Graduation stories March 2022

As the founder and musical director of well known ‘Dolce’ mixed voice choir in Dublin, it was not surprising that Deirdre Ni Chaomhanaigh composed a piece suitable for such a choir as part of her portfolio for her MA in Choral Studies. 

Deirdre says one of her loves in life is music and in 2019, when it came to looking at how she could do more for the choir, DCU had introduced the Masters in Choral Studies.

She explained the choir had won prizes in competitions and “I realised we had reached such a point, I could not bring them any further, I did not know enough how to improve them anymore.” 

At the time the two year part-time course had a combination of modules that appealed to her. “To do a course which combined composing and conducting and had the choral context as the third aspect of it, was just so good.”

“It is hard to find words to express how really, really positive it was. Our lecturers were just brilliant, they were excellent teachers as well as being brilliant in their own areas. The positivity, the encouragement, the relentless good humour, it is hard to underline just how important that was.”

She said that Dolce sponsored her and, “it meant we were all united on where we wanted the choir to go. I wanted the choir to get better, they wanted to get better and that meant harder work and they were prepared to do that and they voted to support me in that way.”

Unfortunately there was just one full semester on campus in 2019 before COVID-19 resulted in courses going online. 

Deirdre, who is originally from Raheny, Dublin, praised the lecturers who redesigned the course so it could be delivered on line and she made mention of lecturers Róisín Blunnie, Seán Doherty and Patricia Flynn. 

For her Masters, Deirdre prepared a portfolio of compositions and said, “I loved it so much that I am starting a PhD in September in composition in DCU,” and her supervisor will be Seán Doherty.

She included her love of Irish in her portfolio too; some poems she wrote music for were in Irish. Her undergraduate degree was in Irish and Music.

One of the pieces she composed for her portfolio was for a mixed voice choir and she dedicated it to Dolce.

Even though they were not on campus, she said DCU did not forget about students and, “there were regular emails offering any sort of help in loads of different areas.”

As she prepares to graduate, Deirdre says she now has, “a lot more confidence in my conducting ability and a lot more confidence in my own musical ability.” 

“It has come from the positive reinforcement of having somebody else say, ‘you are spot on there.’ It makes a huge difference and it means that instead of me saying, ‘maybe we'll try it again faster,’ now I know to say, 'we're going to try it again faster, focusing this time on crispness of diction.’”

“I know what to do to make it better. That is the magical thing - it is confidence within me (and) confidence in how to improve the choir that I have now that I didn’t have before the Masters.”

Fiona has written as a journalist for twenty years, she has had two non-fiction books published and it was during her MA in Creative Writing in DCU that Fiona McPhillips started writing her novel, Underwater, for her thesis.

It was runner up for the 2021 Crime Writers Association Debut Dagger award and generated lots of interest from agents.

Fiona said, “I'd been threatening to write a novel for a few years but never seemed to have the time to commit to it.”

Having secured a place on the part-time MA course in DCU, she had something that gave her “time and permission to write.”

In the first year there were modules on poetry, play-writing, screen-writing and fiction. At the end of the first year, Fiona said, “I loved screenwriting so much I thought I might go in that direction, which I do intend to do, but I think what I did not realise was how much one feeds into the other.”

She explained, “I did not realise how much poetry would improve my prose or how much screenwriting would focus on the visual.” She now thinks very visually when writing, “almost to the point of thinking of camera angles for certain scenes which then allows me to write those scenes in a certain visual way.”

“With screenwriting and playwriting there is a very strong focus on dialogue. It is something I have always loved but it (module) gives it an even greater focus because you can’t waste any words there.”

She was successful in having every piece of work submitted for college published in a literary magazine.

During her Masters, Fiona also did a Curtis Brown Creative course on Writing a Psychological Thriller and that was when she began writing her novel. She submitted the first few chapters to the Crime Writers Associations’ Dagger Award and it went on to become the runner up.

At that stage (literary) agents were contacting her and she continued to work on Underwater as her thesis, “in the knowledge there would be several agents waiting for the finished product at the end for it; it was a massive incentive.”

She feels the best thing about the course was the workshop with other writers. For a lot of writers the scariest thing, “is putting their work out there for the first time and when you have got to do it, week in, week out, it just becomes second nature.”

