Launch of An Foras Feasa

St Patrick’s College is a key partner in An Foras Feasa, a research consortium consisting of DCU, Dundalk IT, St Patrick's College, Drumcondra, and NUI Maynooth, which was inaugurated by Minister for Education Mary Hanafin on Friday 18 April. An Foras Feasa, which can be translated as "fountain of knowledge", is a network that already has a range of ground-breaking projects under way. Central to its thrust is the use of the most modern technologies to shed light on historical and cultural traditions dating back centuries. The institute will create 20 research posts, including 12 PhDs and five post-doctorates. It has been allocated €5.8 million by the Government through the HEA's Programme for Research in Third-Level Institutions (PRTLI Cycle 4).

Link to Irish Times Article - 19 April 2008

Among the projects on display at the launch was the Irish in Europe project, spearheaded by Dr Marian Lyons, St Patrick’s College, Drumcondra, and Dr Tom O’Connor, NUIM. Its 'Irish regiments in France' database forms part of a strategic collaboration between St Patrick’s College, Drumcondra, NUI Maynooth, and Trinity College Dublin. The creation of the database involved searches of military archives in France and Spain, and the results are now available in accessible interactive form for researchers. The first tranche relates to Irish soldiers in French service during the eighteenth century.

While it continues to place traditional scholarship at the core of its work, An Foras Feasa supports the digitization of humanities alongside the other consortia that comprise the national platform, Humanities Serving Irish Society (HSIS). Members of An Foras Feasa at St Patrick’s College are contributing to this important digitization work with projects in the fields of English, Irish, History, Geography, and Music. St Patrick’s College has had considerable international interest in the 3 fully funded doctoral fellowships and the postdoctoral recently advertised and funded by An Foras Feasa at the College.

Members of academic staff who have been awarded competitive secondments to work on An Foras Feasa projects include Dr Ríona Ní Fhrighil (Irish Department), for her work in Linguistics; Dr Patricia Flynn (Music Department); Dr Derek Hand (English Department); Dr Carla King and Dr Marian Lyons, both of the History Department; and Dr Ruth McManus, Geography Department. Dr Hand has also been awarded a Government of Ireland (IRCHSS) fellowship, and Dr King has previously been awarded this honour.

Dr Pauric Travers, President of St Patrick’s College, welcomed the initiative. ‘St Patrick’s College has a proud tradition of scholarship in the Humanities,’ he said. ‘We are proud to be at the centre of technological advances in Humanities scholarship in Ireland.’

Dr Mary Shine Thompson, Dean of Research and Humanities, said that the initiative enhanced and amplified the College’s role as a leader in both well-established and niche areas of research. ‘For well over a century, Drumcondra has taken the lead in promoting the highest teaching standards. We are proud that our humanities scholars are now working beside their international peers in the HSIS, and are defining the parameters of new knowledge and research opportunities in a project that is integral to our
mission.’

Professor Margaret Kelleher, Director of An Foras Feasa, said that the knowledge base about our country's history and traditions that will not only be of huge benefit to historians and other academics but will make the unique and rich history of our country accessible to all.

Ms Hanafin said that institutes such as An Foras Feasa provided an increasingly important service to academia and to the general public: "By documenting our past and using such advanced technologies to preserve old records, they are securing a rich wealth of knowledge for future generations."

 

 

 

 

Last Updated: Tuesday April 22 2008