Irish Historiography

On completion of this module students will/should have a fundamental knowledge and understanding of key trends and developments in Irish historiography from the late nineteenth century until the present.

1. Define historiography and evaluate the importance of key intellectual trends and developments that have characterised the changing nature and practice of Irish historical scholarship from the late nineteenth century until the present;

2. Think critically and sceptically, and have the confidence to formulate open-minded opinions about prevailing orthodoxies and accepted views on the past (by considering history as ‘critical investigation’ rather than as ‘unchallengeable tablets of stone’);

3. Gain an insight into how a biobibliographical perspective can lead to a better appreciation of the academic works and public lives of some of Ireland’s most influential historians;

4. Acquire an understanding of some of the heated historiographical debates that have arisen from the production, in recent times, of Irish films and documentaries depicting the history and memory of the War of Independence of 1919-1921 and/or the Civil War of 1922-1923;

5. Demonstrate accomplished communication, discussion, interpretation, presentation, and writing skills;

6. Demonstrate an ability to utilise a broad range of primary and secondary sources (e.g. blogs, books, book chapters, dissertations, field evidence, films, journal articles, magazine articles, manuscripts, maps, newspaper articles, podcasts, theses, websites, and videos);

7. Draw on the past to comprehend the present and grasp the importance of securing the future, thus linking to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).