The University of Galway is the national pioneer in Irish Studies. The Irish Department staff has expertise in all periods of the Irish language, from the early period to the contemporary language. The university has excellent research facilities and a large investment has recently been made in the university's archives, which gives a particular advantage to the student who wishes to carry out research in our Irish language collections. The Gaeltacht is on our doorstep and students have access to excellent learning and research facilities in the university's Gaeltacht campuses in Connemara and Gaoth Dobhair.
If you do the full-time course (one year), lectures and seminars will take place three days a week. The course can also be done part-time (over two years), in that case you will have lectures two days a week in the first year and one day a week in the second year.
On completion of this course, you will be able to:
Perform accurately at a professional and academic level through the medium of Irish in writing and speaking,
To carry out a critical analysis of various areas of contemporary Irish Studies: Literary Criticism, Cultural and Social Criticism and Sociolinguistics, Demonstrate an interdisciplinary approach in the critical analysis of different areas of Irish Studies,
Present your research and analysis competently and effectively at the appropriate academic level,
Carry out innovative, independent research on a specialist subject of your own choice and present that research in the form of a thesis.
Career Opportunities
Graduates with an MA in New Ireland go on to work in academia and the education sector as a whole and in sectors such as publishing, the heritage industry, the civil service, and translation and interpretation services. In addition, they engage in journalism, both print, electronic and broadcast, with organizations such as TG4, RT and RT Raidi na Gaeltachta and other regional and local stations. Graduates with us also work in the Irish language sector, in the Gaeltacht and throughout the country, with the likes of dar's na Gaeltachta, Roinn na Gaeltachta, Galway le Gaeilge and other organisations. If you are a graduate of the University of Galway, you will be eligible for the Colm U Eocha Bursary. This is a prize of 3,000, which is awarded every year to the person with the highest marks in their degree who is registered on a postgraduate course taught through Irish.
