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HIS10480

Academic Year 2026/2027

Decoding atrocity (HIS10480)

Subject:
History
College:
Arts & Humanities
School:
History
Level:
1 (Introductory)
Credits:
10
Module Coordinator:
Professor Tadhg O' Hannrachain
Trimester:
Spring
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

The historical memory of Oliver Cromwell in Ireland has tended to be overwhelmingly negative. For generations his name was associated with anti-Catholic and anti-Irish bigotry, persecution and massacre. This course examines Oliver Cromwell and Ireland in historical context, seeking to understand the motivations and actions of this most influential of figures, not only during his short sojourn in the island, but during the formative period leading up to 1649 and in the years after his departure when Ireland was governed in turn by his sons-in-law and his son.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

On completion of this module, students should have gained an awareness of the role played by Oliver Cromwell in Irish History. They should have gained experience
a) in the critical reading of secondary sources at a level suitable to Level I students, together with an introduction to some primary material.
b) in the production of an essay plan and an essay
c) oral discussion of historiographical texts
d) presentation of their own ideas and conclusions concerning the material they have read in the context of class discussions.

Indicative Module Content:

Class topics: 1. Oliver Cromwell: the extraordinary man; 2. Cromwell and Ireland prior to 1649; 3. The Military Culture of Early Modern Ireland (1); 4. The Military Culture of Early Modern Ireland (2); 5. Reading Week; 6. Cromwell in Ireland (1); 7. Cromwell in Ireland (2); 8. The Demographic Impact of the Cromwellian Conquest; 9.Cromwell and the Cromwellian Settlement of Ireland; 10. Feedback session

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. Advanced Beginner

Critical Thinking

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

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. Novice

Strategic

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

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. Novice

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. Advanced Beginner

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. Advanced Beginner

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. Novice

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. Advanced Beginner

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. Advanced Beginner

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. Advanced Beginner

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 1

Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels 1
 

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Seminar (or Webinar)

24
Specified Learning Activities

60
Autonomous Student Learning

140
Total

224

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
This is a small-group, seminar-based module. It is taught through a two-hour weekly
seminar. The first part of the seminar consists of of a brief overview of of the
week’s topic. The second part of the weekly seminar is focused upon individual active / task-based learning by means of source criticism, historiographical discussion, class discussion including a formal debate. Advanced research, writing and citation
skills are developed through the production of two written assignments Autonomous learning is advanced through student-led debate and discussion of set sources .
Generative AI cannot be used for any aspect of the writing of assignments in this course.
A proportion of written assignments in each module in the School of History are subject to moderation, meaning they undergo a second layer of review by another grader. This can include oral moderation meetings where the student is invited in for a short meeting with the module coordinator to discuss the assignment. Moderation contributes to better informed marking.

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 In Module Component Repeat Offered
Assignment(Including Essay): Reading analysis or essay plan Week 7 Graded No
30
 No
Assignment(Including Essay): Essay based substantially on seminar readings on a set topic provided in the course handbook. Week 11 Graded No
50
 No
Group Work Assignment: Participation in class seminars and activities based on reading of set documents. Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8, Week 9, Week 10, Week 11 Graded No
20
 No

Carry forward of passed components
No
 

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

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment
• Online automated feedback

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

The essay plan is designed to allow students to present their proposed essay structure to the class leader who will provide written comments. Feedback on the debate performance will be given in class both to the group as a whole and individually. Students will receive detailed written comments on their essays online through Brightspace.

Reading list will be available on Brightspace

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Spring Seminar Offering 1 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Wed 11:00 - 12:50
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