will encourage students to critically examine the changing landscape of Irish history and society as expressed through a variety of media, including literature, film and art. Students will be encouraged to immerse themselves in several of the different traditions and forms of writing and cultural production in Ireland, and to engage with a diversity of theoretical approaches. The programme builds on the considerable research interest of faculty in the areas of Irish literary and cultural studies; notably in modernism, twentieth-century and contemporary writing and film. The programme also draws on the department’s expertise in the areas of postcolonial, gender and sexuality studies as these relate to Irish culture.

Course Structure

The MA in Irish Literature and Culture is designed to develop a strong scholarly appreciation of the texture and range of literary and cultural production in Ireland and to engage students in current theoretical developments in the area. The programme will encourage students to critically examine the changing landscape of Irish history and society as expressed through a variety of media, including literature, film and art. Students will be encouraged to immerse themselves in several of the different traditions and forms of writing and cultural production in Ireland, and to engage with a diversity of theoretical approaches. The programme builds on the considerable research interest of faculty in the areas of Irish literary and cultural studies; notably in modernism, twentieth-century and contemporary writing and film. The programme also draws on the department’s expertise in the areas of postcolonial, gender and sexuality studies as these relate to Irish culture.

Career Options

Graduates from postgraduate programmes in English will enter the workforce with a rich and detailed understanding of Irish culture, advanced research skills, and highly developed communications ability. While many graduates from taught postgraduate programmes in English go on to undertake research degrees, with a view to careers in academia, it is equally possible to treat the MA as a final degree, with a view to working in cultural industries, or to enhancing a teaching career.

How To Apply

Online application only http://www.pac.ie/maynoothuniversity

PAC code
MHK72

The following information should be forwarded to PAC, 1 Courthouse Square, Galway or uploaded to your online application form:

Certified copies of all official transcripts of results for all non-Maynooth University qualifications listed MUST accompany the application. Failure to do so will delay your application being processed. Non-Maynooth University students are asked to provide two academic references and a copy of birth certificate or valid passport.

Find information on Scholarships here https://www.maynoothuniversity.ie/study-maynooth/postgraduate-studies/fees-funding-scholarship

Read less

The course offers graduates in English or in related disciplines (e.g. history, art history, Irish studies, a modern language) the opportunity to study a broad range of Irish writing in English from the late-sixteenth century to the present. It also involves close study of single authors and addresses thematic aspects of the subject. The course is designed to be complete in itself, but can also serve as preparation for those who wish to proceed to further research in the field.

The course consists of five modules:

Single Author:

This module, taught in a weekly two-hour seminar, covers the work of four major individual authors from the Irish literary tradition. In Michaelmas term we study Swift and Yeats, and in Hilary term, Joyce and Beckett.

Perspectives in Irish Writing:

This module introduces students to the socio/cultural contexts in which Irish writing in English developed from the late sixteenth century through to the twenty-first century. It investigates key terms that students will encounter in the critical literature on Irish writing and culture: Anglo-Irish, Protestant Ascendancy, the Gaelic tradition, colonialism, the Big House, romantic and cultural nationalism, the Literary Revival. In addition to covering the significant authors of the tradition, it also addresses such issues as authorship, publishing history and reception as they bear on the emergence and development of a national literature in English and explores a number of theoretical issues.

Options:

Students take one option module in each of the semesters, choosing from the variety of special subjects on offer each year. These special subjects include: Writing the Troubles, Big House Literature, Irish Poetry after Yeats, Ireland on Stage, and Creative Writing.

In place of the special subjects offered in the second term, students may enrol for a Creative Writing Workshop (an element of the M.Phil. in Creative Writing). Entry to this workshop is restricted and based on assessment of a portfolio of the student's creative writing, which must be presented before the end of the first term.

Dissertation:

A dissertation (12,000-15,000 words) is planned in consultation with a Course Director during the second (Hilary) term and is written under the guidance of a supervisor. This work is undertaken in the third term (Trinity term) and in the long vacation (April-August).

Assessment is by a combination of course papers and exercises and dissertation.

Read less

Overview

This MA enables students to explore and examine the rich tradition of early Irish literature and intellectual culture, from the early medieval period and the advent of Christianity until the coming of the Normans at the end of the 12th century. It also enables students to deepen their acquaintance with the language of the period, and to endow them with a set of research skills appropriate to work in this field.
This programme comprises two parts: taught modules (compulsory and elective modules) [60 credits] and a minor thesis [30 credits] [90 credits in total].

