FACULTY OF ARTS, HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES … · JOSEPH O’CONNOR 2 WELCOME FROM THE DEAN 3-4 AWARDS 5-11 EVENTS 12 PUBLICATIONS 13-16 RESEARCH 17-19 STUDENTS ... keynote delivered

JUNE 2019

FACULTY OF ARTS, HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES UNIVERSITY OF LIMERICK

AHSS NEWSLETTER

CELEBRATING 10 YEARS OF JOURNALISM@UL

SEBASTIAN BARRY IN CONVERSATION WITH PROF. JOSEPH O’CONNOR

2 WELCOME FROM THE DEAN

3-4 AWARDS 5-11 EVENTS

12 PUBLICATIONS 13-16 RESEARCH 17-19 STUDENTS 20 GRADUATES

INSIDE... IWA RESEARCH STUDENT WINS UL

THESIS-IN-THREE COMPETITION

HHRG AND TENI LAUNCH CALL IT OUT CAMPAIGN AT UL

UL LAW STUDENTS CREATE LEGAL APPS WITH LIMERICK CHAMBER

2 FACULTY OF ARTS, HUMANITIES & SOCIAL SCIENCES // UNIVERSITY OF LIMERICK www.ul.ie/artsoc

DEAN’S WELCOME

Fáilte, welcome to our June 2019 issue! We have many awards and honours to celebrate:

Professor Tom Lodge, Former Dean of the Faculty, has been elected to

membership of the Royal Irish Academy based on his distinguished

academic career and international reputation.

Dr Darina Slattery has continued AHSS’s tradition of outstanding teaching

by winning an Excellence in the Provision of Pedagogic Support award at

the UL Teaching Excellence Awards 2019.

Dr Tina Morin was recently awarded the prestigious Robert Rhodes Prize

for Books on Literature for her monograph ‘The Gothic Novel in Ireland, c.

1760‐1829’.

And finally, our journalism students scooped three top awards at the 19th

National Student Media Awards.

AHSS is the first Faculty to appoint an Assistant Dean for Equality, Diversity

and Inclusion, Dr Lydia Bracken, and one of her first activities was an event

to mark the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and

Biphobia.

In April, our Journalism programmes celebrated their tenth birthday with a major journalism conference and a

keynote delivered by BBC Africa Editor Fergal Keane.

Among the many prestigious visitors to the Faculty were Dr Fergal Lynch, Secretary General of the

Department of Children and Youth Affairs, Hon. Mr Justice John Edwards, and internationally renowned

writers Kit de Waal and Sebastian Barry.

I hope you enjoy reading about the recent activities and achievements in the Faculty and I would like to wish

everyone a peaceful and productive summer term.

Le gach dea‐ghuí

PROFESSOR HELEN KELLY-HOLMES Dean, Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences University of Limerick

This newsletter is published by the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Limerick. Contributions, comments and suggestions are welcome—please contact [email protected].

Be sure to subscribe to our blog at ahss.blog for daily news from our Faculty.

Newsletter editor: Jess Beeley @AHSSUL

@RESEARCHARTSUL

@AHSSUL

FACULTY OF ARTS, HUMANITIES & SOCIAL SCIENCES // UNIVERSITY OF LIMERICK www.ul.ie/artsoc 3

SCHOOL OF ENGLISH, IRISH AND COMMUNICATION

UL STUDENTS WIN AT NATIONAL STUDENT MEDIA AWARDS

The University of Limerick scored

another hat‐trick at the 19th National

Student Media Awards where its

journalism students scooped three top

awards.

Limerick Voice a 40‐page local newspaper, produced by masters and fourth year Journalism and New Media students won the award for Best Layout and Design while An Focal, UL’s student publication, was named Website of the Year.

Final year Journalism and New Media student Emil Trahan won the award for Best Radio Production for his radio package on sex education in Ireland and how it is taught in schools.

The National Student Media Awards, or the Smedias as they are more popularly known, is the largest competition of its kind in Ireland dedicated to recognising and celebrating the next generation of media talent. Open to students from every college across Ireland the awards are judged by key media industry leaders including Mark Hennessey, News Editor of The Irish Times, and Fionnan Sheahan, Editor of The Irish Independent.

Speaking about the success of Limerick Voice, which received a record number of nominations and was named Newspaper of the Year at last year’s Smedias, Frances Watkins, Limerick Voice Editor 2018, said: “We put so much time and work into Limerick Voice and it was wonderful to be recognized for that with the Smedia nominations. We were delighted to accept the award for Layout and Design and it really shows the talent and dedication of our class”.

Kathryn Hayes, Course Director of the BA in Journalism and New Media programme in UL, paid tribute to all of the winners and acknowledged the record number of nominations for UL Journalism students at this year’s Smedias.

“I’m extremely proud of yet another ‘hat trick’ success for UL journalism students at the Smedias. This is the third consecutive year that our students have secured top awards and the second year they have come home with three awards. I’m also extremely proud of the fact that UL had 17 nominations this year, which is testament

to all the hard work of our journalism students and teaching staff.

“Good journalism requires curiosity, persistence, accountability and objectivity, and these young journalism students bear all of those hallmarks.”