There is a group of writers that continues to meet on a regular basis and she said, “to be able to get regular weekly or monthly feedback on your work, that is definitely the best thing that has come out of it.”

During 2021, Fiona was also the recipient of a literary bursary from The Arts Council.

An important aspect of the MA in Creative Writing in DCU was that it was accessible on a part-time basis, “all of us who did it part-time were working or had kids, so none of us able to commit to it full-time.”

She found that during the pandemic, the ability to continue online, worked well for her.

She said, “writing is something people come to later in life because of commitments, especially women when the kids have grown up a bit, that is why I did it in DCU. I just couldn’t or wouldn’t have been able to commit to do it anywhere else.”

Stephanie Collins entered DCU as a mature student and said it was her perseverance that saw her dream to be a nurse come true.

She had her heart set on nursing in secondary school but struggled with maths in the Leaving Certificate. Her journey to DCU saw her repeat her Leaving Cert, take up a PLC in pre-nursing and then working as a health care assistant.

She explained, “I took a job as a health care assistant until I was the age to apply as a mature student.”

She said, “at the time I wanted to be a general nurse but I didn’t get the points. I did get the points for intellectual disability nursing. I really feel everybody has a path in life and maybe that was the path I was to go down.”

“I was overjoyed when I got a place in DCU. Before then I would drive past the college and say, ‘one day I will be up there. I will get my dream. I literally jumped for joy when I got that CAO offer, I was so happy.”

“I had this dream for a long, long time and it was really perseverance that kept me going,” she added.

She admits that she found the transition to college came with challenges and she availed of the student supports at DCU including the Career Services Centre and from the Writing Centre, the latter which, “helped me when structuring assignments.”

She said without the various supports, “I would not have got to where I am, I would not have done so well in my course. I was not fresh out of school and as a mature student I really struggled.” She also had her son during her degree and said, “the supports I got from the college gave me the drive and motivation to continue with my course.”

She said the last two years, during the pandemic, were hard but again she persevered.

“It gives me this hunger to go on and pursue my studies even more now that I have got the degree; I hope in one or two years time I can return and go back on campus and do my post-grad in paediatrics.”

Stephanie, who is from Ballymun, also does not want people to be put off pursuing college because of their address.

“I went to share my experience with other people who think that just because they are from a disadvantaged area, they can’t have a dream and they can’t pursue it.”

“I think it (DCU) is such a great place, it gives me this hunger to go on and pursue my studies even more now that I have got the degree.”

Now working full-time in nursing, Stephanie believes that the work placements that are part of the degree, “definitely helped when securing work after my course. We got great exposure to different areas and it gave me the skills and confidence in my new role as a staff nurse.”

“Overall I have had a really enjoyable experience at DCU and really loved my time on campus.”

“For people considering doing a course in DCU, I would recommend they attend the open day and have a chat to current students in the college and (hear) what great resources DCU has to offer.”

After graduating into the pandemic, Patrick O’Donoghue was “looking around for the best place to do something to help me break into writing or journalism, and of course the Masters in DCU in Journalism has such a prestigious reputation.”

He is working full-time as a journalist and said, “even now I am finding out that every second person you talk to in media has gone through the School of Communications in DCU, it is so embedded in the media sphere in Ireland.”

Patrick, from Arklow, County Wicklow, feels the Masters in Journalism left him prepared for the changing world for journalists.

“It leaves you very well prepared to enter into that world where everything is going to be online first. It gets you thinking about how to present stories in a digital world. It enhances your skills as a storyteller in the modern world for sure.”

This is done without neglecting or disregarding the print history of journalism. He said there is a way of harmonising and bringing both together and how they can benefit each other.

Telling stories in a digital age though means “everyone is competing for attention and attention spans are getting shorter and shorter so I suppose understanding how to make your story stand out and grab attention was definitely something they put a big emphasis on and helped us with.”

Patrick, who always liked writing and was Magazine Editor of University Times in the final year of his undergrad in philosophy and sociology in Trinity College, said, “I realised as soon as I began some of the course work with the Masters that I had no idea how to write news stories.”

“I did not understand how to write with brevity, to be really succinct and to melt down huge amounts of information into just a few brief sentences or paragraphs, I didn’t really appreciate the art that that is, the skill you must have to do that.”

