IRC to fund 17 1916-themed research projects

The Irish Research Council (IRC) has announced funding of more than €140,000 to seventeen 1916-themed research projects. It is the second round of awards to come from the IRC, which is marking the Decade of Centenaries by supporting flagship research projects that focus on the period 1912–1922.

All 17 projects come from higher education institutions. They include:

• A UCD project exploring how the nuns and school-girls at Loreto Convent on St. Stephen’s Green were sequestered in the convent during the 1916 Rising. The funding received from the Irish Research Council will create an open-access digital repository and online exhibition exploring their experiences.
  
• A project at NUI Maynooth, which will develop digital tools to engage the public in the history of the Battle of Mount Street Bridge. The tools developed will include an augmented-reality audiovisual recreation of the battlefield for tablet computers and smartphones, and will allow members of the public to interact with 3D-printed buildings of the battlefield.
  
• A symposium and exhibition on the topic of hunger striking, which will be organised by researchers at the University of Limerick, in collaboration with Kilmainham Gaol, Kerry County Museum and Kerry County Library Services.
  
• A project exploring how Moore Street’s historical significance impacts on urban redevelopment plans, entrepreneurial agendas and trader livelihoods.
  ‘INCLUSIVE16’, an NUI Galway project aimed at engaging new Irish communities in the national dialogue about 1916.
  
• An augmented-reality mobile walking tour app, commemorating the role women played in the 1916 Rising.
  

IRC Chairperson Professor Jane Ohlmeyer said: “A national milestone like the Decade of Centenaries really highlights the important work being done by researchers throughout Ireland. The research projects we are funding are throwing up fascinating insights into the lives of 1916 leaders, as well as ordinary people. They are also exploring how the legacy of 1916 has impacted on the Ireland we live in today.”