Master of Philosophy - Irish Writing

This course offers an exploration of Irish writing in English from the late seventeenth century to the present. Trinity has educated many important writers, from Jonathan Swift to Samuel Beckett to Eavan Boland to Anne Enright. It has also long led the way in the teaching and researching of Ireland’s literature. Amid a diverse and dynamic community of students and scholars, this course will allow you to gain a thorough grounding in the field of Irish writing, from canonical figures such as Maria Edgeworth and James Joyce to contemporary critical debates around gender, sexuality, class and race.

The centrepiece of the course is the core ‘Perspectives in Irish Writing’ module. Running across two semesters, it introduces students to the multiple contexts in which Irish writing in English has developed from the late seventeenth century through to the present. It also considers the literary history and reception of Irish writing, covering the main critical narratives and debates, as well as revisions of the Irish literary field as regards questions of gender, sexuality, class and race. A notable strength of Trinity’s faculty is the historical range of its research interests. This is reflected in the coverage given to eighteenth and nineteenth-century Irish writing. The final portion of the course also decisively turns to the eclectic state of contemporary Irish literature.

Further exploration of the field of Irish Writing is offered through the core ‘Conditions of Irish Writing’ module. This focuses on the publishers, periodicals and institutions through which Irish writing has been produced and mediated, covering a wide range of historical periods, genres and writers. Further foundational grounding in issues of importance to studying and researching literature at postgraduate level is provided through the ‘Research Skills for Postgraduate English’ module. 

Students also take two specialist option modules, reflecting our commitment to cutting-edge research-led teaching. Within the Irish Writing programme, these modules focus on examining the work of significant Irish writers in detail. In 2021/22, these will include Maria Edgeworth, James Joyce, Samuel Beckett, and Eavan Boland.