He also learnt other multimedia skills including putting videos together. Patrick said, “I’d definitely have no problem putting my own podcast together, shooting my own videos or news reports for any TV channel or station.”

“You are not just learning how to write. You learn how to be a storyteller visually and through audio as well. You get a hand in how to produce radio and tv packages as well, so it is a really comprehensive introduction to the world of media.”

Sometimes they were thrown in at the deep end but he said, “being put on the spot relentlessly and continuously, you build up a confidence and resilience.”

The pandemic meant students were unable to go into courtrooms or other in person events but as much as possible was completed online such as a discussion with the BBC’s Political Editor Laura Kuennsberg.

Patrick is a self-confessed political junkie and said one of the high points was the opportunity to interview “one of my heroes in journalism Peter Oborne,” who is former chief political commentator with the Daily Telegraph.

Patrick won the James Downey memorial prize “which is awarded to the student on the MA in Journalism who produces the best work of political reporting.”

“My thesis was on the subject of elite source use in journalism and the anonymity that can often go with it.”

“I have ended up working at one of the biggest media outlets - the Times and the Sunday Times. It is a dream come true for me to be working for them and if you had told me as a young boy that I would be writing now for then, I would have had to pinch myself.”

Having graduated from DCU with a first class honours degree in Communications Studies in June 2020, Sadbh Cox said when it came to where she should do her Masters, she knew DCU was ‘the right place’.

“I was drawn to journalism because of the ever-growing issue of ‘fake news’. After seeing some of the public reaction to COVID-19, I felt strongly that I wanted to work in an industry that strives to provide accurate and sound knowledge.”

She had already had a positive academic experience with her undergraduate degree and, “after looking at the wealth of experience of the lecturers, I knew DCU was the right place for me to gain a well-rounded insight into the journalism industry.”

Now working in Virgin Media as an assistant producer on The Tonight Show, she said, “Journalism in DCU has a reputation for producing both sharp and resourceful journalists, so of course that helped when it came to finding a job.”

As part of her Masters she did an INTRA placement in The Sunday Times and Times Ireland, which had been her first choice.

“Immediately I was embraced as part of the team. I was supported and encouraged the whole way through. I received individual feedback directly from my editor and I was taught the necessary skills, and more, throughout the entire internship. They allowed me to do real reporting straight away, and I never felt like ‘just the intern.’”

“I felt completely trusted to pursue my pitches and provide a solid news story. Being able to pitch your own ideas and receive feedback from professionals was unmatched, and I am extremely grateful to them for their patience and insight. The experience I gained was crucial when it came to securing a job in the television industry.”

“Overall, I would say the INTRA placement gives every DCU student a massive edge in securing a foot in the door.”

“Media can be an incredibly difficult industry to break into, and the INTRA programme played a huge part in my decision to do the Masters. The academic side of the programme is hugely important, but nothing can beat hands-on experience in a newsroom.”

“One of our lecturers used to always say, ‘you’ll learn more in your first week of INTRA than you will in 3 months in a classroom,’ and that turned out to be completely true,” she said.

She was able to complete her INTRA but said the pandemic restrictions meant she only got into the DCU campus twice during her masters degree.

“The staff were very supportive, and offered a number of resources that we could access online, and I’m lucky that I had a great support network around me during that time.”

“Masters are tough without throwing a pandemic in on top, but the challenge of online learning made my work ethic stronger, and also made the transition to remote working easy once I had secured employment. It was filled with ups and downs, but makes it all the more satisfying to be graduating with my degree knowing how hard I worked during the year.”

Sadbh, who is from Dublin, did her dissertation on ‘How the Media Framed the Black Lives Matter Movement.’

She admits she was still unsure of exactly what she wanted to do when she first started in DCU and, “all I knew was that I wanted to do something in media.”

“Throughout my undergraduate studies, I was exposed to so many possibilities and had the chance to consider each one and decide what I truly wanted to do. The wide range of modules and my lecturer’s insight helped me grow my interests and strengths and develop them into my career goals.”

“DCU’s environment supported me and offered me a world of options, and ultimately got me to where I am today, landing my dream job in television. DCU is unique in that it offers real-world industry insight, and teaches you in a way that prepares you for employment. Doing the masters in journalism was the best decision I made, and I couldn't recommend it more.”

Simon Bridge has an extensive background working with enterprising business and entrepreneurs.

