Apply for the 2016 Field School
This summer’s Applied Field Program will explore the material history of the Irish Diaspora in County Cork. The location of the study is the area around Skibbereen, County Cork. This year, we will be working near the southwest coast of Co. Cork – between Skibbereen and Baltimore. The site contains cabins (above ground and sub-surface) dating from the early 19th century to the first decades of the 20th century. Skibbereen is located 51 miles (82 km) southwest of Cork City. It became infamous as a metaphor for the impacts and horrific sufferings of the Great Starvation. Skibbereen is ideal due to its commitment to collecting Ireland’s rich heritage. The Skibbereen Museum and Heritage Center is a natural conduit between the archaeologist and the local community.
Through archaeological investigations, archival research, and interviews with local historians of the Skibbereen Heritage Center and members of the community, you will receive extensive and intensive experience learning the importance and meaning of material culture as it relates to the larger study of the Irish Diaspora, socio-cultural change in Ireland over time, as well as form the foundation for a comparable database to model and interpret the diverse worlds and experiences of Irish immigrants internationally.
This research is an important move forward in modeling the diversity of material identities in Ireland and creating a database that will be significant not only to Ireland, but also to understanding material and social continuity and change in Irish diasporic communities worldwide.
For more information about the field school, visit our field school page or click here to apply through Education Abroad.
2016 Field School
We’re preparing for our 2016 Field School! Our tentative dates are June 12-July 8, 2016. In 2016, we will work on privately owned land where ruins of two 19th-century cabins are still visible and it is believed early period housing is underneath the ruins. Click Here for preliminary information.
Welcome!
Welcome to the homepage for the Archaeology of the Irish Diaspora and Modern Ireland Project at the University of Maryland! This space will serve as a blog for future project updates. This summer, we will be conducting an archaeological field school in the Skibbereen area of County Cork, Ireland. Please click on the tabs above to learn more about the project and how to apply.
We’d love for you to join us this summer! For questions about the project, please contact Dr. Stephen Brighton at sbrighto@umd.edu.
For website-related questions, please contact Andrew Webster at awebs@umd.edu.
Archaeology of the Irish Diaspora and Modern Ireland 