Postgraduate Researchers

PhD Research Student - School of Culinary Arts and Food Technology

Project Title: Exploring Ireland’s Food Traditions North and South: A Comparative Analysis of the Schools’ Collection 1937-38 and the Schools’ Scheme 1955-56 

Project abstract:

This project aims to explore Irish Food Traditions found in The Schools’ Collection 1937-38 (Republic of Ireland) and the Schools’ Scheme 1955-56 (Northern Ireland) creating an all-island account of Ireland’s culinary heritage.  

Food represents an integral aspect of the traditions and culture of a nation. Folklore studies provide an ideal framework to explore these traditions, illuminating Ireland’s culinary history. This project explores late 19th and early 20th century food traditions comparatively in the south and north of Ireland. Two sources are utilised for this project, The Schools Collection’ 1937-38 (SC) and the Schools’ Scheme 1955-56 (SS). Both sources were surveys carried out by school children collecting lore from older relatives and people within their communities. They preserved a wealth of folkloric knowledge providing researchers with ample material to investigate customs and practices found across Ireland. To date, limited food studies have utilised the SC, while in the case of the SS no research has  been undertaken to date. This interdisciplinary comparative work represents an addition to the existing literature on food and folklore studies in Ireland and offers opportunities for cultural dissemination in the gastronomy, education, culture, heritage and tourism sector. This research is supported by the Irish Research Council Postgraduate Scholarship Programme.  

Supervisor: Dr Máirtín Mac Con Iomaire