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ENG42090

Academic Year 2026/2027

Public Humanities and Ireland (ENG42090)

Subject:
English
College:
Arts & Humanities
School:
English, Drama & Film
Level:
4 (Masters)
Credits:
10
Module Coordinator:
Professor Margaret Kelleher
Trimester:
Autumn
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

The Public Humanities and Ireland: Sources and Resources

Public humanities has been defined as “the work of engaging diverse publics in reflecting on heritage, traditions, and history, and the relevance of the humanities to the current conditions of civic and cultural life.” This module will introduce students to key sources and resources relating to the promotion of public engagement with Irish literature and culture.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

At the conclusion of this module students will be able to demonstrate
1. critical awareness of the concept and implementation of public humanities, nationally and internationally;
2. understanding of the impact and significance of public humanities in Irish literature and culture;
3. appreciation of the diverse strategies of public engagement current in Irish cultural institutions, literary and cultural initiatives and related resources;
4. knowledge of key public sources (historical and contemporary; archival, material and digital) and understanding of their target audiences in the fields of Irish literature and culture;
5. ability to critically evaluate the impact of recent cultural initiatives linked to Irish culture, nationally and internationally
6. the ability to complete an extended essay of their choice on a topic related to the course

Indicative Module Content:


Through these seminars, and through site-visits to various cultural institutions (such as the Museum of Literature Ireland, the National Library of Ireland, Poetry Ireland, UCD Archives and Special Collections), we will reflect on and analyse the relevance of the humanities in Irish culture, historically and in a contemporary context. For example, we will explore the value of archives and collections, investigate the nature of government policy and funding, and consider the significance of selected artistic initiatives and literary projects (e.g the Abbey Theatre’s Dear Ireland, young people’s public arts and YA writing, the Irish Poetry Reading Archive, the Digital Platform for Contemporary Irish Writing, Radio MoLI, local/national/ international literary events and prizes, etc). We will also examine and discuss the impact of recent cultural initiatives linked to Irish culture, nationally and internationally, that are seeking to promote diversity, access and greater public inclusion.


Topics will include

Exploring Literary and Cultural Archives

Digital resources in the Irish Humanities

What do we mean by the public(s) of the public humanities?: Outreach and Engagement

Literary Texts and their Publishers: Historical Trends and the Contemporary Scene

Literary Festivals, Societies and Prizes: the Reception and Commemoration of Irish Writers

Art, the Artist and the Audience in Contemporary Irish Creative Practice

Cultural Institutions and Public Programming (including on-site visits and interviews)

Literature, Culture and the role of the Irish State

International Public Humanities: The Place of Irish Literature and Culture

UNESCO highlights a set of key competencies that support individuals in their development and support society in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UCD has adapted these competencies and is combining them with others to form a general framework of learning competencies. This module will help you develop the competencies below to the levels specified. 
Learning Competency Additional Information Level

Collaboration

 The ability to learn from others; to understand and respect the needs, perspectives and actions of others (empathy); to understand, relate to and be sensitive to others (empathic leadership); to deal with conflicts in a group; and to facilitate collaborative and participatory problem solving. Proficient

Critical Thinking

 The ability to question norms, practices and opinions; to reflect on one’s own values, perceptions and actions. Proficient

Systems Thinking

 The ability to recognize and understand relationships; to analyse complex systems; to think of how systems are embedded within different domains and different scales; and to deal with uncertainty. Proficient

Strategic

 The ability to collectively develop and implement innovative actions that further sustainability at the local level and further afield. Competent

Integrated Problem Solving

 The overarching ability to apply different problem-solving frameworks to complex sustainability problems and develop viable, inclusive and equitable solution options that promote sustainable development, integrating the competencies in this list. Competent

Self-awareness

 The ability to reflect on one’s own role in the local community and (global) society; to continually evaluate and further motivate one’s actions; and to deal with one’s feelings and desires. Proficient

Normative

 The ability to understand and reflect on the norms and values that underlie one’s actions; and to negotiate values, principles, goals, and targets, in a context of conflicts of interest and trade-offs, uncertain knowledge and contradictions. Competent

Anticipatory

 The ability to understand and evaluate multiple scenarios for the future – possible, probable and desirable; to create one’s own visions for the future; to apply the precautionary principle; to assess the consequences of actions; and to deal with risks and changes. Competent

Digital Literacy and Judgement

 The ability to access, evaluate, create and communicate information in digital environments; to engage critically, ethically and responsibly with digital technologies and digital information; to understand their opportunities, limitations, risks and impact on individual’s digital identities; and to exercise informed judgement in digital participation and decision-making. Proficient

AI Literacy & Agency

 The ability to understand, critically evaluate and responsibly engage with artificial intelligence; to recognise how AI systems are shaped by human values; to assess their ethical, social and environmental implications; and to exercise human judgement, agency and accountability in AI-related contexts. Competent

Wellbeing

 Wellbeing is having the resources and skills to meet life's challenges, including attributes such as personal development skills, resilience, stress management, strengths, lifestyle skills, nutrition, physical activity, sleep, alcohol/substance use, academic skills, time management, goal setting, interpersonal skills, group work, communication. Proficient

The United Nations identified seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as core to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and UCD contributes in general to SDG 4 Quality Education. Further SDGs explored within this module if relevant are listed below. A scale of 1 - 5 indicates the extent to which the SDG is covered.


Goal Name Description Coverage

Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all 5

Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels 4
 

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Specified Learning Activities

50
Autonomous Student Learning

150
Seminar (or Webinar)

20
Total

220

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
This module is taught through seminar format and will also feature a series of on-site visits.

AI Not Permitted: The use of AI tools is not permitted in this module. Students are expected to engage directly with module materials and activities without the use of AI tools.

A proportion of written assignments in each module in the School of English, Drama and Film are subject to moderation, meaning they undergo a second layer of review by another grader. This is to promote consistency within and between modules in the same level and discipline.

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade Component repeat (in-module) Offered
Portfolio: Students will complete 4 of a range of 8 possible assignments over the course of the module, to be submitted as a portfolio at the end of term. Week 7, Week 14 Graded No
100
 No

As part of UCD's student support, under the Additional Consideration policy, extensions may be available for the following assessments in the module: Assignment (including essay/poster), Portfolio, Reflective Assignment, Report(s), and Individual Project.


Carry forward of passed components
No
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Spring No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, on an activity or draft prior to summative assessment
• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Peer review activities

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Not yet recorded.

Name Role
Assoc Professor Lucy Collins Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Assoc Professor Clare Hayes-Brady Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Assoc Professor Anne Mulhall Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Dr Karen Wade Lecturer / Co-Lecturer

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - Autumn: All Weeks Fri 11:00 - 12:50
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