National Museum of Ireland marks successful collaborations with GMIT Mayo
Graduate Angela Boyce presented with Academic Achievement Award from Museum at recent conferrings
The National Museum of Ireland marked a number of successful collaborations with GMIT Mayo this year with the formal presentation of an academic achievement award to a graduate of the BA (Hons) in Heritage Studies. Angela Boyce, from Castlebar, was presented with her award by National Museum Curator Noel Campbell at the GMIT Mayo conferrings in Breaffy House Resort recently.
“The National Museum of Ireland - Country Life is delighted to recognise Angela Boyce’s accomplishments and to forge closer ties with GMIT by sponsoring this year’s academic achievement award for the honours degree in Heritage Studies” said Mr Campbell.
Staff and graduates of GMIT Mayo have been collaborating with the National Museum of Ireland on a number of research projects in recent years, culminating in a public seminar ‘Mayo’s hidden histories’ at the National Museum of Ireland – Country Life, earlier this year.
“The seminar showcased research being carried out by the GMIT Mayo community which forms a key element of our ongoing collaborations with the National Museum of Ireland,” explains GMIT Mayo History & Geography Programme Chair, Dr Fiona White.
Dr Seán Lysaght’s research is on the history and heritage of eagles in County Mayo and the legacy of sea eagles and golden eagles in writing and folk memory. His book ‘Eagle Country’ is scheduled for publication by Little Toller in early 2018. History lecturer Dr Fiona White’s research is on Moore Hall during the Land War, drawing on her recently completed doctoral research. Archaeology lecturer, Dr Yvonne McDermott’s research is on late medieval Franciscan Third Order, focusing on the friaries of Rosserk, Killeenbrenan and Bofeenaun.
GMIT RISE Scholar and MA student Barbara Barclay’s research focuses on workhouses in Mayo during the nineteenth century, based on a young women who left the workhouses for Australia on the Earl Grey Scheme. This work has been capturing national attention. GMIT Mayo staff members Lynda Huxley and Olive Greaney’s research is on the Garvey family of Cornfield, Co Mayo, the family into which author Stella Garvey (née Doheny) married. They are currently working on a biography of Stella Garvey and plan to publish it and one of Stella’s stories in the next year. The work of GMIT Mayo Heritage Graduate Olivia Martin, who is now an NUI Galway Doctoral Scholar in History, focuses about marriage settlements in nineteenth-century Ireland.
GMIT Mayo senior lecturer, Dr Deirdre Garvey, says the research involving the National Museum of Ireland is one of the examples of our collaboration with key regional stakeholders. It highlights the importance of these programmes in contributing not just economically to the region but to the social and cultural fabric of the region. The high standard of research being carried by academic staff was clearly evident in their presentations, and also the high standard of graduates who have progressed to postgraduate research. We look forward to hearing more from these graduates”
For more information on these programmes, contact Programme Chair Dr Fiona White (fiona.white@gmit.ie).
