PhD Students

Kelly Adamson is a third-year PhD student at Dublin City University where she was awarded

the Irish Research Council Postgraduate Scholarship in 2021. In 2019, she graduated with an

MA in Modern Irish History in DCU. From 2018-2019, she took part in research for the

Leprosy Mission in their fight against leprosy worldwide.

Her thesis focuses on the development of public health policy at crisis points, taking World

War II as a lens. At present, she is working on developments in nutrition, infant mortality,

tuberculosis (TB) and the institutionalisation of the mentally-ill during the Emergency

period. Examining how public health was affected by the political, social and economic

priorities of the time, her research explores why certain diseases were prioritised over

others at this crisis juncture. Within this, she is particularly interested in the rationing of

public health measures at severe crisis points and discerning the extent to which public

health policy reflected the body-politic of the early Republic.

 

@kellyadamson22

I am a recipient of a Ph.D. scholarship scheme in the School of History and Geography offered by the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at Dublin City University in Ireland.

Before embarking on my doctoral studies, I served as a professional tutor for five years at New Edubiase Senior High School under the auspices of the Ghana Education Service. Over this period of professional service, I contributed to developing students’ knowledge of the features of the earth’s crust (internal and external), marine, river, underground, desert, glacial processes and features, and the interactions that exist between humans and these spatial features, as well as, the changes that occur over space and time to maintain sustainability in the natural ecosystem. 

Maxwell possesses a Bachelor of Science in Geography and Regional Planning (First Class Honors) from the University of Cape Coast, Ghana, and a Diploma in Education (Distinction) from the University of Education, Winneba, Ghana. Further, I hold a Master of Philosophy in Geography and Rural Development from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana. Generally, my master’s degree research assessed the impact of shoreline erosion on the vulnerability of coastal residents in the Ahanta West Municipality of Ghana. Among the objectives included examining the predominant drivers of shoreline erosion in the study area, computing the extent and rate of shoreline erosion in the study area from 1986 to 2021 using the Digital Shoreline Analysis System, analyzing the terrain of the study area using geomorphic parameters like slope, elevation, drainage density, lineament density, geology, land use, and land cover. Ascertained the implications of shoreline erosion on the vulnerability of coastal residents and suggested appropriate mitigation strategies for shoreline erosion in the Ahanta West Municipality. This enormous experience, passion, and knowledge of coastal dynamics and processes and their emerging analytical technologies and applications piqued my incessant interest to take the notch higher in my doctoral studies.

At the moment, my Ph.D. research focuses on assessing the lithology and structure of the stability of rocky coastlines on the West Coast of Ireland using representative sites. The study will investigate the factors that influence coastal cliff erosion, including wave action and rock mass properties, and highlight the importance of understanding the influence of different lithologies and rock structures on erosion patterns. The role of discontinuities in erosion rates is also explored, and the need for more comprehensive analysis using advanced data collection methods and modeling techniques will be emphasized. The study also highlights the significance of rock coast erosion in the global sediment flux and the need for further study to determine the contribution of Ireland’s rocky shoreline to coastal sediment budgets.  Methodologically, this study aims to use the Structure from Motion photogrammetry technique, drones, and various software like SIFT algorithm, Agisoft Metashape, and CloudCompare to collect and analyze data on Ireland’s rocky coastline. Furthermore, the study will use CloudCompare’s tools to visualize DEMs of differences and quantify changes on rocky coasts. An observation-based minimum and extrapolated sediment flux will be used to determine the contribution of Ireland’s rocky shoreline to the coastal sediment budget. Again, the study will employ XBeach, Delft3D, and SWAN to analyze output data and determine the relative contributions of wave characteristics and rock mass characteristics in the stability of the rocky coast. The study is critical to better understand the mechanisms driving rocky coast erosion and sedimentation dynamics, and future risks to the coastline’s stability.

