Periodic Report Summary 1 - OEIFTCI (Old English Identity and the Final Stages of the Tudor Conquest of Ireland, 1599-1603)
The outgoing phase of the OEIFTCI project has been completed, during which time a number of objectives and additional activities have been accomplished. The ultimate goals of this project are the publication of a monograph based on a thorough analysis of previously underutilised primary source materials, the cultivation of professional skills, and the acquisition of professional experience. In attaining these goals, the researcher has been disseminating her research at conferences, seminars, and pubic lectures, as well as publishing several academic articles in peer-reviewed journals and contributions to the digital humanities project, Corpus of Electronic Texts.
This project involves the first-ever itemised analysis of the State Papers, Ireland, and has resulted in many intriguing discoveries about the role and participation of Ireland’s Old English community during the Nine Years War (1594-1603). To date, many of the proposed research goals have been accomplished. In addition to published primary materials, the researcher has assessed all documents catalogued in the Irish State Papers between April 1599 and April 1602. Further research relevant for this project was collected during research trips to Dublin, London, and Oxford, where sources were examined at the National Library of Ireland, the Irish Jesuit Archives, the Jesuits of Britain Archives, the British Library, and the Bodleian Library at Oxford University. This research, combined with the Irish State Papers, has uncovered many previously unexplored aspects of early modern Irish history. These have been instrumental in the preparation of an original monograph on the Old English Pale community during the Nine Years War.
Over the past two years, a number of articles, as well as seminar and conference papers, have emanated from these research findings. Two peer-reviewed articles have been submitted, one of which is due to appear in Irish Historical Studies in November 2015, and feedback from Irish Economic and Social History is expected shortly. The researcher has published a comprehensive document study with the Digital Humanities project Corpus of Electronic Texts, and has identified several other documents which will be edited for digital publication with the same project. Four international conference papers have been presented (Tudor and Stuart Ireland, 2013, the Sixteenth Century Society and Conference, 2013, the Northeast Conference on British Studies, 2014, and the Annual Meeting of the Renaissance Society of America, 2015), and two major research papers were delivered at academic seminars (the Early Modern Working Group, hosted by the Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies in Society and Culture, Concordia University, 2013, and the Montreal British History Seminar, McGill University, 2014).
The researcher has also disseminated her work to wider audiences through public events and publications. These activities have included delivering the annual Ann Saddlemyer Lecture at Concordia University, publishing an article in Nuacht, the Montreal St Patrick’s Society Newsletter, and speaking at student recruitment events about her research and international opportunities. Besides attending and participating in all events hosted by the School of Canadian Irish Studies, the researcher has also been participating in interdisciplinary research seminars, in particular the Montreal British History Seminar and the Early Modern Working Group, hosted by the Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies in Society and Culture.
With respect to acquiring new knowledge and skills, the researcher has attended a number of courses at Concordia University, including ‘Irish Language & Culture’, ‘The Irish Short Story Tradition’, ‘The Irish Literary Revival’, and ‘Sex and Sexualities in the Irish Diaspora: A History’. She has likewise participated in several advanced training sessions which include ‘Digital Humanities, Technology, and Research,’ and a workshop on course preparation and class presentation. Through these courses, the researcher has been acquiring new research and presentation skills, as well as observing alternative teaching practices. In autumn 2014, the researcher had the opportunity to employ her new and existing teaching skills by designing and teaching a full-credit third year course, ‘Tudor Ireland: Society, Politics, and Culture’. As her course evaluations demonstrate, the researcher excelled in the classroom. The researcher also gained valuable experience teaching at the graduate level by successfully adapting her ‘Tudor Ireland’ course to the graduate level. During her two years at Concordia University, further teaching experience was gained through her role as the Graduate Seminar Coordinator for the School of Canadian Irish Studies. And, in addition to those courses for which the researcher was wholly responsible, she also observed and participated in other courses offered by the School of Canadian Irish Studies by assisting with the marking for a course on the ‘Irish Short Story Tradition’ and by participating in a round-panel discussion for a final year seminar course entitled ‘The Irish in Montreal’. Through these experiences, the researcher has had the opportunity to adopt and improve various teaching methods and techniques while gaining valuable professional experience, both in the classroom and beyond. Indeed, the researcher provided a great deal of mentorship and support for undergraduate and graduate students seeking research and writing assistance as well as academic advice.
Other professional skills training has been acquired through the researcher’s role as Managing Review Editor for the Canadian Journal of Irish Studies, whereby the researcher has gained first hand experience of the publication process – communicating with book publishers, identifying potential reviewers, and editing submissions. The researcher organised a visiting lecture by Dr Hiram Morgan at the School of Canadian Irish Studies, which also served to strengthen ties between University College Cork and Concordia University. Other administrative experience has been acquired through the researcher’s participation in the functioning of the School of Canadian Irish Studies, including student recruitment events, visiting speakers, student run conferences, and faculty meetings and events.
Crucially, the mobility facilitated by the International Outgoing Fellowship Scheme has enabled the researcher to build significant networks and academic relationships beyond Ireland. Indeed, through involvement at Concordia, the researcher has established a collaborative project with Dr Jane McGaughey to edit a collection of scholarly articles around the theme of Irish violence within Ireland as well as abroad. And, through her organisation of thematic panels for international conferences with scholars from Canada, the United States, Germany, and Ireland, the researcher has been able to discuss future collaborative projects with academics working in other countries and subjects. Moreover, due to her success in disseminating her work, the researcher has been approached to contribute to journals and edited collections, including the Canadian Journal of Irish Studies and the Journal of Colonialism and Colonial History.