Course Structure

The compulsory taught modules focus on medieval Irish literature (20 credits), palaeography and manuscript studies (10 credits), and general research skills and methodology (10 credits).
The choice of the elective modules depends on the students’ level of knowledge of the Old Irish language. Students with a previous knowledge of Old Irish will do Old Irish reading modules that focus on the philology, translation and analysis of Early Irish literature (20 credits). Students with no or insufficient previous knowledge of the language will be required to attend a suite of intensive introductory language modules (20 credits).

Career Options

Successful completion of the Masters programme will equip the student for library work, various types of adult education, and employment in the heritage and related industries. Successful completion of the programme at a high level, with an appropriate degree of competence of Old and Middle Irish, will normally equip students to proceed to study for a PhD, a necessary qualification for an academic career.

The minor thesis amounts to approximately 15,000 words (30 credits) on a topic approved by the Head of Department, under the supervision of a designated supervisor. The topic is agreed by the end of the first semester, and the work is begun during the period between the first and the second semester. The thesis is submitted by a specific date at the end of the academic year, typically either in July or October.

How To Apply

How to Apply
Online application only http://www.pac.ie/maynoothuniversity

PAC code
MHX52

The following information should be forwarded to PAC, 1 Courthouse Square, Galway or uploaded to your online application form:

Certified copies of all official transcripts of results for all non-Maynooth University qualifications listed MUST accompany the application. Failure to do so will delay your application being processed. Non-Maynooth University students are asked to provide two academic references and a copy of birth certificate or valid passport.

Find information on Scholarships here https://www.maynoothuniversity.ie/study-maynooth/postgraduate-studies/fees-funding-scholarships

Read less

The M.Phil. course builds on the material presented in the Postgraduate Diploma in Old Irish. Applicants will therefore normally have successfully completed the latter course, though persons with equivalent competence in Old Irish but who have not successfully completed the diploma are also eligible to apply. All candidates undertake core courses in Old Irish prose, Old Irish poetry, Primitive and Archaic Irish, Early Irish law and Middle Irish. In addition students attend a series of guest lectures organised by the department, and all undertake a dissertation of 20,000 words.

Read less

Overview

This MA enables students to explore and examine the rich tradition of early Irish literature and intellectual culture, from the early medieval period and the advent of Christianity until the coming of the Normans at the end of the 12th century. It also enables students to deepen their acquaintance with the language of the period, and to endow them with a set of research skills appropriate to work in this field.

Course Structure

This programme comprises two parts: taught modules (compulsory and elective modules) [60 credits] and a minor thesis [30 credits] [90 credits in total].
The compulsory taught modules focus on medieval Irish literature (20 credits), palaeography and manuscript studies (10 credits), and general research skills and methodology (10 credits).
The choice of the elective modules depends on the students’ level of knowledge of the Old Irish language. Students with a previous knowledge of Old Irish will do Old Irish reading modules that focus on the philology, translation and analysis of Early Irish literature (20 credits). Students with no or insufficient previous knowledge of the language will be required to attend a suite of intensive introductory language modules (20 credits).
The minor thesis amounts to approximately 15,000 words (30 credits) on a topic approved by the Head of Department, under the supervision of a designated supervisor. The topic is agreed by the end of the first semester, and the work is begun during the period between the first and the second semester. The thesis is submitted by a specific date at the end of the academic year, typically either in July or October.

Career Options

Successful completion of the Masters programme will equip the student for library work, various types of adult education, and employment in the heritage and related industries. Successful completion of the programme at a high level, with an appropriate degree of competence of Old and Middle Irish, will normally equip students to proceed to study for a PhD, a necessary qualification for an academic career.

How To Apply

Online application only http://www.pac.ie/maynoothuniversity

PAC code
MHX52

The following information should be forwarded to PAC, 1 Courthouse Square, Galway or uploaded to your online application form:

Certified copies of all official transcripts of results for all non-Maynooth University qualifications listed MUST accompany the application. Failure to do so will delay your application being processed. Non-Maynooth University students are asked to provide two academic references and a copy of birth certificate or valid passport.

Find information on Scholarships here https://www.maynoothuniversity.ie/study-maynooth/postgraduate-studies/fees-funding-scholarships

Read less

Entry Requirements

Applicants must have the following academic qualifications:
(a) An honours Bachelor degree (major award at Level 8 on the National Framework of Qualifications) or a major award at Level 9 or a major award at Level 10 on the National Framework of Qualifications, and

(b) one of the following sets of second level qualifications:

(i) in the Leaving Certificate Examination from 1969 onwards: a grade C3 or above in Higher Level Irish; a grade D3 or above in Mathematics (Ordinary or Higher level); and a grade C3 or above in English (Ordinary level) or grade D3 or above in English (Higher level); or

(ii) in the Leaving Certificate Examination prior to 1969, Honours in Irish and passes in English and Mathematics; or

(iii) in the Northern Ireland GCSE and GCE A Level Examinations: a Grade C at GCE A Level Irish; a Grade C at GCSE Level in both English and English Literature or Grade B at GCSE Level in either; and a Grade D at GCSE Level in Additional Mathematics or a Grade C at GCSE Level in Mathematics.

