In the final episode of this series, we are shining a light on undergraduate historical research. Emily Little, who has recently completed her BA at Maynooth University, discusses the subject of her undergraduate dissertation which examined the lives of Joan Fitzgerald and Gráinne Ní Mháille, two women from early modern Ireland.

Emily Little graduated with a BA in History and English at Maynooth University in 2025. She is currently undertaking a Professional Masters of Education programme but hopes to return to historical research in the future.Emily is joined in today's episode by her supervisor, Dr Niamh Wycherley, who is Assistant Professor in Early Irish History across the Departments of Early Irish and History at Maynooth University. She hosts The Medieval Irish History Podcast and is the first Chair of the Royal Irish Academy's Young Academy Ireland.

In this episode, Constantin Torve discusses his research on agrarian protest in 19th century Ireland, through the case-study of Edward Synge.

Constantin Torve (MA, Uppsala) is a PhD student in history at Queen's University Belfast. His ESRC-funded research project investigates the adaptation of agrarian secret societies in 19th-century Ireland to changing socio-economic environments.

Dr Jay Roszman is a lecturer in 19th century Irish and British History at University College Cork, a position he took up in 2018. His first book, Outrage in the Age of Reform: Irish Agrarian Violence, Imperial Insecurity, and British Governing Policy 1830-1845 was published by Cambridge University Press in 2022. In addition to writing about the political meaning of agrarian violence and its political consequences, Jay is also interested in imperialism and Irish involvement in the British Empire. He has a forthcoming article with English Historical Review on Daniel O’Connell, Irish Nationalism, and British Imperial Trouble. His new project explores the Queen’s Colleges and their relationship with the British Empire: training men for imperial careers, but also as institutions that reflected British imperial interests in Ireland and abroad.

In this episode, Samantha Morris sheds light on the history and living heritage of Borris lace-making. Samantha is joined by Ingelise Stuijts and Helena McAteer who are actively involved in preserving the tradition of Borris lace. Samantha Morris is a PhD student at TU Dublin, funded by the Irish Research Council and supervised by Dr Bernadette Quinn and Dr Theresa Ryan. Her research focuses on Borris Lace as a form of living heritage, exploring how craft can help us understand the multiple meanings of place.

Ingelise Stuijts and Helena McAteer are members of the Borris Lacemakers group, actively involved in sustaining and promoting the tradition through teaching, exhibitions, community projects, and schools-based initiatives. Both have played key roles in keeping Borris Lace alive since its 2016 revival.

To keep up-to-date with the Borris lacemakers group, visit their website here