AWARDS

Frances Watkins, Emil Trahan and Ivan Smyth. Picture credit: Mingyang Pang

“It really shows the talent and

dedication of our class.”


Congratulations to Dr Tina Morin (School of English, Irish and Communication), who was awarded the prestigious Robert Rhodes Prize for Books on Literature for her monograph The Gothic Novel in Ireland, c. 1760‐1829.

The prize is named in honour of a founding member of the American Conference for Irish Studies, which held its annual gathering in Boston, 20‐23 March 2019.

In awarding the Rhodes prize to Dr Morin, the prize committee cited her book as ‘a masterful study’ that makes ‘a serious intervention [into] the field of Irish Studies, not only because of its important and corrective re‐focusing but also because of its recuperative work that repositions a vast number of texts hitherto written out of the literary canon’.

Dr Morin joins an illustrious list of past recipients, including Edna Longley, Sinead Mooney, and Declan Kiberd. The Gothic Novel in Ireland is available from Manchester University Press.

ENGLISH, IRISH AND COMMUNICATION

UL ENGLISH LECTURER WINS ROBERT RHODES PRIZE FOR

BOOKS ON LITERATURE

UL LECTURER WINS TEACHING EXCELLENCE AWARD Many congratulations to Dr Darina Slattery (School of English, Irish and Communication), who has won an Excellence in the Provision of Pedagogic Support award at the UL Teaching Excellence Awards 2019.

Darina is a Lecturer and Head of Technical Communication and Instructional Design at the University of Limerick (UL). She teaches modules in e‐learning, instructional design, and technical communication and has published her research in international refereed journals and conference proceedings. Darina is the lead designer and facilitator of the DUO (Developing UL Online) professional development workshops for teachers who wish to convert modules or complete programmes for blended delivery.

In announcing the award, President of UL Dr Des Fitzgerald congratulated the award winners “for their outstanding impact on student learning at UL”.

AWARDS


INTERNATIONAL DAY AGAINST HOMOPHOBIA, TRANSPHOBIA AND BIPHOBIA 2019

AHSS is the first Faculty to appoint an Assistant Dean for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Dr Lydia Bracken. To mark International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia on 17th May 2019, Dr Bracken organised two events for the campus community. In the morning a training session on LGBT Awareness was held with Paula Fagan, CEO of LGBT Ireland. This training session was well attended by staff and

students from across the University of Limerick and enhanced participants’ understanding of the terminology and issues facing the LGBT+ community, and developed their capacity to support LGBT staff and students in an affirmative way.

A seminar on ‘LGBT+ Justice and Safety' was held in the afternoon with speakers including: Paula Fagan, CEO of LGBT Ireland, Dr Lydia Bracken, Assistant Dean Equality Diversity and Inclusion (AHSS), and Alena Kiel, PhD Candidate and UL Student Council LGBTQIA+ representative.

ENGLISH, IRISH AND COMMUNICATION

KIT DE WAAL VISITS UL Kit de Waal visited UL to give a reading on Wednesday, 3rd April, in the Millstream Common Room. Kit is a powerful speaker, a passionate activist and one of the most fascinating and accomplished writers of her generation.

Her debut novel ‘My Name is Leon’ won the Irish Novel of the

Year Award, 2017, and was shortlisted for the Costa and Desmond Elliott prizes, and was followed by 2018's ‘The Trick to Time’, which garnered rave reviews internationally. She has written extensively on the need for the publishing industry to become more inclusive and on the exclusion of working‐class people from the arts and media.

At her UL event, she was introduced by our Creative Writing lecturer, twice Booker Prize long‐listed Donal Ryan.

EVENTS


BBC Africa Editor Fergal Keane gave a keynote lecture via video link at a major journalism conference in the University of Limerick on Thursday, April 11th 2019.

Mr Keane who is the new Adjunct Professor of Journalism at UL gave the keynote lecture on ‘Journalism and Democracy under Siege: How Can We Combat the Threat of Fake News and the Rise of Populism?’ Upheaval in Sudan meant that Mr Keane had to cancel his trip to UL, but he spoke to the audience via video link about his career and events in Africa.

The lecture was part of the Celebrating 10 Years of Journalism@UL Conference, held in the Graduate Entry Medical School (GEMS) at UL.

The conference also included a panel discussion by some of the country’s leading journalists and editors including RTE broadcaster Miriam O’Callaghan; Irish Independent Editor Fionnán Sheahan; Irish Times News Editor Mark Hennessy and University of Limerick Professor of Politics Maura Adshead.

In the afternoon, there was a panel discussion featuring some of the most success UL journalism graduates including Hilary McGann, CNN; Cillian Sherlock, RTE;

Denise Calnan, Irish Independent and Andrew Roberts, The Journal and Michelle Hogan, The Leinster Express.

They discussed ‘How Journalism@UL Helped Us to Secure a Successful Career in National and International Media Organisations’.

This was followed by a panel discussion profiling UL’s latest journalism and media academic research. The topic ‘Journalism, Discourse, and Inequality’, was discussed by Dr Fergal Quinn; Dr Martin Power, Kathryn Hayes; Audrey Galvin, Dr Elaine Vaughan, Dr Maria Rieder and Dr Muireann Prendergast.

