COURSE CURRICULUM

The M.Phil. in Irish Writing at Trinity College Dublin is structured around small-group seminar teaching, primarily based in the Oscar Wilde Centre for Irish Writing, which provides a collaborative academic and creative environment. The program may be completed full-time or part-time, with part-time students taking core modules in the first year, followed by option modules and a dissertation in the second year. The course is built around three core modules: Perspectives in Irish Writing, which explores Irish writing in English from the late seventeenth century to the present within its cultural and historical contexts; Conditions of Irish Writing, which examines the publishing, institutional, and media frameworks shaping Irish literature; and Research Skills for Postgraduate English, which develops essential academic research and methodological abilities. Alongside these, students choose two specialist option modules focused on key Irish writers such as Maria Edgeworth, James Joyce, Samuel Beckett, and Eavan Boland, with additional electives available across related M.Phil. programs, including creative writing. The program culminates in a substantial dissertation of 15,000–18,000 words, allowing students to conduct independent research on a chosen topic with expert supervision. Overall, the course combines literary analysis, historical context, and research training to deepen understanding of Irish writing and its development.