Irish Folklore  (IFJ1)

The study of Folklore focuses on traditional popular culture, in the past and in the present. As an academic discipline, it involves the exploration of material culture, social tradition, oral literature and popular belief and practice.

The BA programme is designed to give students in-depth knowledge of the principal forms and genres of Folklore, with reference to their historical background and global context. The programme is aimed at national and international students with an interest in popular tradition, vernacular culture and Irish studies, who wish to develop a career or further studies in these areas.

The programmes’ educational values are centred on the promotion of a spirit of enquiry regarding the nature, persistence and dynamics of tradition in everyday life. They encourage students to develop a reflective approach to their studies, while also emphasising the centrality of fieldwork and archival sources to their research and learning. Teaching is carried out in lectures, in small-group tutorials, and in seminar-style participatory classes. Students are also encouraged to use digital archive resources in their research and learning. Assessments take the form of written examinations, individual research projects, journal-keeping, in-semester essays and oral presentations. They also include assignments which give students the opportunity to formulate their own research questions and to pursue given topics using archival data-sets.

1 - Use research and enquiry skills to identify cultural heritage in the area of popular tradition;
2 - Make a critical evaluation and analysis of relevant archival and fieldwork sources;
3 - Evaluate the significance of phenomena which constitute folklore and which form the basis of folklore’s critical discourse; including the ability to assess assumptions and the ways in which such assumptions have developed within society;
4 - Demonstrate effective communication skills with appropriate use of subject-specific terminology;
5 - Show a capacity for independent decision-making in assessing situations which arise in the course of fieldwork and archival research;
6 - Demonstrate digital expertise through the use of digital resources such as www.duchas.ie;
7 - Indicate an understanding of the ethical responsibilities involved in folkloristic research, and an understanding of the necessity of establishing empathy with informants/co-researchers
8 - Appreciate and articulate the ways in which the present is moulded by the past in the area of popular tradition and folklore

There are opportunities for students to spend a year studying abroad while pursuing their BA in Irish Folklore. Possibilities for such study include Europe, Canada, the United States and Japan.

A degree in Irish Folklore is of relevance to anyone interested in popular culture, tradition and society, and their interconnections. It provides an excellent basis for careers in:

Heritage related organisations

The media

Teaching

Areas related to Irish studies & ethnic studies.

You can also pursue MLitt and PhD graduate studies in Irish Folklore in UCD, specialising in one of the many areas of the subject

Stage 2

Students must take ALL Core Modules. The remaining modules should be chosen from the option lists.

Stage 3

Students must register to the Stage 3 core module and select four Level 3 option modules.

Stage 4

Students must register to the final stage core module and select four Level 3 option modules.

See the UCD Assessment website for further details

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