Hayley is a PhD candidate in the School of History and Geography. She is researching the post-revolutionary lives of Irish republican women. Hayley wants to expand our understanding of the Irish Revolutionary period through a ‘bottom-up’, holistic approach to the sources. Gender, class, social, cultural, and transnational perspectives are central to her research. Hayley holds a BA in English and History and an MA in History from Dublin City University. She is also a member of the Women’s History Association of Ireland (WHAI) and the Memory Studies Association (MSA). Hayley’s PhD thesis considers the post-revolutionary lives of women active in the republican campaigns in the period 1916 – 1923. Through a bottom-up examination of women’s Military Service Pension applications, she argues that the Irish Free State, wider society, and the Catholic church restricted women’s lives, notably from the Civil War period. Class and gender analysis inform the methodologies central to the thesis. Hayley’s thesis takes a multi-faceted approach to consider how legacy, memory and participation in the Irish revolution affected women’s lives.

Conferences and Public Talks:

• “Shock, Strain, and Hardship” – Women and the Irish Revolution, Irish History Student’s Association, First Virtual Conference, March 2021.
• ‘Women and the Irish Revolution’ – Coolock / Darndale Adult Literacy Service, May 2021.
• ‘We Were There, We Are Here: Women in Politics’, Brigit 2022, Hosted by Lord Mayor Alison Gilliland, February 2022. (Link: https://www.crowdcast.io/e/Women-in-Politics)
• ‘Women of the Revolution’, La na mBan, Ballymun CDETB, March 2022.
• ‘Postal Espionage during the War of Independence’, Gendered Networks, Women’s History Association of Ireland Conference, April 2022.
• ‘What about the women?’ Dublin City Learning Festival, April 2022

@haylesbrabz

I’m a father, husband, family history enthusiast and (increasingly slow) runner who is dedicated to continuous learning. Curiosity and a lifelong suspicion of dogma drive my motivation. For decades, I’ve been actively involved in local history societies, presenting talks on local and family history topics to various audiences. Having completed BA and MA degrees in management in 2002, I put my PhD ambitions on hold to deal with parenting and work commitments. However, retirement from a busy and rewarding career in the Garda Síochána (Ireland’s national police service) in 2018 enabled me to return to education, undertake DCU’s MA in history, and begin my current PhD research there in 2020. My research is funded by Dublin City University, Universities Ireland and the Irish Research Council.

I am researching the politics of Ireland’s food supply from 1895 to 1923. Uncovering the gravity of Ireland’s 1898 food supply crisis and developing a proxy measure for late 19th century food supply deficits have been very fortunate early research achievements. My focus is the capacity of food supply to influence political mobilisation – during the peaceful late 1890s until 1914, and afterwards during the war-time/revolutionary turmoil until 1923. So, there’s a lot of exciting work ahead!

Publications:

I presented conference papers on my research in Ireland, Northern Ireland, Britain and the Czech Republic. 

Dublin Historical Record published two articles focused on urban food production during the First World War – ‘A local war-time food supply initiative: The Clontarf and Marino allotments of 1917’ https://doras.dcu.ie/24017/ and ‘Fairview Park 1900 – 1930: forgotten achievements and landscapes’ https://doras.dcu.ie/24847/ .

 The photography of Irish hunger began during the 1898 food supply crisis. A short RTE Brainstorm article features some of my research on this development, ‘How photography told the story of Ireland’s 1898 food shortage’ https://www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2021/0616/1228495-photography-ireland-1898-food-shortage/ .

My newspaper article ‘How The Irish Field helped the hungry in 1898’ (26 June 2021) deals with the photography and reportage of the 1898 food supply crisis which was published in The Irish Field.

Food supply crisis during the Irish Civil War’ in Helene O’Keeffe, John Crowley, Donal Ó Drisceoil, John Borgonovo and Mike Murphy (eds), Atlas of the Irish Civil War: new perspectives (Cork, 2024).

How photographs put spotlight on 'famine denial' in 1925 Ireland - RTE Brainstorm article published

https://www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2023/0418/1377526-ireland-1925-food-supply-crisis-famine-denial-milton-bronner/

https://twitter.com/NCarolanHistory

Ann Marie completed her undergraduate degree with the Open University and obtained a first class Masters in Human Geography from Maynooth University in 2018. The wide variety of modules available to study through the Open University allowed her to experience a broad range of subjects while she found her niche in human and animal conjoined histories during her masters. The past 10 years or so has seen a rising interest in the importance of understanding the roles that certain animals played in the human story. New histories of cities such as London, Paris and New York have been written with animals front and centre. In her doctoral thesis, Ann Marie will explore the role of animals in Dublin's changing urban landscape in the 20th century.

