Keith Ó Riain, MIC PhD Graduate
Bhain Keith a PhD amach sa Ghaeilge le Roinn na Gaeilge CMgS le déanaí. Pléann sé a thaighde dhochtúireachta ar fhile ón ochtú haois déag a bhí beagnach lighte i ndearmad ag scoláirí go dtí seo: Éadbhard de Nógla.
Cad a dhein tú do do bhunchéim agus do d’iarchéim?
Dheineas staidéar ar an nGaeilge agus Stair anseo i gCMgS do mo bhunchéim. Thógas modúla éagsúla san Fhealsúnacht freisin agus chuireas mo thráchtas fochéime i gcrích i Roinn na Staire ar Mentalité na nGael i Luimneach i lár na hochtú haoise déag bunaithe ar dhánta Fhilí na Máighe.
Dheineas mo chuid staidéir iarchéime i Roinn na Gaeilge CMgS agus bhaineas céim dhochtúireachta amach le déanaí. Dhírigh mo thaighde ar shaol agus saothar Éadbhaird de Nógla, file ón ochtú haois déag. Bhí an t-ádh orm Scoláireacht Iarchéime Rialtas na hÉireann ó Chomhairle Taighde na hÉireann a fháil don tionscadal seo.
Inis dúinn faoi do thaighde
Chuireas saothar Éadbhaird de Nógla, file ón ochtú haois déag, in eagar do mo thaighde iarchéime. Maireann dán is daichead ó lámh Éadbhaird i lámhscríbhinní ón ochtú agus ón naoú haois déag i gcartlanna in Éirinn, i Sasana agus sna Stáit Aontaithe. Chum de Nógla amhráin de gach sort ó dhánta Seacaibíteacha, amhráin ghrá do striapach ó Ché Chorcaí, caoineadh dá ghadhair agus 116 líne filíochta ar an mball fearga fiú. Chomh maith le heagrán criticiúil de shaothar liteartha an Nóglaigh, scríobhas staidéar ar na dánta ó thaobh na litríochta agus staire de, ag díriú ar an bpolaitíocht, mná, cléir, cairde, greann, seanaois agus barántais, maraon le scéal beatha an Nóglaigh. Cuireann an tráchtas saothar de Nógla os comhair scoláirí agus lucht léite na Gaeilge ar an mbealach céanna ná mar a deineadh le filí móra na tréimhse cheana. Thairis sin, cuireann sé béim ar leith ar luach stairiúla na ndánta agus do stair shóisialta go háirithe.
Cad é an rud is fearr leat faoi do thaighde
Is breá liom obair na cartlainne. Is iontach an rud lámhscríbhinní ón ochtú haois déag a bhreith i do lámha agus na hamhráin inti – amhráin nach bhfuil cloiste nó canta le níos mó ná dhá chéad bhliain – a fheisicnt agus a chloisteáil agus tú á dtras-scríobh. Chomh maith le turais taighde i gCorcaigh, Gaillimh, Má Nuad agus Baile Átha Cliath, b’éigean dom dul go Sasana chun lámhscríbhinní a bhreathnú freisin agus bhí an deis agam taisteal chuig Manchester, Cambridge, Oxford agus Londain. Is maith liom an eagarthóireacht freisin – is mór an dúshlán téacsanna a chur in eagar ach ní beag an tairbhe agus sásúil a bhaintear as an gcuid sin den obair freisin.
Cén comhairle atá agat do dhaoine atá ag smaoineamh tabhairt faoi chlár iarchéime trí thaighde?
Dein cinnte go bhfuil fíor-shuim agat i d’ábhar taighde ar dtús agus go bhfuil poitéinseal ag do thaighde tionchar a bheith aige ar an scoláireacht. Is fiú an tionscadal a phleanáil amach ó thús deireadh sula dtosnaíonn tú agus an plean sin a aontú le do stiúrthóir chomh maith. Dein an mó dréachtaí agus is féidir leat de do chuid scríbhneoireachta – deineann cleachtadh máistreacht, mar a deirtear. Tá sé tábhachtach gan an taighde agus an scríbhneoireacht a bhrostú agus chun sosanna a thógáil ón dtionscadal freisin. Dein do dhícheall gan do mhisneach a chailliúint nuair a théann tú i ngleic le dúshláin agus teip – bíonn dóthain foghlaim phraiticiúil ó na nithe sin is a bhíonn agat ón dtaighde féin, go hiondúil.
Keith was recently awarded his PhD in Irish which he completed with the Irish Department at MIC. He discusses his doctoral research on an eighteenth-century poet, Éadbhard de Nólga, 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 MIC for my BA. I also took modules in Philosophy and completed my undergraduate dissertation with the Department of History on the Mentalité 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 MIC and completed my PhD recently. My research focused on the life and work of Éadbhard de Nógla, 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 Éadbhard de Nógla, an eighteenth-century Irish language poet. Forty-one poems from de Nógla’s hand survive in manuscripts from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries in archives in Ireland, England and the USA. De Nógla 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 Nógla’s 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 Nógla’s 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 – 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 – 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 – 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 – there’s usually as much applicable learning from these as from your actual research.
