Irish Studies
A fresh perspective on the history and culture of a fascinating island. On a visit to the campus by the President of Ireland, Mary McAleese, described the Centre for Irish Studies at St Mary’s as ‘an acknowledged leader in the field of Irish Studies’.
Please note that all the course information on these pages is for the 2012/13 intake
Irish Studies
UCAS Codes: Joint Honours only - see Combined Subjects page
The Irish Studies programme at St Mary’s is unique in its small size and the variety of approaches it takes to the study of Irish history and culture. Six lecturers teach on the degree programme, and with an intake of around 15 students each year this results in a very good ratio of lecturers to students. As a result Irish Studies students receive a great deal of personal attention and help with their studies, as well as one-on-one training in important areas such as essay and project writing, research and communication skills.
The degree programme is mainly historical in its approach, with a series of core modules examining Irish history from the Plantation of Ulster to the present moment. The rest of the modules also take a broadly historical approach to the analysis of topics such as Irish literature, Irish film, religion in Ireland, sport and music and the politics of Northern Ireland. We also teach the Irish language.
Our students tend to come from second or third-generation Irish families living in England, and often have a shared experience of life lived between the two islands and a correspondingly complex sense of identity. This adds to the strong sense of community among our students, a sense that we build on through regular group outings to the theatre and frequent social events.