Publications:

https://www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2021/1213/1266417-dublin-pigs-piggeries-history/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37Goo6M4OQE

https://www.rte.ie/radio/podcasts/22012405-horse-drawn-dublin-by-ann-marie-durkan/

https://www.rte.ie/radio/radio1/clips/22139452/

https://www.rte.ie/radio/radio1/clips/22108700/

https://www.rte.ie/radio/podcasts/22018736-when-love-is-more-than-human-by-ann-marie-durkan/

'Cleaning up Dublin's milk supply' to be published on RTE's Brainstorm in December 2022

I am a recently retired Accountant who has had careers in the energy and health sectors.  I completed a BA in Humanities (History and Literature) with Oscail (now DCU Connect) in 2010 and an MA by research in DCU (2013).  I am currently working on a PhD at the School of History and Geography DCU on the role of the Medical profession in Ireland during the War of Independence 1919-1921.

This thesis aims to examine doctors' response and involvement in Ireland during the War of Independence.  This thesis will examine how doctors individually and collectively responded to these events. It will ask whether and how that varied, depending on, such factors as political identity, religion, age, location, and type of medical practice.  In 1914 there were about 2,500 registered doctors in Ireland. They were a mixture of Catholics and Protestants from rural and urban backgrounds. Doctors came from a small, affluent section of Irish society; however, they were not homogeneous.   Most doctors, including those working in hospitals, were self-employed sole practitioners. At times doctors found themselves with multiple and sometimes contradictory roles, for example working for a Sinn Féin dominated local government and at the same time working as a prison or police doctor.

Conor began his PhD in September 2023 in the School of History and Geography. He holds a
BA in History and Geography and a MA in History, both from Dublin City University.
The central aim of Conor’s current research is to develop our understanding of the Truce
period. To achieve this, he is investigating how the Truce can best be defined, how it was
maintained with the liaison arrangements, how each side utilised the temporary pause in
hostilities, how political and religious minorities both sides of the border fared in the state of
limbo, and finally, how the period affected the development of an Irish state. Sociological
theories on conflict resolution and management are used to inspire revealing questions, as
well as place the Truce in a wider framework by tracing these theories in the Irish context,
along with quantitative analysis to identify patterns of behaviour and examine levels of
violence.
Conor’s research has the potential to, among other advantages, help link the War of
Independence and Civil War by examining the attitude of Irish civilians and combatants to
working with British representatives and investigating the extent to which Sinn Féin’s
‘counter-state’ became a reality, which could influence an individual’s opinion on the Treaty.
Conor’s approach will provide a layered exploration of the Truce period as a whole,
incorporating events at the local level and popular experiences alongside the senior military
and high politics aspects of the period..

Erica Fox is a PhD candidate at the School of History and Geography and the School of Communications, Dublin City University. She holds a Master’s degree in Climate Change from Maynooth University and a Bachelor’s degree in English and Geography from Dublin City University.

Transport is responsible for ~20% of all GHG emissions in Ireland. To meet its climate change obligations, Ireland requires a transformative approach to transport. The transformative potential of the transport sector is evident in Ireland’s transport emissions decreasing by 17% in 2020 (SEAI, 2021). However, emissions have already risen since these SEAI research findings were published, thus a greater effort is needed to ensure these reductions are sustained. The pandemic has provided a window of opportunity for researching how long-term sectoral transformation could be achieved to meet Ireland’s climate change commitments. Examples of these changes include: large scale modal shifts to public and active travel, decarbonisation zones, reduction in airline travel, significant decline in private car ownership and sustained remote working. This project addresses a knowledge gap by investigating attitudes towards transport and travel, while also assessing how behavioural changes enforced by COVID-19 travel restrictions have potential long-term ramifications regarding Ireland’s climate goals. Specifically, the research design of the project centres on bottom-up and top-down experiences of this crisis and to what extent this can be translated into long-term change in the transport sector. 

Publications:

Belton, S., Fox, E. and Kelleher, C.T., 2022. Characterising the molecular diversity of ash (Fraxinus

excelsior L.) at its western marginal range in Europe—phylogeographic insights and implications for

conservation in Ireland. Tree Genetics & Genomes, 18(5), pp.1-18.

