Spotlight on Research

Small stone church with trees behind it and grave stones in front of it

The cult of the dead in medieval Ireland

The darkening evenings, the nip in the air and the dying leaves all signal that special time of year when we can have fun or get serious and indulge our fascination with the spooky and macabre, writes Dr Niamh Wycherley of the Department of Early Irish

Wednesday, 30 October 2024

White and red lighthouse building sitting on a rocky outcrop with a boat approaching by sea

Where did all the historical Irish weather records go?

Hidden and lost weather observations contain hugely valuable information about historical climate variability and changes, write Kevin Healion, Dr Simon Noone, Dr David Smyth and Prof Peter Thorne of ICARUS, Ciara Ryan of Met Éireann and Ed Hawkins of the University of Reading

Thursday, 24 October 2024

Prison corridor with row of cells separated from a row of windows by orange-floored walkway

Could early releases solve Ireland's overcrowded prison crisis?

If we were serious about using the justice system to keep society safe, we would make quite different investments, writes Dr Ian Marder of MU's School of Law and Criminology

Thursday, 17 October 2024

Man in a white coat holding another person's hands

What does recovery really mean in mental health today?

Recovery means seeing the entire person and not just viewing them as someone who had an illness, writes Dr Calvin Swords of the Department of Applied Social Studies

Thursday, 10 October 2024

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What's the future for Irish and EU tax affairs after the Apple case?

A closer inspection of the Apple ruling paints a very different picture to the accepted narrative of the state of global tax competition, writes Dr Nessa Ní Chasaide of the Department of Sociology

Wednesday, 02 October 2024

Map of Ireland beside the UK with a tricolour stuck in Dublin

From Germany to the US, the countries who've plotted to invade Ireland

History records that Ireland has long occupied a place in the strategic military planning of other nations, writes Dr David Murphy of the Department of History

Thursday, 26 September 2024

Row of shelves in a library filled with books

Why are librarians up in arms over ebooks?

Lack of available stock, high prices and onerous terms and conditions mean ebooks currently offer poor value for readers and libraries, write MU Librarian Cathal McCauley, Martin Bradley and Stuart Hamilton of the Local Government Management Agency

Wednesday, 18 September 2024

Bearded man holding a microphone in front of a blue background

Why 'pronatalist' politicians want women to have more babies

It's not just JD Vance, and it's not just the US. Almost 30 percent of countries globally now have pronatalist policies — up from 10 percent in the 1970s, writes Prof Mary Corcoran of the Department of Sociology

Thursday, 12 September 2024

Three Dublin buses lined up on the street with cars passing by

Here's the real cost of your morning rush hour commute in Dublin

The travel costs of getting from your home to work includes much more than just the price of petrol or the bus fare, write Dr Conor O'Driscoll of University of Groningen and Kevin Credit of Maynooth University

Thursday, 05 September 2024

Wall with grafitti on the bottom topped by a high fence

Kneecap, 'ceasefire babies' and the resurgence of Gaeilge

What makes the Kneecap film so compelling is that it's not about those who lived through the Troubles but the generation that inherited them, writes Prof Fionntán de Brún of the Department of Modern Irish

Monday, 26 August 2024

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