Spotlight on Research

Man with curly black hair, dressed in dark blue 17th century clothing, sitting in a chair leaning his head on his hand

Fire, brimstone and failure: St Patrick's first appearance on an Irish stage

The first depiction of the nation's patron saint on an Irish stage was a disappointing, underwhelming and insulting affair, writes Alan Waldron, a PhD scholar with MU's MACMORRIS project

Thursday, 14 March 2024

Black and white image of a man with glasses, in white clothes, sitting on an armchair

Ferdinand Levy: A Jamaican poet in Dublin

On St Patrick’s Day, March 17 at 4.30pm, BBC Radio 4 will broadcast ‘A Jamaican Poet in Dublin’ on the life of Ferdinand Levy. Dr Karl O’Hanlon of the Department of English explains his discovery of Levy’s poetry

Wednesday, 13 March 2024

Russian President Valdimir Putin seated on a large gold chair with Russian flag in the background

Why do sanctions against Russia succeed or fail?

There are three power dynamics within Russia that allow Vladimir Putin's administration to resist sanctions, writes Ali. A. Ghareh Daghi, PhD scholar and recipient of an Irish Research Council scholarship in the Department of Sociology

Thursday, 07 March 2024

Referendum highlights the political importance of caring

The debate around the upcoming referendum raises issues around the foundational values that guide society and policy, writes Dr Pauline Cullen of the Department of Sociology

Friday, 01 March 2024

Blue compact object surrounded by ejected stellar debris at the centre of circumstellar gas rings of cir

MU partners in study that finds evidence of elusive neutron star

A new study, published in Science and co-authored by Dr Patrick Kavanagh of the Department of Experimental Physics, has provided the first conclusive evidence for the presence of the elusive neutron star produced in the Supernova SN 1987A

Friday, 23 February 2024

Girl wearing an orange helmet pushing her bike toward school along with two others

Is active transport a postcode lottery for teenagers?

Research has found disparities between areas are not due to population size but are more to do with differences in educational provision, writes Associate Professor J. M. Mancini of the Department of History

Wednesday, 14 February 2024

What historical records tell us about changing climate in Ireland

Long-term maximum and minimum air temperature series in Ireland show significant increasing trends, writes Dr Carla Mateus of the Department of Geography and ICARUS

Thursday, 08 February 2024

Medieval cathedral sitting in a wall graveyard containing a round tower in sunlight

How St Brigid made Kildare the hotspot of 7th century Ireland

Medieval writer Cogitosus described Kildare as a 'vast and metropolitan city' thanks to the presence of the tomb of St Brigid, writes Dr Niamh Wycherley, Lecturer in the Department of Early Irish at Maynooth University

Thursday, 01 February 2024

Irish naval vessel at dock in front of a large grey building

Will new pay measures help retention in the Irish Naval Service?

Despite a boost from participation in humanitarian operations, the Irish Naval Service has suffered an ongoing exodus of personnel, writes Giovanni Parente, PhD scholar in the Centre for Military History and Strategic Studies

Friday, 26 January 2024

Interacting molecular tiles recognise patterns to choose what nano-scale letter they should assemble themselves into

Self-assembling molecules have hidden neural network-like abilities

A new study by researchers at Maynooth University, University of Chicago and California Institute of Technology, published in Nature, shows how the molecules that build structures can do both the thinking and the doing

Thursday, 18 January 2024

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