Belton, S., Cubry, P., Fox, E. and Kelleher, C.T., 2021. Novel Post-Glacial Haplotype Evolution in Birch—

A Case for Conserving Local Adaptation. Forests, 12(9), p.1246. (Q1)

Belton, S., Fox, E., Connolly, J. and Kelleher, C. 2021. GeneNet: mapping the genetics of Ireland’s native

forests in a European context. [Poster]. Irish Ecological Association Conference, 7-8th January, online.

Belton, S. and Fox, E., 2020. GeneNet: Mapping the genetics of Ireland's native forests. Woodland,

(December),pp.20-23.

Native of County Offaly, a Catholic Priest of the Diocese of Meath. Past areas of study have been English Literature, Sociology, Philosophy and Theology. Thesis concerns the foundation and development of the Legion of Mary, an international Catholic lay movement founded in Ireland in 1921. The thesis will examine the rationale for its foundation, its unique contribution to the Church in Ireland and its social and evangelical work in Ireland and abroad. The Legion was the means through which Catholic laity, in particular women, took a more active role in the mission of the Catholic Church.

Publications:

Most recently a biography of Thomas Becket: Thomas Becket: Defender of the Church (Huntington, 2020)

From County Laois, I completed a BA in mathematics and history at the University of Galway. I subsequently completed an MA in history there, where my thesis concerned Oliver J. Flanagan and the monetary reform movement of the 1940s. Reflecting my keen interest in modern Irish history, my current PhD research focuses on the political career of long-serving government minister, James Ryan.A figure who was at the centre of the foundational events of the independent Irish state from 1916-22, James Ryan became one of the central policymakers in the Irish state during its early decades, serving as Minister for Agriculture, Health, Social Welfare and Finance at crucial junctures for each of these areas. Although described in the 1960s as one of the ‘chief architects of the new Ireland’, Ryan has nonetheless remained an underappreciated figure in Irish historiography. This research will address this obvious historiographical shortcoming by examining the formation and evolution of this key policymaker.

Publications:

 How the Civil War split an Irish republican family in two'(RTÉ Brainstorm) 

Tillage Incentivisation: A similar policy for a new era (Irish Farmers' Journal) 

@mickloughman 

Joe Rodgers is a PhD Candidate, in the School of History and Geography at DCU.

His current research is titled ‘The life of a principal street: A commercial and social history of

O’Connell Street: 1782 – 1930’. This topic concerns a history of O’Connell Street from the

time of its extension to the River Liffey and the construction of Carlisle Bridge, until the

destruction and reconstruction of much of the street following the Irish revolutionary period.

He has published two Brainstorm articles regarding this research. In addition, he has

contributed a number of published works on the topic of popular music; namely the online

publication Please Me: the album guide; a guide to the recording of the Beatles debut

album, and two articles on The Beatles in the published book Long and Winding Road: The

Greatest Beatles Stories Ever Told. His hobbies include playing and listening to music; history; travel; film and football.

Publications:

https://www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2022/0314/1286246-dublin-oconnell-bridge-carlisle-bridge-history/

https://www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2022/1022/1330784-oconnell-street-dublin-history-problems-challenges/

Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Long-Winding-Road-Greatest-Beatles/dp/1988420075

Amazon.com: The Beatles: Please Please Me - The Album Guide eBook

I completed my MSc degree in geography from King’s College London. My master’s dissertation explored nature’s contribution to Sustainable Development Goals in the Ganga-Brahmaputra River basin, using Co$tingNature, an ecosystem services modelling tool. It highlighted the enormous stress on transboundary rivers in South Asia, the lack of sectoral coordination which has led to the degradation and unsustainable use of water resources and the presence of several governance challenges. My dissertation gave me an in-depth understanding of the interconnected water, energy, food, and environment sectors, highlighting critical socio-environmental research questions which have been neglected, forming the foundation of my PhD project. My PhD will focus on the unique role hydropower development can play in addressing the SDGs, holistically assessing both positive and negative impacts on the environment and society, including marginalised and minority groups. It is a novel study as it combines stakeholder engagement with systems modelling of ecosystem services to predict impacts from hydropower developments. Prior to my masters in KCL, I completed my undergraduate degree in geography from Miranda House, University of Delhi in India. In my leisure time, I enjoy music, theatre, travelling, and dancing. I am trained in the Indian classical dance form Kathak.