Head of Journalism at UL Mary Dundon said:

“As we mark the milestone of 10 years of successful and well‐regarded journalism programmes at UL, we are privileged to have these eminent speakers with us today.

“As a centre of exploration, analysis, learning and application, we want to address themes and topics of genuine public interest and we want to focus on issues of strategic importance. And there can be few more strategically important matters of concern to us in these challenging times than the role of the media and the need

for ever‐greater commitments by all those in the profession to speak truth to power and to ensure that our citizens are made aware of the truths that may be difficult and testing, but without which our societies will be gravely undermined,” she added.

ENGLISH, IRISH AND COMMUNICATION CELEBRATING 10 YEARS OF JOURNALISM@UL

EVENTS

“A centre of exploration,

analysis, learning and application.”


SCHOOL OF LAW

EUROPEAN ARREST WARRANT LECTURE

The Hon. Mr Justice John Edwards, Judge of the Court of Appeal and Adjunct Professor in the School of Law at UL, delivered a guest lecture on ‘The Implications of Recent Decisions of the CJEU for Requests on Foot of European Arrest Warrants for the Surrender of Persons who were Tried In Absentia’, on 2nd April.

The interactive seminar included an examination of the principles of mutual recognition, mutual trust and confidence between the judicial authorities of Member States when dealing with applications for the arrest and surrender of a person to another Member State.

UL Creative Writing hosted Laureate for Irish Fiction, Sebastian Barry, in Conversation with Prof Joseph O’Connor, at the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance on Thursday 7th March.

A capacity audience of 230 attended, including UL President Dr Des Fitzgerald. Sebastian Barry gave a spellbinding twenty‐minute reading from his Costa‐award‐winning novel ‘The Temporary Gentleman’ before settling into a fascinating, free‐flowing and very entertaining conversation with Joseph O’Connor. The two covered the inspiration for imaginative writing, Sebastian Barry’s work as Laureate, the role of the writer in the wider community, and the contemporary fiction scene in Ireland.

Professor O’Connor remarked:

“It was Sebastian Barry’s first visit to UL and I am delighted that this internationally renowned and multiple‐award‐winning writer was received with such warmth and by such a large audience of our students, faculty members and local people. It was truly a memorable night.

“I would particularly like to thank UL President Des Fitzgerald for attending. He is always so supportive of Creative Writing here at UL. And I add my immense thanks to Dr Sandra Joyce, Paula Dundon and all our sister and brother creative artists at the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance for hosting us with such generosity, and to Sarah Bannan, Arts Council Head of Literature, and Cormac Kinsella, who did so much to make the event such a great

success.”

SCHOOL OF ENGLISH, IRISH & COMMUNICATION

SEBASTIAN BARRY IN CONVERSATION WITH JOSEPH O’CONNOR

EVENTS


SEMINAR ON DISPUTE RESOLUTION IN SPORT The International Commercial and Economic Law Research Group (ICEL) at the School of Law hosted a seminar on Dispute Resolution in Sport: Keeping the Courts out of Sport on 11th April.

Gareth Farrelly, a former Aston Villa, Bolton Wanderers and Everton player with a number of caps for Ireland, spoke about Dispute Resolution in Professional Football. Gareth is a lawyer with Berman’s Solicitors and specialises in litigation and dispute resolution. He is a member of the English Football Association’s Judicial Panel.

Pat Barriscale, BL, Arbitrator in the Court of Arbitration for Sport and Judicial Chairman/Appeal Chairman with World Rugby discussed World Rugby’s Regulation 17.

Andrew McCormick partner in Brandts‐Giessen McCormick Lawyers, Christchurch, New Zealand, gave a paper titled: ‘The Sports Tribunal of New Zealand‐A Practitioner’s Perspective’. Andrew advises sporting bodies and represents a number of national and international‐level athletes in disciplinary, anti‐doping, selection and other sports‐related cases before the Sports Tribunal of New Zealand and sports’ judiciary panels. Andrew spoke via video link from New Zealand.

The three papers invoked a number of interesting questions from the practitioners in attendance. It was chaired by Professor Paul McCutcheon.

EVENTS

A major collection of essays on the critically acclaimed Manchester band Joy Division was launched on Thursday, January 17th at the

Kasbah Club, Dolans, Limerick.

Published by Rowman and Littlefield International (London) Heart and Soul: Critical Essays on Joy Division is the latest tome from co‐editors Martin J. Power, Eoin Devereux and Aileen Dillane at the University of Limerick.

This book disassembles Joy Division’s contribution to rock music. Based on up‐to‐date original research, 'Heart

And Soul' brings together established and newly emerging scholars who provide detailed examinations of the many layers of this multi‐faceted and influential band and their singer, the late Ian Curtis, in particular.

Broadcaster and Hot Press Deputy Editor Stuart Clark launched the book, which features a foreword by Noel Hogan of The Cranberries. This collection of essays features international experts on Joy Divisions as well as contributions from local authors including John Greenwood, Paul Tarpey, Kieran Cashell, Robin Parmar, Walter Cullen and David Meagher.

