The MA Irish Folklore and Ethnology is a recently established programme which offers students the chance to acquire in-depth knowledge of a unique and vibrant aspect of Irish culture  –  that of oral tradition and folklore, representing the history and heritage of Ireland at vernacular level. Modules are available on a wide range of topics, including research theories, the study of oral narrative (storytelling), traditional music and song, fieldwork and archival methods, social tradition, popular belief systems, material culture, folk medicine, and Irish and European ethnology. The programme also offers students the opportunity to complete a Masters thesis or, for a limited number of students and where suitable work is available, the possibility of an internship in a related cultural body such as the National Folklore Collection or the Irish Traditional Music Archive.

The programme includes:

Training in original archival and fieldwork research and methods.

Access to the specialist library and archive holdings of the National Folklore Collection.

An opportunity for the student to pursue their research interests in the preparation and writing of a Master’s thesis on a subject of their choice, under the guidance of a member of the teaching staff in Irish Folklore,