Publications:

An Appraisal of Kerala Flood-2019 

Brahmaputra - a river of hope and sorrow

Kristina holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Cultural History and Anthropology from Vilnius University and Master’s Degree in Comparative History from Central European University. She is a travel grant recipient of the International Research Society for Children’s Literature 2021. Kristina presented her research at international conferences and workshops including the online conference ‘‘Contested Heritage in the 21^st Century: Eastern Europe and Beyond’, hosted by KU Leuven, in October 2022, and ‘Rethinking Intellectual History in East Central Europe. Transmission of Identities in Central Europe and Politicization of the Masses’, Bratislava, Slovakia, September 2022.  

Her current research deals with contested public space in the post-Soviet Baltic States. In particular, her project investigates the changing meaning of Soviet heritage and its perception by different memory groups in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania through a comparative lens. She analyses contested monuments and memorials that escaped original iconoclasm in the early years of independence and became highly debated. Her research scope extends outside the capital cities to smaller cities and towns in order to fully understand the changing perception of contested heritage after the dissolution of the Soviet Union.  

Cormac began his PhD in September 2022 in the School of History and Geography. He holds a BA in Spanish and History from the University of Glasgow and an MA in History from Dublin City University (DCU). He has received funding from DCU, Universities Ireland, and the Irish Research Council for his doctoral research.

His research broadens the Irish revolutionary narrative beyond that of combatants and veterans by examining the post-conflict lives of dependants who lost a family member through revolutionary violence between 1916 and 1923. His analysis of the experiences and subjectivities of dependants – widows, parents, siblings, and children – will provide new insight into how these non-combatants encountered a partitioned Ireland after revolution and civil war and widen our understanding of the personal and familial cost of the conflict and its legacy. This project is also a study of the Military Service Pensions Collection – its core primary source – in relation to revolutionary dependants.

David Chikwaza is a climate change and sustainable development researcher with a robust
background in political science and international relations. He is currently a doctoral candidate
and a member of the DCU Centre for Climate & Society at Dublin City University. David's
academic research is focused on decolonising agricultural climate change adaptation by re-
centering Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) in adaptation theory and practice. David founded
Global South Opportunities and Future Africa International- FAI, two organizations fostering
youth empowerment and climate action. He holds an MSc. International Relations, BSc. Special
Honours Degree in Politics and Administration as well as a BA Degree specialising in English
Literature and Chinese Language. He is a 2023 United Nations Graduate Study Programme
Fellow, currently serving as a Climate Ambassador for the Global Youth Climate Network
(GYCN). He contributes as a columnist to South Africa's Daily Maverick and other news outlets,
delving into topics related to climate action, politics, and governance. David’s long-term vision is
to be a sustainable development practitioner and leading voice on climate projects projects’
decolonisation/decoloniality, climate action, democratic governance, and youth leadership
development.

Publications:

“Embrace Radical Politics or Perish.” The Standard, 5 January 2024, Zimbabwe.
https://www.newsday.co.zw/thestandard/opinion/article/200021719/embrace…-
or-perish
“Forging a Just Transition: Towards Green Jobs and Rights-Based Futures.”
https://unece.org/sites/default/files/202307/2023%20%20GSP%20Report%2C%…
ition.pdf
‘‘Bridging the Gap Between Rich and Poor: A Strong Middle Class Is Key to Achieving Democratic
Transformation in Zimbabwe.’’ Daily Maverick, 06 May 2021, Zimbabwe.
https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2021-05-06-bridging-the-gap-bet…-
a-strong-middle-class-is-key-to-achieving-democratic-transformation-in-zimbabwe/

‘‘Fight or Surrender, The Plight of the Young in Zimbabwe.’’ Daily Maverick, 24 Mar 2021, South
Africa.