LAUNCH OF HEART AND SOUL: CRITICAL ESSAYS ON JOY DIVISION

DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY

THE IRA AND THE FIRST DAIL Dr Ruán O’Donnell (Department of History) gave a

paper on ‘The IRA and the First Dail’ in the National

Museum, Collins Barracks, Dublin on 17th January.

This formed part of the official launch of the new special

exhibition on the First Dail by the National Museum of Ireland. Dr O’Donnell’s talk was part of an event bringing together a broad range of academics, historians and curators to explore this momentous period in the development of modern Ireland.


The University of Limerick was pleased to welcome Dr Fergal Lynch, Secretary General of the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, in March to discuss the progress of the REPPP project located in the School of Law, Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.

Dr Lynch was accompanied by Assistant Secretary Michelle Shannon and Principal Officers Tony O’Donovan and Conor Rowley. Commenting on the Research Evidence into Policy, Programmes and Practice (REPPP)

project, Dr Lynch said:

“This is a very interesting and worthwhile experiment for the tax‐payer. The REPPP project takes research and policy partnerships to another level focusing as it does on applying high‐quality research activity to our policy issues

on an ongoing basis. The REPPP project has focussed on youth crime policy and is making real gains in our knowledge about how to deal with real‐life complex problems. However, the model is one which could hold a broader appeal in applying better evidence to getting better outcomes for citizens.”

EVENTS

SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND YOUTH AFFAIRS VISITS UL

Congratulations to Professor Tom Lodge, Department of Politics and Public Administration, who has become a member of the Royal Irish Academy. Tom was admitted into the RIA at a ceremony on Friday 24th May.

Professor Lodge has worked in universities in Britain, South Africa, the United States, and Ireland. He held a succession of academic posts at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg between 1978 and 2005. He has written extensively on South African politics, including Mandela: A Critical Life (2006), published by Oxford University Press. Tom was previously Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.

POLITICS AND PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION NEW ROYAL IRISH

ACADEMY MEMBERSHIP


This February, the Irish writer W. B. Yeats (1865–

1939) finally got the trip to India he never took in

person. Professor Margaret Mills Harper (UL) and

Professor Dhananjay Singh from the Centre for

English Studies at the prestigious Jawaharlal Nehru

University (JNU) co‐hosted a two‐day conference in

New Delhi on Yeats and India.

Yeats’s interests in India are well known: he discovered a rich source of his creative ideas in Indian literature, philosophy, and culture. In India today, Yeats is studied more than almost any English‐language writer of the last century.

At the conference, scholars and students from India, Ireland, Bangladesh, Hungary, Spain, the UK, and the US shared research on a wide range of topics, ranging from Yeats and Indian sacred books, Tantrism, Buddhism, and yoga, to postcolonial politics and translation—as well as enjoying contemporary Indian poetry, a dance

performance, and the chance to further scholarly and personal networks.

The conference was part of a collaborative link between UL and JNU. The delegation from UL also featured Kerstin Mey, Vice President, Academic Affairs & Student

Engagement; Mayuri Goswami, MA in Creative Writing; and Josephine Page, Director of the International Education Division.

The Embassy of Ireland in India co‐sponsored the event, which will result in future publications and conferences, student and faculty exchanges, and other possibilities between a small island of great writers and a continent‐sized country with some of the richest cultures on earth.

Following the conference, Professors Harper and Singh, along with other senior scholars, presented lectures at the Indian Institute for Advanced Study in Shimla, in the Himalayas.

ENGLISH, IRISH AND COMMUNICATION YEATS IN INDIA CONFERENCE

EVENTS Prof. Kers n Mey and Prof. Meg Harper with

HE Brian McElduff, Irish Ambassador to India


Faculty members from Law and Sociology, Dr Alan Cusack, Prof. Séan Redmond, Prof. Eoin Devereux, Dr James Carr and Dr Amanda Haynes attended a Networking Event organised by the Policing Authority at the Aisling Hotel in Dublin on 14th February.

The event offered a valuable opportunity to showcase the dynamic research that is currently being pursued in the areas of policing and policing oversight.

A key feature of the Networking Event was a cross‐institutional, panel discussion where Dr Cusack gave an account of the School of Law’s

recent research achievements at the forefront of policing pedagogy and research. In addition to speaking

about the School of Law’s new undergraduate BA (Applied Policing) programme, and the School’s MA (Serious Crime Investigation) degree, Dr Cusack elaborated on a number of research projects currently being pursued by the CCJVS, REPPP and HHRG within both the School of Law

and the Department of Sociology in the University of Limerick.

The Faculty looks forward to future research engagements with the Policing Authority and to working collaboratively with the vibrant network of researchers who are active in the field of policing and police oversight.

POLICING AUTHORITY NETWORKING EVENT

EVENTS

#CALLITOUT CAMPAIGN LAUNCHES AT UL UL hosted an event for the Call it Out campaign team from Transgender Equality Network Ireland (TENI) on 30th May.

Call it Out is a joint initiative of TENI and the Hate and

Hostility Research Group at University of Limerick. The initiative aims to highlight and address the harm caused by homophobia, biphobia and transphobia in Ireland, using #CALLITOUT.