Applicants must provide evidence to the Higher Education Institution that their degree is placed as a major award at the appropriate level on the National Framework of Qualifications. Applicants must meet all entry requirements by Friday 3rd July 2016 and provide documentary evidence of meeting these requirements.

Please note that a minimum entry requirement of a H2.2 Bachelor Degree at Level 8 will apply from September 2016.

Alternatives to second-level qualifications in Irish, English or Maths:
A Pass in a University First Arts Examination in Irish, English or Mathematics will be accepted in lieu of the Leaving Certificate Examination GCE/GCSE requirement for the relevant subject.

In the case of Irish, a Grade C in the Matriculation Examination (which existed up to 1992) will also be accepted in lieu of the Leaving Certificate Examination/GCE/GCSE requirement. In addition, the following are accepted as satisfying the Leaving Certificate Examination/GCE/GCSE requirement:
· Dioplóma sa Ghaeilge, Level C1, NUIG

· Dioplóma sa Ghaeilge, Level B2, NUIG

· Dioplóma sa Ghaeilge, NUI Maynooth

· Teastas Eorpach na Gaeilge (TEG) at Level B2, NUI Maynooth

· Diploma in Arts (Applied Irish), University College Cork

· Dioplóma sa Ghaeilge Fheidhmeach, UCD

· Dioplóma sa Ghaeilge (An Ghaeilge sa Saol Comhaimseartha), University of Limerick

· Diploma in Irish at the University of Ulster

In the case of Mathematics, a Pass in that subject in the Matriculation Examination will also be accepted in lieu of the Leaving Certificate Examination/GCSE requirement.

Eligible applicants will be required to undergo an Interview and an Oral Irish Examination. Applicants who get a "fail" grade in either the Interview or oral Irish Examination will be eliminated from the competition. The purpose of the Interview is to ascertain the suitability of the applicant for participation in a primary teacher education programme.

The Oral Irish Examination will comprise:
- conversation on everyday topics and on books read by the applicant; and
- reading correctly and intelligently a suitable passage of prose or poetry and explaining the matter read.

Applicants should note that a high standard of fluency is required in the Oral Irish Examination and should prepare for the examination accordingly.

Applicants will be advised by the relevant Centre (Dublin and/or Limerick) of the date, time, venue, etc, of their Interview and Oral Irish Examination and must attend these examinations at their own expense. The location will be either Dublin and/or Limerick.

Overview

The Professional Masters of Education (Primary) is a full-time, two year course designed to equip student-teachers with the range of knowledge and skill related to the profession of primary school teaching and its curriculum. The course structure enables student-teachers to make real connections between the theory and practice of education. This is achieved through the blend of methodology and foundation discipline courses on offer.

See the website https://www.maynoothuniversity.ie/froebel-department-primary-and-early-childhood-education/our-courses/professional-master-education-primary

Course Structure

The course comprises aspects of teacher education such as foundation studies (e.g. psychology, sociology, history and philosophy of education), professional skills development (e.g. developing high levels of competency in professional English, Mathematics and Irish) and curriculum and methodology (e.g. pedagogy associated with the primary school curriculum).

Career Options

The Professional Masters of Education (Primary) is designed to prepare students to be primary school teachers in the Republic of Ireland.

How To Apply

Applications to Froebel Department of Primary and Early Childhood Education, Maynooth University and Marino Institute of Education, Dublin should be completed online at maestro.mie.ie/appcentre this system will open at 5pm on January 30.

The closing date for receipt of completed applications is 5p.m. on Friday, 10th March.

All applicants should also note the selection procedure detailed here https://www.maynoothuniversity.ie/froebel-department-primary-and-early-childhood-education/professional-masters-education-primary-teaching

Find information on Scholarships here https://www.maynoothuniversity.ie/study-maynooth/postgraduate-studies/fees-funding-scholarships

Read less

Overview

This programme enables students to examine and research the rich subject area of Irish history from the earliest times to the present day, and to assess the major events which led to the emergence of modern Ireland.

Compulsory modules provide students with an in-depth knowledge of the sources and resources at their disposal to undertake a piece of detailed research, and foster their ability to assess and understand the major debates and controversies that have engaged historians in writing Irish history.