https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2021-03-24-fight-or-surrender-t…-
young-in-zimbabwe/
‘‘The Fertile Grounds of Despair: Why Neopatrimonialism Is a Growing Threat to Electoral
Democracy in Zimbabwe.’’ Daily Maverick, 17 June 2021, South Africa.
https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2021-06-17-the-fertile-grounds-…-
neopatrimonialism-is-a-growing-threat-to-electoral-democracy-in-zimbabwe/
‘‘The Truth Behind Voter Apathy in Zimbabwe.’’ The Vanguard Africa Watch, June 28, 2021,
USA. https://www.vanguardafrica.com/africawatch/2021/6/25/the-truth-behind-v…-
in-zimbabwe
‘‘Without an End to Conflict, the African Continental Free Trade Area is an Exercise in Futility.”
Daily Maverick, 11 January 2023, South Africa.
https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023-01-11-without-an-end-to-co…-
continental-free-trade-area-is-an-exercise-in-futility/
‘‘Zimbabweans in the Diaspora Must Be Allowed to Vote – But Politicians’ Paranoia Is Preventing
It.’’ Daily Maverick, 09 July 2021 South Africa. https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2021-07-
09-zimbabweans-in-the-diaspora-must-be-allowed-to-vote-and-politicians-paranoia-is-
preventing-it/
“Debunking Voter Registration Campaigns in Africa: Lessons for Nigeria, Kenya, and Zimbabwe.’’
Daily Maverick, 26 October 2021, South Africa. https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2021-
10-26-debunking-voter-registration-campaigns-in-africa-lessons-for-nigeria-kenya-and-
zimbabwe/
“Why Climate Change Adaptation means there should not be conditionalities for Aid.”
Democracy in Africa, 16 May, 2021. United Kingdom.
http://democracyinafrica.org/why-climate-change-adaptation-means-there-…-
conditionalities-on-aid/
Eye of the Storm: Why Devolution has the Potential to Bolster Climate Change Mitigation and
Adaptation Efforts in Zimbabwe. Daily Maverick, 28 July 2021, South Africa.
https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2021-07-28-eye-of-the-storm-why…-
has-the-potential-to-bolster-climate-change-mitigation-and-adaptation-efforts-in-
zimbabwe/

My research is centred on a large-scale reexamination of incarceration in nineteenthcentury Ireland following centralisation in 1877 through the first census of the new century. Local gaols, which saw the majority of incarceration during this period, will be the focus of this research. The local gaols were populated by those serving sentences of six months or less and saw high rates of recidivism. The highest rates of recidivism occurred among women who were known to intentionally institutionalise themselves in a seasonal manner. This research will account for spatial and temporal patterns through mapping and other data visualisation techniques. It will examine the relationship between crime, incarceration, and policing. It will explore criminality and incarceration within both rural and urban contexts. Seasonal variations within these patterns are of particular interest. This Ph.D. seeks to shed light on who was being incarcerated during this period and why. Using the recently digitised Irish Prison Registers 1790 to 1924 and records from the Public Records Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI), this exploratory study will adopt a Historical Geographic Information Systems/Science (HGIS) methodology to better understand the geography and demography of nineteenth-century women’s criminality and incarceration. The prison registers contain a wealth of demographic information alongside spatial and temporal information concerned not only with offences and sentencing but also personal details. This wealth of information will allow this Ph.D. to uncover spatiotemporal and statistical patterns of women’s criminality and incarceration in nineteenth-century Ireland at an unprecedented scale.

I am a PhD track candidate at the School of History & Geography in DCU. I completed a master’s degree in modern Irish History in 2022. My MA dissertation topic was ‘The Pivot of modern Ireland’s tax system – the introduction of Pay As You Earn, 1950 – 1960’. I have worked in tax practice for over forty years, initially with the Office of the Revenue Commissioners and subsequently as a senior executive with two of the global ‘Big 4’ accounting firms. I am currently a consultant with BDO Ireland, a leading provider of professional services in Ireland and internationally. Time and weather permitting, I like to sail occasionally.

My particular focus is in the area of tax history; however, I am also interested in military history, (having served as a commissioned officer in the Reserve Defence Force for over thirty years) and in the history of Dublin city and county. I am a member of the Military History Society of Ireland and of the Old Dublin Society.

Taxation, the ability to impose and collect public revenue, is a fundamental indicator of sovereignty as well as being a key point of intersection between the citizen and the state. My PhD thesis project deals with the evolution of the Irish personal income tax in the period from 1912 to 1990. Beginning with the taxation provisions contained in the 1912 Home Rule Act as they were intended to apply to Ireland, the study traces the evolution of the income tax from a tax initially paid only by a relatively wealthy minority, to one which is paid by virtually all income recipients, and which became, from the latter part of the 20^th century, the bedrock of Ireland’s exchequer receipts. Topics considered include the transition from British to Irish rule and the extent to which newly acquired independence influenced the application of taxation in Ireland, whether the opportunity was taken during the early days of the State to develop a distinctly Irish taxation system and how it compared to and was influenced by other countries, such as the UK and US. Other topics considered include the manner in which income tax has influenced. and been influenced by. issues in Irish society, including resistance to and protest against perceived inequality in the tax system, including gender-based inequality and wealth distribution.