The University of Limerick Hate and Hostility Research Group is led by Dr Amanda Haynes of the Department of Sociology and Dr Jennifer Schweppe from the School of

Law. Amanda spoke about the importance of the campaign, “People significantly underestimate the degree to which violence, harassment and intimidation on the basis of LGBT identity continues to be part of people’s lives in Ireland at the degree to which people modify their behaviour in order to avoid the risk of that type of hostility.”

At the event CEO at TENI Stephen O’ Hare highlighted some statistics including 1 in 3 members of the LGBT+ community have been threatened with physical violence and 1 in 5 have been punched, hit or physically attacked in public due to being LGBT+.

Picture: Alan Place


To see more publications from our Faculty, visit our virtual bookshelf at ahss.blog/publications

LATEST PUBLICATIONS

Exploring the nature of utilitarian texts in English transmitted from the later Middle Ages to c. 1650, this volume considers textual and material strategies for the presentation and organisation of written knowledge and information during the period. In particular, it investigates the relationship between genre and material form in Anglophone written knowledge and information, with specific reference to that which is usually classified as practical or ‘utilitarian’.

Carrie Griffin examines textual and material evidence to argue for the disentangling of hitherto mixed genres and forms, and the creation of ‘new’ texts, as unexplored effects of the arrival of the printing press in the late fifteenth century.

The Irish parliament was both the scene of frequent poli cal ba les and an

important administra ve and legal element of the state machinery of early

modern Ireland. This ins tu onal study looks at how parliament dispatched its

business on a day‐to‐day basis. It takes in major areas of responsibility such as

crea ng law, delivering jus ce, conversing with the execu ve and administering

parliamentary privilege. Its ul mate aim is to present the Irish parliament as one

of many such representa ve assemblies emerging from the feudal state and into

the modern world, with a changing set of responsibili es that would inevitably

transform the ins tu on and how it saw both itself and the other poli cal

assemblies of the day.

Three extraordinary people begin their life together, a life that will be full of drama, transformation, passionate and painful devotion to art and to one another.

A clerk from Dublin, Bram may seem the least colourful of the trio, but in a new city, job, marriage, he is wrestling with dark demons. The Chief if

determined that nothing will hinder his manager’s dedication to the Lyceum and to himself, and both men are enchanted by the elusive Ellen. As Bram walks the London streets at night, streets haunted by the Ripper and the gossip which swirls around his friend Oscar Wilde, he finds new inspiration for his own daring literary ambitions.

This exceptional novel explores the danger and complexity of unconventional love, the restlessness of creativity, and the experiences that led to Dracula, the most iconic supernatural tale of all time.

INSTRUCTIONAL WRITING IN ENGLISH, 1350-1650: MATERIALITY AND MEANING BY DR CARRIE GRIFFIN

THE IRISH PARLIAMENT, 1613–89: THE EVOLUTION OF A COLONIAL INSTITUTION BY DR COLEMAN DENNEHY

SHADOWPLAY BY PROFESSOR JOSEPH O’CONNOR


Dr Marie‐Thérèse Batardière, Catherine Jeanneau and Dr Veronica O’Regan (School of Modern Languages and Applied Linguistics) presented findings from a research project entitled ‘Internationalisation of Higher Education in practice: Promoting foreign language learning in multicultural settings’ at the international AILA conference, Munich, Germany, in March 2019.

It outlines the impact of a number of initiatives implemented by the School of Modern Languages & Applied Linguistics to support cross‐cultural learning through the formal and informal curriculum in UL for language specialists and non‐specialists.

Music and the Mind is a series which aired on RTÉ Lyric FM this year, which melded music and conversation, and covered relaxation and mindfulness; exercise and active life; and sleep and its importance to our health.

In a series of live broadcasts from Radio Centre, presenter Liz Nolan was joined by experts in the fields of psychology, fitness and holistic living, and The RTÉ Concert Orchestra played specially curated selections of pieces to match the theme. University of Limerick Music Therapist Dr Hilary Moss was a guest on the first show, who said:

“It is only in more recent decades that researchers have studied, in earnest, how and why music affects us so profoundly and helps us communicate, express ourselves and be motivated”

MODERN LANGUAGES & APPLIED LINGUISTICS PROMOTING FOREIGN LANGUAGE

LEARNING IN MULTICULTURAL SETTINGS

RESEARCH IRISH WORLD ACADEMY OF MUSIC & DANCE MUSIC AND THE MIND, RTÉ LYRIC FM

Dr Alan Cusack and Dr John Connolly addressed

the Minister for Justice, Mr Charles Flanagan

T.D., and the Commissioner of An Garda

Síochána, Mr Drew Harris, at a special one‐day

conference entitled, ‘Policing, Human Rights &

Communities’ at the National University of

Ireland, Galway (NUIG) on Friday, 26 April 2019.

The event, which was co‐ordinated by Professor Donncha O’Connell (NUIG), and hosted by the Irish Centre for Human Rights (NUIG), provided a valuable forum to reflect on the recommendations raised in September 2018 by the Commission on the Future of Policing.