This project involves the first-ever itemised analysis of the State Papers, Ireland, and has resulted in many intriguing discoveries about the role and participation of Ireland’s Old English community during the Nine Years War (1594-1603). To date, many of the proposed research goals have been accomplished. In addition to published primary materials, the researcher has assessed all documents catalogued in the Irish State Papers between April 1599 and April 1602. Further research relevant for this project was collected during research trips to Dublin, London, and Oxford, where sources were examined at the National Library of Ireland, the Irish Jesuit Archives, the Jesuits of Britain Archives, the British Library, and the Bodleian Library at Oxford University. This research, combined with the Irish State Papers, has uncovered many previously unexplored aspects of early modern Irish history. These have been instrumental in the preparation of an original monograph on the Old English Pale community during the Nine Years War.
Over the past two years, a number of articles, as well as seminar and conference papers, have emanated from these research findings. Two peer-reviewed articles have been submitted, one of which is due to appear in Irish Historical Studies in November 2015, and feedback from Irish Economic and Social History is expected shortly. The researcher has published a comprehensive document study with the Digital Humanities project Corpus of Electronic Texts, and has identified several other documents which will be edited for digital publication with the same project. Four international conference papers have been presented (Tudor and Stuart Ireland, 2013, the Sixteenth Century Society and Conference, 2013, the Northeast Conference on British Studies, 2014, and the Annual Meeting of the Renaissance Society of America, 2015), and two major research papers were delivered at academic seminars (the Early Modern Working Group, hosted by the Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies in Society and Culture, Concordia University, 2013, and the Montreal British History Seminar, McGill University, 2014).
The researcher has also disseminated her work to wider audiences through public events and publications. These activities have included delivering the annual Ann Saddlemyer Lecture at Concordia University, publishing an article in Nuacht, the Montreal St Patrick’s Society Newsletter, and speaking at student recruitment events about her research and international opportunities. Besides attending and participating in all events hosted by the School of Canadian Irish Studies, the researcher has also been participating in interdisciplinary research seminars, in particular the Montreal British History Seminar and the Early Modern Working Group, hosted by the Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies in Society and Culture.
With respect to acquiring new knowledge and skills, the researcher has attended a number of courses at Concordia University, including ‘Irish Language & Culture’, ‘The Irish Short Story Tradition’, ‘The Irish Literary Revival’, and ‘Sex and Sexualities in the Irish Diaspora: A History’. She has likewise participated in several advanced training sessions which include ‘Digital Humanities, Technology, and Research,’ and a workshop on course preparation and class presentation. Through these courses, the researcher has been acquiring new research and presentation skills, as well as observing alternative teaching practices. In autumn 2014, the researcher had the opportunity to employ her new and existing teaching skills by designing and teaching a full-credit third year course, ‘Tudor Ireland: Society, Politics, and Culture’. As her course evaluations demonstrate, the researcher excelled in the classroom. The researcher also gained valuable experience teaching at the graduate level by successfully adapting her ‘Tudor Ireland’ course to the graduate level. During her two years at Concordia University, further teaching experience was gained through her role as the Graduate Seminar Coordinator for the School of Canadian Irish Studies. And, in addition to those courses for which the researcher was wholly responsible, she also observed and participated in other courses offered by the School of Canadian Irish Studies by assisting with the marking for a course on the ‘Irish Short Story Tradition’ and by participating in a round-panel discussion for a final year seminar course entitled ‘The Irish in Montreal’. Through these experiences, the researcher has had the opportunity to adopt and improve various teaching methods and techniques while gaining valuable professional experience, both in the classroom and beyond. Indeed, the researcher provided a great deal of mentorship and support for undergraduate and graduate students seeking research and writing assistance as well as academic advice.
Other professional skills training has been acquired through the researcher’s role as Managing Review Editor for the Canadian Journal of Irish Studies, whereby the researcher has gained first hand experience of the publication process – communicating with book publishers, identifying potential reviewers, and editing submissions. The researcher organised a visiting lecture by Dr Hiram Morgan at the School of Canadian Irish Studies, which also served to strengthen ties between University College Cork and Concordia University. Other administrative experience has been acquired through the researcher’s participation in the functioning of the School of Canadian Irish Studies, including student recruitment events, visiting speakers, student run conferences, and faculty meetings and events.
Crucially, the mobility facilitated by the International Outgoing Fellowship Scheme has enabled the researcher to build significant networks and academic relationships beyond Ireland. Indeed, through involvement at Concordia, the researcher has established a collaborative project with Dr Jane McGaughey to edit a collection of scholarly articles around the theme of Irish violence within Ireland as well as abroad. And, through her organisation of thematic panels for international conferences with scholars from Canada, the United States, Germany, and Ireland, the researcher has been able to discuss future collaborative projects with academics working in other countries and subjects. Moreover, due to her success in disseminating her work, the researcher has been approached to contribute to journals and edited collections, including the Canadian Journal of Irish Studies and the Journal of Colonialism and Colonial History.