Research Impact

Introduction

Not only do our staff advance intellectual knowledge in History and Philosophy through their research, they also use their expertise to make valuable contributions to society in areas including culture, public policy, and social services and practices, among others. Our School consistently supports the University’s critical role in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

We celebrate the creative opportunities that our research provides and the positive changes that it generates and achieves over time at a local, national and global level. Below are examples of projects which demonstrate the excellence and richness of our research, the scale of its reach, and the benefits that it produces for the wider community.

When is Water not Water? Exploring Climate (in)action Through Philosophy and Creativity

PI: Dr. Lucy Elvis 

Postgraduate Researcher: Michela Dianetti 

Funder: College of Arts Sciences and Celtic Studies, Research Development Grant  

About: This Blue Humanities Project used the Community of Philosophical Inquiry (CPI) as a way of thinking about water, a resource that, in Galway especially is both ubiquitous and precious. It responded to a need expressed by local teachers for more innovative ways to speak about water conservation, a key theme in the Green Schools Programme. Ordinarily, approaches to sustainability focus on providing students with information about the environment, but such information doesn’t always capture the imagination. 

Tuam Oral History Project: 

Co-PIs: Dr Sarah-Anne Buckley and Dr John Cunningham

Funder: Galway University Foundation

About: The primary aim of this project is to collect and archive the oral histories and life stories of Survivors of the Tuam Mother and Baby Home and their families. Testimony will also be taken also from the wider community in Tuam. A further aim is to disseminate the testimony and associated research in appropriate ways: by means of academic publication, by producing material for use in post-primary schools and the university, by promoting creative engagement with the narratives of Survivors, and by means of dialogue with policy-makers. 

More Than Human Histories of Hydro-Electricity on the Rivers Liffey, Lee and Erne:

PI: Dr Aoife O'Leary McNeice under the mentorship of Dr Kevin O'Sullivan

Funder: Research Ireland

About: The project considers the impact of three hydro-electric schemes built on the rivers Liffey, Erne and Lee between 1937 and 1952. The unique assemblage of interdependent living creatures and human economies that characterised these river landscapes was permanently transformed by these dams.