Publications:

‘Why did the Revenue Commissioners not want to bring in PAYE?’

 – RTE Brainstorm  https://www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2022/1104/1333171-ireland-paye-tax-system-1960-revenue-commissioners/

‘The Universal Social Charge’, Irish Tax Review, Issue 1, 2011

‘UK Developments in the Remittance Basis of Taxation’ (with Audrey Lydon), Irish Tax Review, Issue 3, 2015.

‘Employment Status: The saga continues’, Irish Tax Review, Issue 3, 2016

‘PAYE Modernisation: A practitioner's perspective’, Irish Tax Review, Issue 1, 2018.

‘Delivered to your door: the Domino’s Pizza case and employment status’, Irish Tax Review, Issue 2, 2020.

‘‘A great engine of finance’ – PAYE 60 years on’, Irish Tax Review, Issue 2, 2021.

Rónán is a PhD candidate in the School of History and Geography focussing on aspects of late
nineteenth century political and administrative history. He also recently completed the Masters in
Climate Change: Politics, Media and Society at DCU. A mature student, he is a former Government
advisor and communications specialist.
Rónán’s thesis focusses on the campaign against over-taxation in Ireland by the British state which
concluded with a Royal Commission to examine the matter. Campaigning against the level of
taxation levied in Ireland, by politicians of all parties, was an enduring element of nineteenth-
century Irish politics and commenced almost immediately after the ratification of the Act of Union,
itself fiscally controversial. It had formerly been the subject of two House of Commons Select
Committees.
The issue was given added impetus by the proposed home rule bills of 1886 and 1893 which forced
consideration of how much devolution of fiscal powers to the proposed new home rule parliament
was appropriate and how much Ireland should be contributing to the Imperial Exchequer. The
Commission reported in a general sense that Ireland had been, and was indeed, being over-taxed.
This is a view not shared by contemporary economic historians but was surprisingly widely accepted
by British officials at the time who argued that over-taxation was being balanced by over-
expenditure.
Rónán’s thesis will assess both the ensuing Irish political campaign and the response of the British
state in the era of ‘Killing Home Rule with kindness’. It will assess the enduring legacy of the
Commission in both unionist and national discourse and its impact on the politics of taxation itself,
particularly around the debate about direct versus indirect taxation, in a wider UK context.

I am an historical geographer and historic landscape consultant with over fifteen years’ experience and a diverse portfolio having worked as a landscape architect in both the public and private sectors across Ireland.  I hold a BSc in Landscape Design, a BA in Heritage Studies and an MA in Historic House Studies and Masters by research: Assessing historic woodlands on Gurteen demesne, Co. Waterford using an interdisciplinary approach developed from theory in landscape studies.

My thesis examines two adjoining landed estates in Stradbally, Co. Laois. Using the Cosby and Walsh-Kemmis landed estates, it seeks to understand the practices and experiences of colonialism as expressed in the landscapes, societies, and archives that arose from estate management governed by landlordism. The history of these estates differs in respect of family origins, modes of acquisition, and longevity of connection with Stradbally, yet are similar in having retained ownership of some of their original estates and archives to the present day. This is highly unusual in the Irish context and makes Stradbally a unique place to examine the effects of colonialism within a postcolonial framework. My thesis proposes three novel approaches. Firstly, it uses a fine-grained analysis at farm and town plot level to deliver a detailed study of land occupation and ownership to understand Stradbally’s social and physical spaces within, between, and across two landed estates in the colonial era. In this, it uses the families’ private estate papers alongside national records to uncover the relationship between the physical landscape and the paper sources which influenced the formation of the social and material world of colonial Stradbally. Secondly, it advances methods in historical geography by using geographic information systems to read historical sources and analyse the socio-spatial geographies created by landed estate administration and management. Finally, it deepens engagement with archival theory by reading the archives’ order and context as expressions of colonial modes of control which extends historical geographical methods beyond those normally concerned with archival content alone for evidence of the past. In examining the archives, landscapes, and societies of two contrasting estates of varying size and importance historically and locally, this thesis adds significantly not alone to knowledge of colonial geographies of the landed estates, but to their heritages in the present.

