Irish Studies

As a modern European nation with a fascinating although often turbulent past, Ireland represents an ideal prism for the study of history, literature, and politics. The role of Ireland as an emerging independent nation, as well as part of a broader matrix of British and global history is explored, whilst its outstanding contribution to English literature in writers such as Wilde, Beckett, Joyce and Yeats also feature as part of this absorbing degree. Students can also look to study the causes of the troubles in Northern Ireland and reasons why its peace process acts as a template for other conflicts across the globe.
The interdisciplinary nature of the programme facilitates an interesting and rewarding engagement with the true personality of Ireland and its peoples. The aim of this programme is to set aside the simplified and stereotypical view of Ireland and its peoples and to focus instead on the diversity and plurality that inform Irish identity.

This programme is available with either a Year in China or a Year Abroad. The Year in China offers undergraduate students the opportunity to spend one year at our joint venture, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU). You can choose either the China Studies Track, where you will take courses from the China Studies Degree, the Creative Track, or the Entrepreneurship Track . XJTLU is a fully English-speaking university, located in Suzhou. The Year Abroad offers students the opportunity to spend a full academic year studying at one of our partner universities around the world, following a mixture of culture and/or discipline-related modules. If you wish to study this programme with a Year in China or a Year Abroad you will have the opportunity to apply after you arrive at Liverpool.

Course Modules

You will explore Irish identity and society from a number of perspectives including the historical, the linguistic, the literary and the ethnographic. You then have the opportunity to choose modules in order to specialise in a specific area. These modules include Modern Irish Language, in Peace and Rebellion, Women in Late Modern Ireland, Politics in the Irish Republic and the Politics of the Irish Question, Northern Ireland 1968 to present. The programme is very flexible, offering you the chance to select approved modules from within the areas of Humanities and Social Sciences. Students who take a Single Honours degree in this subject are required to take a 25% minor subject in their first year of study. Please visit the academic department’s website to see the latest listings and information about available about minor subjects.