This course offers students an introduction to Neolithic to historic Christian to contemporary Irish material culture. It is designed to utilize the resources at University College Dublin to develop knowledge through research, critical reading and analysis, and oral and/or visual expression in fostering an understanding of the pluralistic and deeply historic nature of institutions, society, and Irish cultures. Resources available to us at UCD include personnel, architecture, exhibitions, collections, photo archives, and computer labs. Using visual culture production, reflections, reading assignments, and written analysis, students made sense of on-site experiences, guest lectures, and museum research. Undergraduate students were asked to reflect on their learning through writing and visual creation. Additionally, students reflected on personal experiences in the arts as a point of reference and as a space through which to critically analyze cultural differences and accepted practices within and surrounding Irish Heritage sites.
