Explore UCD

UCD Home >

HIS31760

Academic Year 2026/2027

Irish Foreign Policy, 1919-73: A Place Among the Nations (HIS31760)

Subject:
History
College:
Arts & Humanities
School:
History
Level:
3 (Degree)
Credits:
10
Module Coordinator:
Dr Susannah Riordan
Trimester:
Spring
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

This module explores the development of Irish foreign policy from the efforts of the First Dáil to gain international recognition of Irish independence to the year in which Ireland joined the EEC. The pursuit of sovereignty, the conduct of Anglo-Irish relations, and the decision to remain neutral during World War II are important parts of this story, but only parts. The module examines a variety of bilateral, and multilateral, relationships, especially Ireland’s membership of the League of Nations and the United Nations. The module raises questions such as: What did Irish policy-makers understand as ‘the national interest’ and how did they pursue it? How did Ireland come to ‘punch above its weight’ on the international stage? Was Irish foreign policy idealistic – and if so, what informed those ideals?

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

On successful completion of this module students should have:
- Developed an understanding of the international and national political, economic, military, social and intellectual forces that shaped Irish foreign policy in the twentieth century.
- Engaged with and evaluated the historiographical and critical debates surrounding foreign policy in this period.
- Critically analysed key primary and secondary sources.
- Engaged in group discussion of these sources and presented their conclusions.
- Developed their skills in written analysis.
- Undertaken self-directed research towards a final project.

Indicative Module Content:

This module will cover the following main areas: Week 1: Introduction: The parameters of Irish Foreign Policy; Week 2: The Dáil, the Treaty and the Origins of the Department of External Affairs; Week 3: The Quest for Sovereignty I: Cumann na nGaedheal; Week 4: The Quest for Sovereignty II: Fianna Fáil; Week 5: Neutrality and Wartime Diplomacy; Week 6: Cold Warriors? Ireland and the Post-War World; Week 7: Ireland at the United Nations; Week 8: Partition, Diplomacy and North-South Relations; Week 9: From Civil Rights to Sunningdale; Week 10: The Road to the EEC; Week 11: Conclusions.

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. Competent

Critical Thinking

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

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. Competent

Strategic

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

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. Advanced Beginner

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. Competent

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. Advanced Beginner

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. Competent

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Specified Learning Activities

95
Autonomous Student Learning

95
Lectures

11
Seminar (or Webinar)

22
Total

223

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
This is a small-group module which is taught through a one-hour weekly lecture and a two-hour seminar. The weekly lecture provides an overview of the weeks topic, examining historical events, trends and debates. The weekly seminar is focused on individual active/task-based learning by means of student presentations and class discussions and debate. Advanced research, writing and citation skills are developed through a combined individual student presentation on primary and secondary sources and written essay and a semester-long 4,000 word research project. Autonomous learning is advanced through student presentations, student-led debate and discussion of set primary and secondary sources.

Generative AI is not permitted to be used in this module. Any questions about this should be addressed to the module coordinator.

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): A presentation to be given in the seminar and, one week later, submitted in the form of a written essay. Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8, Week 9, Week 10, Week 11 Graded No
40
 No
Individual Project: A research project with a title jointly to be decided by the student and the module coordinator. Week 14 Graded No
40
 No
Participation in Learning Activities: Students will be graded on their participation during seminars. (NB: This is not based on attendance but on active participation and discussion.) 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

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

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Feedback on the combined 15-minute presentation/1,500 word essay will be given individually in person and on Brightspace. Written and oral feedback will be provided on an ongoing basis on preparatory plans and primary and secondary source bibliographies for the end-of-semester research project. Feedback on the end-of-semester research project will be given on Brightspace once grades have been published.

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 Thurs 09:00 - 10:50
Spring Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Wed 15:00 - 15:50
Print this page
Fill in the following details:
Enter the body of your query here.

From time to time UCD would like to send you further information that we feel, based on your enquiry, would be of interest to you.