Dr Cusack delivered a paper entitled ‘Policing Vulnerable Communities: A Reflection on the Future of Policing in Ireland’ as part of the ‘Human Rights and Policing Session’ with Emily Logan (Chief Commissioner, Irish Human Rights & Equality Commission); Liam Herrick, (Executive Director, Irish Council for Civil Liberties) and Eilis Barry (CEO, Free

Legal Advice Centres). The session was chaired by Noeline Blackwell (Chief Executive of Dublin Rape Crisis Centre).

Dr Johnny Connolly spoke as part of the ‘Policing with Communities Session’ with Ms Marie Metcalfe, (Community Activist, North Inner City Dublin), Dr Mick Feehan (Former Assistant Commissioner of An Garda Síochána), Dr Sindy Joyce (Human Rights Defender and Member of Council of State), Dr John Topping (Lecturer in Criminology, QUB).

SCHOOL OF LAW POLICING, HUMAN

RIGHTS & COMMUNITIES


Research from Dr Ann Marcus‐Quinn (School of English, Irish and Communication) was recently highlighted by RTÉ. Dr Marcus‐Quinn was part of a team of researchers who found that the use of some technologies in the classroom could be hurting rather than helping learning.

The study questions the practice of replacing hard copy schoolbooks with

electronic tablets, a trend that appears to be on the increase in Ireland. Dr Marcus‐Quinn said while reading on tablets is suited to certain kinds of short texts and certain kinds of reading exercises, it does not deliver the level of immersion that leads to deep comprehension. The research was covered by RTÉ news, and Dr Marcus‐Quinn was also interviewed on Morning Ireland. Dr Ann Marcus Quinn is a lecturer in Technical Communication at the

University of Limerick.

ENGLISH, IRISH AND COMMUNICATION RESEARCH FROM UL LECTURER SHOWS CONCERN ABOUT OVER-RELIANCE ON TECHNOLOGY IN SCHOOLS

RESEARCH

The Marian Finucane Show on RTE Radio 1 featured a section on the health and well‐being benefits of singing in a choir, on Saturday 27th of April. Music Therapy PhD student Jess O’Donoghue was a

guest on this panel and spoke about research on singing and health on behalf of the research team at the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance led by Dr Hilary Moss. The team have completed two studies to date. The first study, carried out in 2017, explored the health benefits of singing in a choir from an international sample of 1,779 choristers. An online questionnaire including quantitative statements and qualitative questions relating to the perceived health benefits of singing in a choir was distributed. Perceived benefits for choir singers included social connection, physical and psychological benefits, cognitive stimulation, mental health, enjoyment and transcendence.

In 2018, the researchers completed a year‐long mixed‐method study of the presence of well‐being and health benefits of attending a workplace choir for HSE staff. This pilot study is the first Irish study of the health and well‐being benefits of HSE workplace choirs. Findings revealed that a workplace choir can promote social connection, enjoyment at work, and staff engagement; reduce stress; and improve the perception of health and well‐being.

IRISH WORLD ACADEMY UL SINGING AND HEALTH

RESEARCH ON RTÉ

Dr Ann Marcus‐Quinn


Our PhD Life Hacks Seminars, continued this semester

with an event in February called ‘Writing an excellent

conference paper’.

It was a busy schedule for the morning that began with a meet and greet section with coffee and pastries, to give postgraduate researchers an opportunity to meet others within the AHSS postgraduate community.

Speakers at the event included Dr Niamh Nic Ghabhann, Assistant Dean of Research, who gave a comprehensive talk and practical tips on preparation and delivery of a conference paper. Dean Lillis, President of the Postgraduate Students Union, with Hala Jaber, Vice President of the PSU, gave an informative talk on how

their offices can support postgraduate researchers. Ashling Hayes, Head of Research Services in the Glucksman Library delivered a talk on ways of communicating your research for impact.

THESIS IN THREE COMPETITION WINNER POSTGRADUATE RESEARCH

Graduate & Professional Studies,

in conjunction with the Assistant

Deans in each faculty, organised a

Thesis‐in‐Three competition for

postgraduate research students.

Each entrant presented an overview of their research in three minutes using three slides in an open forum.

The Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences heat took place on Thursday, 21 February. Ten postgraduate researchers participated in the event, with representation from each school and department within AHSS.

A judging panel selected three overall winners: Hala Jaber (Irish World Academy of Music and Dance), Agata Lynch (Sociology/Physics) and Michelle Daly (Modern Languages and Applied Linguistics).

These students represented the Faculty of AHSS at the UL Thesis‐in‐Three final which took place on Monday, 20

May 2019.

We’re delighted to congratulate Arts Practice student Hala Jaber (above, centre) from the Irish World Academy who won the overall competition with her presentation on music, conflict and integration.

PHD LIFE HACKS SEMINAR

Cian Matthew Kearns is a PhD candidate in the Department of Politics at the University of Limerick. His PhD on risk assessment models for genocide is funded through the Irish Research Council and the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Cian wrote an opinion piece for the Journal.ie: ’25 years on from the Rwanda genocide. Can we make sure it never happens again?’

RESEARCH ON RWANDA BY POLITICS POSTGRAD

PUBLISHED IN JOURNAL.IE


The AHSS Annual Postgraduate Conference took place on Tuesday 7th May in the Foundation Building at UL. This year, postgraduate researchers from UL were joined by postgraduate researchers from Mary Immaculate College, Limerick School of Art and Design and Limerick Institute of Technology.