In addition, students can choose from a range of specialist modules, exploring key issues and debates associated with their chosen fields (Irish social, political, military or economic history; historic houses and landed estates; local history, etc.).

Students also have an opportunity to complete a minor thesis in their chosen field.

Course Structure

This programme comprises two parts: taught modules and a minor research thesis (90 credits in total).

Compulsory taught modules focus on familiarising students with the resources and sources available for the study of Irish history and also with the major debates and controversies in areas such as Irish urban history, women’s history, Irish emigration and Diaspora. Students choose from a suite of optional modules available in a particular year. Students take a total of 50 credits in taught modules (three in semester 1 and one in semester two).

During semester two, there will be a concentration on the minor thesis and students will be assigned a research supervisor on an individual basis. A total of 40 credits are awarded for thesis preparation and completion.

Duration: 1 year Full-time

Read less

The MA in Irish Studies at Queen’s provides students with an unrivalled opportunity to examine Ireland in its global contexts. With options from Literature, History, Politics, Archaeology, Anthropology, and Sociology the MA allows students to pursue challenging cross-disciplinary themes such as heritage and identities, language and arts, peace and conflict, reflecting the rich cultural legacy of Ireland at home and across the world. Students will explore the possibilities and opportunities in inter-disciplinary work in one of the world’s leading centres of Irish Studies research. Our new core interdisciplinary module on ‘Belfast: Place, Identity and Memory in a Contested City' introduces students to debates in Irish Studies through the case study of Belfast in its historical, cultural, political and social aspects. We will guide students in choosing Irish-related options to meet their particular interests and provide appropriate research training to undertake a research dissertation on their chosen subject.

Course Details

The MA is arranged into thematically-focused groups of modules to include culture, art and literature, political identity, conflict, politics and human rights. Students will take a number of compulsory and optional modules. One of the modules in the first semester must be a research methods course.

Some options may require that particular methods courses be taken or the student to have a particular academic background. The dissertation may be supervised by Institute staff or, subject to the agreement of the Head of School, by members of co-operating academic departments.

A wide variety of modules is available, arranged in thematic and conceptual groups. Current thematic areas include:

• Ireland: Communities, Identities and Conflict
• Ireland: Culture, Tradition and Heritage
• Ireland: History and Politics
• Ireland: Literature, Language and Art
• Ireland: Peoples and Place

For detailed programme information please see the Irish Studies Gateway section on the School website.

Assessment and Feedback

Taught modules are assessed by a combination of examinations, written language assignments and creative practice. Students who have reached a pass in these will submit a dissertation (not exceeding 15,000 words) or a practice as research project, which will include a critical reflection of approximately 3,500 words.

Career Prospects

Students of the Institute of Irish Studies go on to pursue careers not only as scholars, but also in the media, in the heritage sector and in business.

Queen's postgraduates reap exceptional benefits. Unique initiatives, such as Degree Plus and Researcher Plus bolster our commitment to employability, while innovative leadership and executive programmes alongside sterling integration with business experts helps our students gain key leadership positions both nationally and internationally

Queen's postgraduates reap exceptional benefits. Unique initiatives, such as Degree Plus and Researcher Plus bolster our commitment to employability, while innovative leadership and executive programmes alongside sterling integration with business experts helps our students gain key leadership positions both nationally and internationally.

Read less

The M.Phil in Modern Irish History introduces well-qualified Humanities or Social Sciences graduates to research in modern Irish history, to the problems currently addressed by historians and to the methods they apply to study of the subject. Drawing on the current interests of staff, the course is based on the rich resources of Trinity College Dublin's library and of the adjacent Dublin libraries and archives. The course provides opportunities for in-depth study of selected issues in modern Irish history. It also serves as an introduction to students wishing to pursue doctoral studies.

The course comprises three main elements. A number of research training modules focus on the range of approaches, technologies and resources available to researchers in modern Irish history. In addition students take special subject modules in each term. Topics on offer change from year to year, but cover a range of specialised themes from the seventeenth to twentieth centuries. Some modules concentrate on key moments or developments in Ireland's history, while others examine Ireland's relationship with the outside world, whether through emigration or through its place in the British empire. Finally, Students write a dissertation of between 15,000 and 20,000 words on any area of modern Irish history based on primary sources and relevant scholarly writing.

Read less

This course is intended to provide graduates in related disciplines with a solid grounding in Old Irish language and literature. Applications are normally accepted only from persons with a good honors degree in a cognate subject such as Modern Irish or another Celtic language, medieval languages, literature or history, archaeology.

The course commences with an introduction to Old Irish, proceeds on to Old Irish literature, including readings in lyrical verse, and also covers Old Irish glosses and saga literature.

Read less