He is a visiting professor at Ulster University, has co-authored ‘Understanding Enterprise, Entrepreneurs and Small Business’ and he has delivered lectures at a number of colleges on the island of Ireland.

This week he collects his PhD from Fiontar & Scoil na Gaeilge at DCU where his supervisor was Dr. Ciarán Mac an Bhaird. At 76, he is one of DCU’s oldest graduates.

His thesis focuses on a specific aspect of the business world that has interested him for some time.

Titled ‘Questioning Conventional Enterprise Wisdom,’ his thesis also provided the foundation for a book, published earlier this year by Routledge, called ‘The Persistence of Entrepreneurship Myths, Reclaiming Enterprise.’

Simon’s academic history includes an engineering degree (MA) from Cambridge and a business degree (MSc) from the London Business School.

In 1984 he was appointed Enterprise Director for LEDU (Local Enterprise Development Unit), then the Northern Ireland government’s small business agency.

In 1985 he helped NISBI (Northern Ireland Small Business Institute at the University of Ulster) to host an annual business conference for academics and policy makers and he continued to attend this conference each year. Simon also chaired a Department of Economic Development task force exploring ways to make Northern Ireland more enterprising.

Now retired, he availed of the opportunity to do his PhD at DCU and with Ciaran supervising.

The thesis includes a chapter on 35 years of enterprise development in Northern Ireland. Simon also discusses theories about the development of knowledge and why, in a relatively new subject, it should be expected that initial ideas are checked and will be found to be wanting.

He has found that, around the world, even though government policies can put a range of supports in place to support business start-ups and enterprise, such as less red tape or tax breaks, that this is not necessarily reflected in the number of people who want to go down that path.

He suggests that this may have to do with “what are the social norms in your particular social circle.”

There is historical research to support this and, he said, “it is not until you get to the industrial revolution where it is sufficiently socially acceptable to make money out of business, that people back business.”

Simon is currently working with Ulster University on a joint investigation with the Federation of Small Business on business start-up rates. For all those, he said, “the conclusions expounded in my thesis are very helpful.”

“I would one hundred percent encourage coming to DCU. It is a thriving dynamic research community of students, writers and scholars,” says Dr Jennifer Mooney, who this week will receive her doctorate from the School of English.

Jennifer began her third level education graduating with a Bachelor of Education from St. Patrick’s College in 2010 where she was also recipient of the School of English John Killeen medal.

She returned to study for her MA in Children and Young Adult Literature in 2015 at DCU and said,“the encouragement and the excellence in terms of the teachers and lecturers was always to the fore for me.”

They encouraged her to continue on after her Masters to do her PhD and she said, “they encouraged me to apply for a scholarship, which I did and was (subsequently) awarded for my PhD.” 

Jennifer began her PhD in 2017 and completed it last year. “My PhD was called ‘Feminism and Power in the Works of Louise O’Neill.’ It was exploring the relationship between feminist

theories of power and empowerment and her young adult texts, within the context of contemporary Irish and international young adult literature but more broadly I also looked at other Irish women young adult authors whose works are characterised by a determination to confront controversial issues in Irish history and culture. “

She has found a supportive community throughout her time at DCU. The accessibility of being able to do her Masters on a part-time basis was, Jennifer explained,“really important to me as I was working full-time.”

When it came to her doctorate there was the encouragement to pursue a scholarship as well as the understanding that some people were working while also continuing with their studies. There were other supports too such as “providing opportunities to share research within the university and putting you forward for conferences and other work opportunities that might arise. That all really helped me.”

In addition to wanting to pursue her PhD, she also was interested in moving towards working in third level on a full time basis. She achieved that and now works in the School of English in DCU.

She says that move, “would not have happened without all of the different supports and encouragements that I was given.” She says DCU “is also innovative, it looks to the future, it is at the cutting edge in terms of research and scholarship and it is an exciting and supportive place to be.”

As Assistant Professor and based at All Hallows Campus, she lectures across undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes. She is deputy chair of the MA in Children’s and Young Adult literature and co-director, Centre for Research in Children’s and Young Adult Literature.

Dr Mooney will shortly have a book published, based on her PhD, by Routledge. It is called ‘Feminist Discourse in Irish Literature: Gender and Power in Louise O'Neill's Young Adult Fiction.