The Postgraduate Society’s monthly Pizza and Research event kicked off last Wednesday, an event in which postgraduate students showcase their work and research to an audience of people from each DCU school.
This month’s theme of Irish language and culture was chosen in light of St. Patrick’s Day.
The event was host to four guest speakers, each of whom gave short presentations on their work and research with the Irish language.
Amongst the four was DCU Irish Language Officer and Ráth Cairn Gaeltacht native, Siobhán Seoighe. Speaking the longest out of all the speakers, Siobhán has a great deal of experience working with the Irish language. She is currently an appointed member of the Comhairle RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta Advisory Board, which is an advisory capacity to RTÉ, regarding all aspects of broadcasting policy and legislation. Likewise, in June 2015, she was appointed to the Board of Údarás na Gaeltachtain, which is the regional authority responsible for economic, social and cultural development of the Gaeltacht.
The event was also host to guest speaker, Jamie Murphy. Murphy currently works in Fiontar agus Scoil na Gaeilge as an Assistant Researcher Editor and language teacher and he is also currently researching the Irish language translation of Harry Potter.
Teresa Lynn from the ADAPT Centre in the School of Computing was one of the four guests welcomed to this month’s Píotsa & Staidéar. Lynn is a Postdoctoral Researcher, whose study centres on the development of technologies for the Irish language. Her key area of focus for the event was on her research with regard to the use of the Irish language on Twitter.
The Postgraduate Society was pleased to finally welcome Justin Ó Gliasáin to speak at this month’s Píotsa & Staidéar. Justin is a research assistant with Fiontar agus Scoil na Gaeilge, who has been highly involved with work regarding the Place Names Database of Ireland at logaimn.ie. Justin also currently teaches the module on Irish Name Studies here in DCU, whose research in regard to the Irish language primarily focuses on minor place names in Kildare.
Orla Mc Ging
Image Credit: Darragh Culhane