The Assistant Dean of Research, Dr Niamh Nic Ghabhann welcomed the attendees to the conference while looking forward to the proceedings of the day. Prof. Niamh Hourigan, Vice President of Academic Affairs, Mary Immaculate College, Limerick, provided the opening address. Prof. Hourigan spoke about the diversity of the research evidenced by the themes of the papers and posters on offer at the conference. Prof. Hourigan also stated that researchers within the Faculty of Humanities are privileged to be able to research in areas that are self‐satisfying. She also mentioned how there is always a ‘me‐search’ in research. The postgraduate students then began to present their work. As there was such a great response to the call

for papers, the conference was organised in parallel sessions.

During the breaks, students who presented their research in poster format were available to discuss their projects with attendees. The conference highlighted the rich and varied research being undertaken by the postgraduate researchers in their disciplines. The event was well supported and provided the students with an opportunity to present their work and gain feedback from their peers and colleagues. Dr Niamh Lenahan closed the conference by thanking the participants and remarked on the high standard of papers and posters at the event. Thank you to the Dean, Prof. Helen Kelly‐Holmes for sponsoring the prizes. It was a very difficult decision due to the high standard, but a decision was made and the winners of

the Dean’s Prize for Conference Paper and Poster Presentation are as follows: Winning Paper: Joint 1st: Tracy McAvinue, School of English, Irish and Communication, and Louise Ryan, Department of Sociology. Posters: 1st: Marina Selnitsyna (below), Department of Politics and Public

Administration, University of Limerick 2nd: Louise McNeil, School of Law, University of Limerick. The posters are currently on display in the Kate O’Brien Room, C1079.

AHSS ANNUAL POSTGRADUATE CONFERENCE, 2019

POSTGRADUATE RESEARCH


SCHOOL OF LAW

UL LAW STUDENTS LAUNCH LEGAL APPS WITH LIMERICK CHAMBER

Four legal apps created by final year law students from the Law Plus degree course at the University of Limerick have been launched.

Dr Hugh O’Donnell of Ingenium TC, who was one of the competition judges, said he was overwhelmed by the output of the law students.

The four apps were developed in consultation with Limerick Chamber and UL law faculty member Sinead

Eaton.

Aisling Curtis, commercial director at Microsoft Ireland, also judged the competition and praised the high standards for the project.

The School of Law also offered heartfelt thanks to McCann Fitzgerald Solicitors and Neota Logic for backing UL as the first law school in Ireland to offer such a legal tech module.

The first three apps’ functionality allowed fire safety compliance work

to be done, insurance needs to be identified, and company secretary and annual return information to be processed.

The fourth app, which was deemed

overall winner, is a tool to assess and learn directors duties.

All 12 students who participated were praised as winners for their valuable contributions.

The apps launch was featured in the Law Society Gazette.

STUDENTS Sophie Walsh, Sinead Ni Raghaill and Amy Dermody

Second‐year BA Journalism and New Media students at the University of Limerick have produced a new publication this semester, Grapevine.

This year’s content features a wealth and breadth of stories, including the rise of substance abuse at third level institutions, one student’s experience of being ghosted, veganism, and plus size fashion are also featured. The

magazine represents months of work by the students from designing pages, to conducting research and interviews.

It aims to represent the ideas and hopefully will kick start conversations

that the students think that you, the reader should be having.

Well done to our students, and their lecturer Audrey Galvin on this fantastic publication!

ENGLISH, IRISH AND COMMUNICATION NEW JOURNALISM STUDENT


The Irish World Academy of Music and Dance has

a Community Engagement programme with the

National Rehabilitation Hospital (NRH).

The NRH provides a comprehensive range of specialist

rehabilitation services to patients from throughout Ireland who, as a result of an accident, illness or injury have acquired a physical or cognitive disability and require specialist rehabilitation.

The music therapy service at NRH provides specialist music therapy assessment and treatment to patients in the Brain Injury and the Prolonged Disorder of Consciousness Programmes and to children and adolescents within the Paediatric programme.

The Irish World Academy at UL established a formal research relationship with NRH in 2017. This year two MA students spent twenty weeks on work placement, learning the craft of music therapy and helping to run the NRH therapeutic choir. Students have been working at NRH for the last ten years.

A joint PhD is now underway, supervised by Dr Hilary Moss and clinically supervised by Ms Rebecca O’Connor.

Shane Cassidy is in his 2nd year of this PhD at UL, investigating the impact of Neurologic Music Therapy sensorimotor techniques on the physical rehabilitation, specifically the gait or walking parameters for adult and paediatric patients who have had an acquired brain injury. The study also measures the impact of this music therapy intervention on the participants’ mood.

The NRH music therapy service is a flagship service in

Ireland. The music therapist is a recognised allied health professional who plays an integral role in the multi‐disciplinary team. The senior music therapist at the facility teaches regularly on the MA programme and faculty from UL meet regularly with Music Therapists at NRH for peer mentoring.

