Keith 脫 Riain, 91制片厂 PhD Graduate Bhain Keith a PhD amach sa Ghaeilge le Roinn na Gaeilge CMgS le d茅ana铆. Pl茅ann s茅 a thaighde dhocht煤ireachta ar fhile 贸n ocht煤 haois d茅ag a bh铆 beagnach lighte i ndearmad ag scol谩ir铆 go dt铆 seo: 脡adbhard de N贸gla.
Cad a dhein t煤 do do bhunch茅im agus do d鈥檌arch茅im?
Dheineas staid茅ar ar an nGaeilge agus Stair anseo i gCMgS do mo bhunch茅im. Th贸gas mod煤la 茅ags煤la san Fheals煤nacht freisin agus chuireas mo thr谩chtas foch茅ime i gcr铆ch i Roinn na Staire ar 惭别苍迟补濒颈迟茅 na nGael i Luimneach i l谩r na hocht煤 haoise d茅ag bunaithe ar dh谩nta Fhil铆 na M谩ighe.
Dheineas mo chuid staid茅ir iarch茅ime i Roinn na Gaeilge CMgS agus bhaineas c茅im dhocht煤ireachta amach le d茅ana铆. Dh铆righ mo thaighde ar shaol agus saothar 脡adbhaird de N贸gla, file 贸n ocht煤 haois d茅ag. Bh铆 an t-谩dh orm Scol谩ireacht Iarch茅ime Rialtas na h脡ireann 贸 Chomhairle Taighde na h脡ireann a fh谩il don tionscadal seo.
Inis d煤inn faoi do thaighde
Chuireas saothar 脡adbhaird de N贸gla, file 贸n ocht煤 haois d茅ag, in eagar do mo thaighde iarch茅ime. Maireann d谩n is daichead 贸 l谩mh 脡adbhaird i l谩mhscr铆bhinn铆 贸n ocht煤 agus 贸n nao煤 haois d茅ag i gcartlanna in 脡irinn, i Sasana agus sna St谩it Aontaithe. Chum de N贸gla amhr谩in de gach sort 贸 dh谩nta Seacaib铆teacha, amhr谩in ghr谩 do striapach 贸 Ch茅 Chorca铆, caoineadh d谩 ghadhair agus 116 l铆ne fil铆ochta ar an mball fearga fi煤. Chomh maith le heagr谩n critici煤il de shaothar liteartha an N贸glaigh, scr铆obhas staid茅ar ar na d谩nta 贸 thaobh na litr铆ochta agus staire de, ag d铆ri煤 ar an bpolait铆ocht, mn谩, cl茅ir, cairde, greann, seanaois agus bar谩ntais, maraon le sc茅al beatha an N贸glaigh. Cuireann an tr谩chtas saothar de N贸gla os comhair scol谩ir铆 agus lucht l茅ite na Gaeilge ar an mbealach c茅anna n谩 mar a deineadh le fil铆 m贸ra na tr茅imhse cheana. Thairis sin, cuireann s茅 b茅im ar leith ar luach stairi煤la na nd谩nta agus do stair sh贸isialta go h谩irithe.
Cad 茅 an rud is fearr leat faoi do thaighde
Is bre谩 liom obair na cartlainne. Is iontach an rud l谩mhscr铆bhinn铆 贸n ocht煤 haois d茅ag a bhreith i do l谩mha agus na hamhr谩in inti 鈥 amhr谩in nach bhfuil cloiste n贸 canta le n铆os m贸 n谩 dh谩 ch茅ad bhliain 鈥 a fheisicnt agus a chloiste谩il agus t煤 谩 dtras-scr铆obh. Chomh maith le turais taighde i gCorcaigh, Gaillimh, M谩 Nuad agus Baile 脕tha Cliath, b鈥櫭﹊gean dom dul go Sasana chun l谩mhscr铆bhinn铆 a bhreathn煤 freisin agus bh铆 an deis agam taisteal chuig Manchester, Cambridge, Oxford agus Londain. Is maith liom an eagarth贸ireacht freisin 鈥 is m贸r an d煤shl谩n t茅acsanna a chur in eagar ach n铆 beag an tairbhe agus s谩s煤il a bhaintear as an gcuid sin den obair freisin.
