MA (Old & Middle Irish)
College of Arts, Social Sciences, & Celtic Studies
Key facts
Entry requirements
NQAI Level 8 degree or equivalent, H2.2 or equivalent. GPA 3.2 or equivalent international qualification. IELTS 6.5 or equivalent if applicable.
Duration:
1 year, full-time
Next start date: September 2011
ECTS weighting: 90
Average intake:
Closing date:
You are advised to apply early, which may result in an early offer; see the offer round dates
Course overview
The MA in Old and Middle Irish aims to provide students with a thorough grounding in Irish language and literature of the period ca. 600– ca.1200. It is aimed at students who already have a good basic knowledge of Irish (Medieval or Modern), or another Celtic language, and, in exceptional cases, at those who have teh appropriate background to undertake the study of Old and Middle Irish ab initio.
This is a full-time, twelve-month programme. Students follow a prescribed taught course for two semesters (from September to April approximately), following which they complete a dissertation of ca. 15,000 words over the summer.
The combination of teaching and dissertation-guidance provides students with an excellent foundation for proceedint to higher research programmes (MLitt and PhD) in many fields of Irish-language and Celtic Studies, of the medieval, the early modern, and even the modern period. Students also acquire skills that are highly relevant for research in medieval Irish history and archaeology, and Hiberno-Latin, and for employment in a wide range of areas associated with all these fields.
Course outline
There is a substantial core of teaching: students attend ca. six lectures each week in both semesters. Of the total of 90 credits (ECTS), 50 are allocated to taught modules, and the remaining 40 to the minor thesis. The choice of taught modules is based on students' prior knowledge of Old and Middle Irish language: those with little or know prior knowledge take SG510, SG511, and SG513, but not SG512; those who already have a good foundation in the language take SG512 and SG513, but not SG510 and SG511. For all, there is a choice between SG514 and SG515. Class sizes are small, and staff aim for a friendly and supportive environment.
Mlitt and PhD students from other fields of Medieval Studies often opt to take modules from the MA in Old and Middle Irish and, similarly, students of this MA are encouraged to avail of contacts with that broader academic community, and to attend occasional lectures and seminars in cognate fields.
Applications and selections
Who teaches this course?
Dr Kicki Ingridsdotter, BA, MA, PhD
Dr Graham Isaac, BA, PhD
An tOllamh Máirín Ní Dhonnchadha, BA, MA, PhD
An Dr Donncha Ó hAodha, BA, MA, PhD
Find out more
PAC code
GYA33
Fees for this course
Current students
Marta Rydlinska
"I came to study in Ireland from my native Poland because, since childhood, I have wanted to learn about the Celts and their history, especially those in Ireland. First of all, I studied for a BA in Celtic Civilization and History here at the NUI, Galway. Now I am taking the MA in Old and Middle Irish in order to increase my knowledge of this difficult medieval language as this will give me direct access to its written tradition, both the published and the unpublished texts. I have a special interest in Early Irish law and, when I have finished my MA, I would hope to research some aspect of Early Irish law for my PhD."
Downloads
Get the prospectus
Past students
Trish Ní Mhaoileoin
"My journey to Old and Middle Irish was long and somewhat arduous, but ultimately fulfilling. Having acquired a BA in archaeology and Spanish from UCD, I continued to pursue an MA in archaeology, focusing on medieval rural settlements in south Leinster. Pursuing a career choice as an archaeologist proved to be untenable and I wandered for a few years until I decided to move to Galway from New Zealand where I had been living, to do the Dioplóma sa Ghaeilge in NUIG. Through the Dioplóma, I heard about the MA in Old and Middle Irish and thought that it would be a wonderful bridge between my interests in medieval Irish history and culture, and my burgeoning interest in the Irish language. The MA in Old and Middle Irish provided me with a thorough grounding in the literature of the early Irish period - from prose to poetry, from secular narrative to ecclesiastical and legal texts—and a solid language base from which to advance to research at PhD level. I am now in the early stages of my research on the multi-faceted legendary warrior figure, Fergus mac Róich. My thesis will involve linguistic and editorial work (both on, and in, Irish), and critical, historical and comparative literary work."