Faculty Research Interests

The School of History and Geography is home to a culture of research excellence which is expressed in the scholarship of individual faculty, in ambitious collaborative ventures, and the vibrancy of postgraduate research. The range of expertise within the School is considerable. The research interests of the faculty span the late medieval period to the twentieth century; incorporate Irish, European, and American history; and extends across the fields of political, social, and cultural history with particular strengths in urban history, Irish republicanism, art and architecture, local history, diplomatic relations, oral history, history of family, history of medicine, music histories, and history of universities.  Members of the School lead the Centre for Early Modern Studies and engage in interdisciplinary research on print and material culture, the history of ideas, and religious thought, besides a range of other specialist interests.   

Dr Leanne Calvert: History of the family, gender and sexuality, Presbyterian families in Ireland and North America across the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

Dr Immanuel Darkwa: Climate Innovation and Sustainability Transitions; Renewable Energy and Nature-Based Solutions; Climate Adaptation and Community Resilience; Development Geography and Innovation Ecosystems; Sustainability Education and Experiential Learning.

Dr Aaron Donaghy: U.S. foreign relations; twentieth-century international history; the Cold War.

Professor David Fleming: Early modern Ireland; history of localities; political, social and cultural history of eighteenth-century Ireland.

Dr Alistair Malcolm: Spain in the golden age; diplomatic and court politics; cultural history; politics and artistic patronage.

Dr Gourav Misra: Agriculture; Forestry; Climate Change; Phenology; Remote Sensing & GIS; Sustainabilty; Sustainable Cities; Resilience, Recovery & Risks; Extreme events.

Dr Rachel Murphy: Early modern Ireland; the long nineteenth century in Ireland; history of the family; landed estates; local history; urban history; digital and spatial humanities.

Dr Karol Mullaney-Dignam: Irish cultural, social, and public history; cultural heritage: music, nationalism, country houses, and folklore; identity formation and heritage interpretation.

Dr Niamh NicGhabhann: Irish art and architectural histories; ecclesiastical architecture; antiquarianism; aspects of arts/heritage management and cultural policy.

Professor Ruán O'Donnell: Modern Irish, European and Australian history, The United Irishmen; imperialism; Irish revolutionary movements; commemoration.

Professor Helen Parr: Twentieth century and contemporary British and international history; Britain and Europe; Cold War; cultural and social histories of war.

Dr Catherine Porter: Human geography, digital and spatial humanities; geographic information systems; history of cartography, early modern Britain and Ireland.