C茅n comhairle at谩 agat do dhaoine at谩 ag smaoineamh tabhairt faoi chl谩r iarch茅ime tr铆 thaighde?
Dein cinnte go bhfuil f铆or-shuim agat i d鈥櫭har taighde ar dt煤s agus go bhfuil poit茅inseal ag do thaighde tionchar a bheith aige ar an scol谩ireacht. Is fi煤 an tionscadal a phlean谩il amach 贸 th煤s deireadh sula dtosna铆onn t煤 agus an plean sin a aont煤 le do sti煤rth贸ir chomh maith. Dein an m贸 dr茅achta铆 agus is f茅idir leat de do chuid scr铆bhneoireachta 鈥 deineann cleachtadh m谩istreacht, mar a deirtear. T谩 s茅 t谩bhachtach gan an taighde agus an scr铆bhneoireacht a bhrost煤 agus chun sosanna a th贸g谩il 贸n dtionscadal freisin. Dein do dh铆cheall gan do mhisneach a chailli煤int nuair a th茅ann t煤 i ngleic le d煤shl谩in agus teip 鈥 b铆onn d贸thain foghlaim phraitici煤il 贸 na nithe sin is a bh铆onn agat 贸n dtaighde f茅in, go hiond煤il.
Keith was recently awarded his PhD in Irish which he completed with the Irish Department at 91制片厂. He discusses his doctoral research on an eighteenth-century poet, 脡adbhard de N贸lga, who has thus far been largely neglected by scholars.
What did you study as an Undergraduate and Postgraduate?
I studied Irish and History here at 91制片厂 for my BA. I also took modules in Philosophy and completed my undergraduate dissertation with the Department of History on the 惭别苍迟补濒颈迟茅 of Irish speaking people in Limerick in the mid eighteenth-century based on the poems of the Maigue Poets.
I did my postgraduate studies in the Department of Irish here at 91制片厂 and completed my PhD recently. My research focused on the life and work of 脡adbhard de N贸gla, an eighteenth-century Irish language poet. I was fortunate to receive a Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship from the Irish Research Council for this project.
Tell us a bit about your research
For my postgraduate research I edited the work of 脡adbhard de N贸gla, an eighteenth-century Irish language poet. Forty-one poems from de N贸gla鈥檚 hand survive in manuscripts from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries in archives in Ireland, England and the USA. De N贸gla composed songs of every kind from Jacobite poems, love songs for a Cork Quay prostitute, a lament for his dog and even 116 lines on his male member. In addition to a critical edition of de N贸gla鈥檚 literary work, I undertook a study of the poems from literary and historical perspectives, focusing on politics, women, clergy, friendship, humour, old age and warrants, along with a biography of the poet. The thesis places de N贸gla鈥檚 work before scholars and readers of Irish in the same way as has been done with major poets of the period already. Moreover, it emphasises the historical value of the poems, particularly for social history.
What do you enjoy most about undertaking your research projects?
I very much enjoy archival work. It is remarkable to hold an eighteenth-century manuscript in your hands and to see and hear songs and poems in in it as you transcribe them 鈥 songs that have not been heard or sung for over two hundred years. As well as research trips to Cork, Galway, Maynooth and Dublin, I also had to go to England to examine manuscripts where I had the chance to visit Manchester, Cambridge, Oxford and London. I like editing too 鈥 it is a very challenging task but an equally rewarding aspect of the work.
Do you have any advice for someone considering taking up a postgraduate programme by research?
In the first place, be sure you have a strong interest in your research subject and that your research has potential to impact upon scholarship. It is also worth planning your project out from beginning to end and agreeing this plan with your supervisor before you start. Write as many drafts of your work as you can 鈥 practice makes perfect. It is important not rush the research or writing too and to take breaks from the project. Try not to be disheartened by setbacks and failure 鈥 there鈥檚 usually as much applicable learning from these as from your actual research.