The Irish World Academy MA programme also developed an ongoing relationship with Acquired Brain Injury Ireland (ABII), who support people who are living with ABI in the Limerick region and those who do not qualify for treatment at NRH but still require support and treatment in regional centres around the country.

For example, in 2017 an MA student completed a work placement at the Co Offaly ABII centre and as a result ABII are actively seeking to employ a music therapist in their services.

IRISH WORLD ACADEMY OF MUSIC & DANCE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMME WITH THE NATIONAL REHABILITATION HOSPITAL

STUDENTS

Aoife Finnerty, a PhD student in the School of Law, discussed her research on the morality of organ donation on Sunday Sequence (BBC Radio Ulster) with Roisin McAuley on February 24th.

Aoife appeared with Dr Elaine Storkey (theologian and sociologist), Dr Brendan McCarthy (medical ethics advisor to the Church of England) and the Reverend Chris Hudson of the Non‐Subscribing Presbyterian Church.

SCHOOL OF LAW ORGAN DONATION

Research by Department of Sociology PhD candidate, Niamh Dillon, was included in ‘Asylum Narratives’ a special edition of the Studies in Arts and Humanities journal, which was launched on 30th January.

Niamh’s research on intercultural models of integration is in this

collection of academic essays, journal reflections, observations, audio and video recordings, photography and poetry. The collection was put together following the Asylum Narratives Colloquium in 2017 which marked the designation of DCU as Ireland’s first University of Sanctuary.

DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY ASYLUM NARRATIVES


Congratulations to Déarbhla Hennessy (a third‐year student on the BA in Applied Languages) and Mario Sánchez‐Cortés Macías (a UL Erasmus student from the University of Granada) who were the overall winners of the 2019 Joutes Oratoires Interuniversitaires.

This event is a French‐language intervarsity debating competition organised by the Service Culturel of the French Embassy in Ireland as part of the annual Mois de la Francophonie, which was held in UCD on 8 and 9 March. This is the first time for a UL team to win the overall title.

UL STUDENTS WIN FRENCH-LANGUAGE INTERVARSITY DEBATING COMPETITION

The School of Law’s Internal

Moot Court Competition,

sponsored by A&L Goodbody

solicitors, took place on 6th‐7th

February 2019.

The preliminary rounds were judged by Sinead Eaton, Dr Hope Davidson, Dr Margaret Fitzgerald O’Reilly, Eoin Quill, Professor Paul McCutcheon, and Dr Norah Burns. All judges commented on the high standard of mooting displayed by students throughout the preliminary rounds.

The Grand Final of the competition took place in the Appeal Court, Glucksman Library. The Grand Final was adjudicated by Dr Stephen King (A&L Goodbody Solicitors), Prof Raymond Friel (UL) and Sandra Barnwell BL.

Congratulations to the winning team of Jemima Nugent and Norah O’Brien (counsel for the appellant) and to the runner up team of Jack Hennessy, Alex Casey and Cian Cremins (counsel for the

respondent). The Best Speaker prize was awarded jointly to Jemima Nugent and Norah O’Brien.

The moot court competition was organised and co‐ordinated by Dr

Lydia Bracken, Director of Clinical Legal Education at the School of Law, and Niamh Walshe, UL Law Society Mooting Officer. The Grand Final was followed by a prize giving and reception in the Appeal Court.

A&L GOODBODY MOOT COURT COMPETITION 2019

STUDENTS

@AHSSUL

@RESEARCHARTSUL

@AHSSUL

Katie Grace Matthews graduated from Bachelor of Laws (Law

Plus) at University of Limerick in 2018. She is now a Legal

Technology Analyst with Allen & Overy LLP.

“When I was choosing my University, the biggest factor for me was

career options after graduating. Law Plus in UL is one of few legal courses where a student can benefit from the study of an additional humanities module of their choice, but also have achieved the requisite credits to sit the New York bar exam. There are very few Universities which offer this level of opportunity – so UL was the obvious choice for me!

“UL’s Law School houses very sharp and innovative lecturers, many of whom are constantly on the lookout for the next big thing in the legal industry. It was this environment that inspired me to think outside of the box and try something new. One recent example of UL’s innovative offering is the adoption of Ireland’s first legal tech module.”

Hilary McGann graduated from the BA in Journalism and

New Media in 2015, and now works with CNN

International.

“The real benefit and joy of working with a company like CNN is

that you are expected to be both a print and broadcast journalist with an understanding and respect for the different needs of each platform. When I was doing the course, I remember being struck by the unexpected differences with how a story should be told on TV in comparison to how it should be read in a newspaper.

“With that being said, while they are two different platforms, the core principles of journalism that I learned in UL (inverted pyramid, right to reply, double‐checking sourcing etc.) are invaluable on any platform.”

KATIE GRACE MATTHEWS BACHELOR OF LAWS (LAW PLUS), 2018

OUR GRADUATES

HILARY MCGANN BA IN JOURNALISM AND NEW MEDIA, 2015

Documents

FACULTY OF ARTS, HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES … · JOSEPH O’CONNOR 2 WELCOME FROM THE DEAN 3-4 AWARDS 5-11 EVENTS 12 PUBLICATIONS 13-16 RESEARCH 17-19 STUDENTS ... keynote delivered