Publications:

McDonald, C. (2017) The eighteenth-century landscape of Stradbally Hall, Co. Laois. Dublin: Four Courts Press.

CONFERENCE PAPERS

McDonald, C. (2022) ‘The building blocks of colonialism: state archives fromthe mid-17th century in Ireland; American Association of Geographers.

McDonald, C. (2021) ‘Warders of a colony? Stradbally, Co. Laois, in 1641.

McDonald, C. (2021) ‘Probing the social borders of a mixed-settlement colony: Stradbally in 1641’; Conference of Irish Geographers.

McDonald, C. (2019) ‘Landed estate archives: creation and significance in an historical geography of landlordism’; Royal Geographic Society conference.

CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS

McDonald, C. (2016) ‘Historic landscape evaluation to inform future policy objectives’, Lisbon: Green Lines Institute for Sustainable Development. In Amoêda, R., Lira, S., Pinheiro, C. (eds.) Heritage 2016: 5th international conference on heritage and sustainable development, Green Lines Institute for Sustainable Development, Barcelos, pp 561-70.

McDonald, C. (2016) ‘Cultural landscapes and ecological values: a methodology for determining significance at the landscape of the former landed estate, Gurteen, Co. Waterford’. In Collins T., Kindermann, G., Newman, C., Cronin, C. (eds.), Landscape values: place and praxis, NUIG, Galway, pp 196-200.

https://twitter.com/fieldscalestudi

Héctor Muiños is a PhD Candidate in Creative Writing at DCU working under the supervision of Dr Darran McCann. His research explores how characters are created in historical fiction from both a creative and a theoretical perspective.

The creative component is a historical novel, My Name is John Tyndall, which, though based on the life of the eponymous Irish scientist, incorporates significant fictional innovations – the story follows an unnamed protagonist, a gifted, impoverished young autodidact with scientific aspirations who assumes Tyndall’s identity and goes on to become the pioneer physicist the public knows today.

The critical component is a dissertation analysing the relationship between historical figures and their fictional representations. It focuses on the Cromwell trilogy (Wolf Hall, Bring Up the Bodies and The Mirror & the Light) by Hilary Mantel, and on her depiction of Henry VIII’s minister.

Héctor holds an MA in Creative Writing from DCU. His research is supported by DCU’s School of English.

Meghann is a first-year PhD student with DCU School of History and Geography, and with UCD School of English, Drama, and Film. She holds a BA in English and History from DCU, and an MA in History from DCU. Her PhD research is funded by SFI and involves working with UCD Centre for Cultural Analytics to employ innovative methods from the digital humanities, and apply them to archival and literary material. An integral part of her work with the Centre, is analysing the diaries of Rosamond Jacob. Meghann's research is centred on the experiences and cultural representations of unmarried women's social lives in post-independence Ireland. She is particularly interested in the lived experiences of these women, and how they negotiated gendered social and cultural expectations. Her research aims to examine these experiences alongside the representations of singleness in fictional work, whilst also using new digital methods like social network analysis.

Asma Slaimi is a PhD student in the School of Electronic Engineering at Dublin City University (DCU). Her work is interdisciplinary and looks at the application of artificial intelligence and machine learning to the water domain, with a title: Data Analytics for Catchment Scale Water Management. The project is a targeted collaborative research project between DCU and Arup through the Insight Centre for Data Analytics, in conjunction with the DCU Water Institute.

Read more about the project here.

Name: Sharon McArdle 

Supervisors: Professor Eugene McNulty (School of English) & Dr Leanne Lane 

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Thesis Title: Landholding, Society and Settlement in the barony of Demifore, Co Meath c.1750-c.1950

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Name: Gerri O’Neill

Thesis Title: Private lives and public personas: female participation in the IRA during Ireland's War of Independence, 1919-1921

Supervisor: Dr Leeann Lane

Name: Clair McDonald

Thesis Title: Mapping colonial landscapes, societies, and archives: the Cosby and Walsh-Kemmis landed estates, c.1640 to c.1850.

Supervisor: Dr Jonathan Cherry