Gaelic Literature & Culture - Online

Course Outline

Our MA in Gaelic Literature and Culture (Online), offered by the Department of Modern Irish at UCC, provides students with an in-depth introduction to a distinctive body of literature, giving expression to the many identities of the Gaelic world, and extending over 1200 years, from monastic to modern times.



This course will take you on a literary journey across place and time as we examine sources (manuscripts) and literary texts from the early Christian period to the modern era. This emphasis on place – both local and international – informs the historicity of Gaelic literature studies.



We also create links over time between authors such as Colum Cille and Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill, Gofraidh Fionn and Seán Ó Ríordáin. This allows us to consider Gaelic literature as an organic entity – redefining and reinventing itself as each historic challenge is encountered and overcome.

Programme Modules

This is an online programme running for 12 months (full-time), or for 24 months (part-time), from the date of first registration for the programme.



In Part I students take 60 credits consisting of core and elective modules and in Part II students complete a Research Dissertation worth 30 credits. Our modules cover all aspects of Gaelic literature from the first appearance of poetry in the margins of Latin manuscripts in the ninth century, to an exploration of the sense of place in the work of Irish authors of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.



Lectures will be recorded, and both they and ancillary lecture material (notes, slides, bibliographies etc.) will be made available via Canvas, the online teaching platform used by University College Cork.



Part-time option: Students taking the part-time option complete 60 credits of taught core modules in Year 1. In Year 2 they complete the 30 credit dissertation module.



Part I

Core Modules

GA6012 The Social and Cultural History of the Irish Language, 1200-2000 (10 Credits)

GA6013 The Transmission and Interpretation of Gaelic Literature (10 Credits)



Elective Module:

GA6010 Beginners Irish Language (10 Credits)

GA6014 The Phases of Gaelic literature (10 Credits)

GA6016 Placenames and Sense of Place in Gaelic Literature (10 Credits)

GA6032 Women’s Poetry in Gaelic Society (10 credits)

GA6033 Fionn Mac Cumhaill in Gaelic Tradition (10 credits)

GA6040 Literature in Translation (10 Credits)

GA6042 Modern Poetry in Gaelic (10 Credits)



Part II

GA6019 Dissertation in Gaelic Literature (30 credits)



Postgraduate Diploma in Gaelic Literature and Culture

Students who have completed and passed modules to the value of at least 60 credits in Part I and who fail or do not wish to proceed to Part II may exit the programme and be awarded a Postgraduate Diploma in Gaelic Literature

Requirements

Applications will be considered from graduates of all disciplines. Successful applicants will normally have a Second Class Honours Grade I in a primary honours degree (NFQ, Level 8) or the equivalent.



Candidates who hold a Second Class Honours Grade 2 in a primary honours degree (NFQ, Level 8) will also be considered under Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), based on the information provided in a supplementary statement and/or interview acceptable to the Department selection committee.



- For North American students a cumulative GPA of 3.2 is normally expected.



Applicants must complete a short personal statement outlining their academic background and interests and reasons for applying to the programme.



Technical expertise

As most of this course will be delivered online, it is understood that students will have constant access to internet-delivering technology. Elementary computer literacy will be required of the students. Technical guidance and support provided by UCC will be available to the students at all times.



For Applicants with Qualifications Completed Outside of Ireland

Applicants must meet the required entry academic grade, equivalent to Irish requirements. For more information see our Qualification Comparison page.



International/Non-EU Applicants

For full details of the non-EU application procedure visit our how to apply pages for international students.



- In UCC, we use the term programme and course interchangeably to describe what a person has registered to study in UCC and its constituent colleges, schools, and departments.



- Note that not all courses are open to international/non-EU applicants, please check the fact file above. For more information contact the International Office.



English Language Requirements

Applicants who are non-native speakers of the English language must meet the university-approved English language requirements. Visit our PG English Language Requirements page for more information.

Closing Date: Rolling deadline. Open until all places have been filled. Early application is advised.



Non-EU Closing Date: Open until all places have been filled or no later than 15 June. Early application is advised.

1 year full-time, 2 years part-time online.



Course Delivery

The programme is delivered online through English (using texts in translation) by acknowledged experts in the fields of Gaelic language and literature: this coordinated, panoramic approach to the study of Gaelic literature will address and develop the various themes and influences that feed into and inform this literature, including mythology, spiritualism, historic events, landscape, and diasporic studies.



A highlight of our cross-module approach to course content and delivery is the exposure of the student to the primary sources for Gaelic literature, especially manuscript sources in Ireland and abroad. The treatment of the development of Gaelic Ireland as an international entity, and the panoramic approach to the study of Gaelic literature over time are innovative features of this programme.

Start Date: 8th September 2025.

Skills and Career Information

Upon successful completion of the MA in Gaelic Literature and Culture, a student may elect to pursue further study to doctoral level. If such study is to be undertaken at UCC, students may choose to spend time abroad as part of their programme. Students with this qualification will also be in a position to apply for scholarships to study for further degrees at overseas universities. See the College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences for more information on a PhD in this area.



In addition, the MA in Gaelic literature is an ideal qualification for those wishing to pursue careers in sectors such as heritage, local history, broadcasting, and media.