2020

Congratulations to Dr Shane Conway, Postdoctoral Researcher in the Discipline of Geography's Rural Studies Unit at NUI Galway, who was recently announced as the winner of the Geographical Society of Ireland's Doctoral Research Award 2020 for his widely published research on the human side of farm succession and retirement in later life.

A new video by the European Commission's EIP-AGRI Service Point features Dr Shane Conway, Researcher in the Discipline of Geography's Rural Studies Unit at NUI Galway and the Irish National Rural Network (NRN), speaking about the value of the EIP-AGRI model's multi-actor approach in helping to bring about innovation and sustainability at farm level. This video was released at the 7th Rural Networks Assembly meeting on the 4th of December 2020.  You can view the video here.

Gordon Bromley is part of a new project led by former NUIG Geography postdoc, Maggie Jackson (TCD), that has been funded by Geological Survey Ireland (Short Call 2020 programme) to establish a high-resolution record of cryospheric change in the Wicklow Mountains during the last glacial-interglacial transition (or ‘termination’). This project, titled ‘Abrupt Climate Change in Ireland: Redefining our climate future through a lens of high-resolution glacial reconstruction’, will employ cosmogenic-nuclide dating of glacial deposits (to be conducted at NUIG and UMaine) and snowline reconstruction to quantify past abrupt climate shifts, providing data that, ultimately, will be used as targets for model simulations of Ireland’s future climate. 

MA-ESD Graduate, Matina Granieri, has begun a new role in Philadelphia’s Office of Sustainability, leading an innovative environmental and climate justice program for the city. Matina won the Neil Smith Award on the MA-ESD and returned to her home city of Philadelphia in 2019. She recently wrote to MA-ESD Programme Director, John Morrissey, to say a lovely thank you to all colleagues who supported her on her Masters in Galway: “I’m humbled by the opportunity to help shape Philadelphia’s new environmental and climate justice programme. I find myself frequently falling back on what I learned on the MA-ESD program to guide my decisions, and feel well equipped with the critical mindset needed to engage with government systems while attempting to center human well-being. So, I'm sending many thanks for all the foundational materials you shared and the critical thinking you asked of us”.

Gordon Bromley is heading a new collaborative project, funded by Geological Survey Ireland (Short Call 2020 programme), entitled ‘Quantifying Ireland’s Dust Bowl: An interdisciplinary assessment of potential loess genesis, deposition, and dynamics in the Burren’. Involving partners at Uppsala University, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, and NUIG (Geography and EOS), these 14 month-long investigations will employ geochemistry, geochronology, and geomorphology to explore the origins and climatic significance of wind-blown sedimentary deposits in the Burren, Co. Clare. This is part of a larger ongoing project into the terrestrial manifestation of abrupt climate change in the North Atlantic basin.

Geography’s I Like Beaches project has been busy during the current COVID-19 restrictions. It has led 12 ‘outdoor classroom’ events on the beaches of Salthill, with nearly 150 students from 4 local schools learning about beach and dune process, and how these may contribute to climate change adaptation. The socially-distanced activities will continue after the Christmas break, drawing in a wider range of interested stakeholders as the year progresses. (Contact: kevin.lynch@nuigalway.ie) 

On Monday December 14th from 2.00pm to 4.15pm the RURALIZATION conference ‘Facilitating our Future Farmers: National and International Perspectives’ will be held online via Zoom. Among the aims of the four-year RURALIZATION project is to identify and assess innovative ways to facilitate new entrants into farming, succession and access to farmland. Most farmers in the EU are aged over 55 and only a small proportion are below age 35. Supporting generational renewal is one objective of the CAP post 2020. There are however many complex issues impacting generational renewal, such as farm viability, ease of farm transferability, the need for greater succession planning, access to farmland and the human dynamics involved. This conference brings together researchers and practitioners to explore how we can enable our future farmers gain access to farmland and the farming sector.  This online conference is co-hosted by the RURALIZATION project at NUI Galway Rural Studies and the National Rural Network.  The RURALIZATION project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement number 817642.  Find Our MoreRegister

A research team from the Discipline of Geography at NUI Galway is part of a consortium that have won a competitive international research funding award of €1.38 million under the JPI Climate SOLSTICE initiative to explore how young people across Europe experience the climate crisis. [Further Info]

Eugene Farrell is part of an NUIG team that received €29,909 funding from Geological Survey Ireland (Short Call 2020 programme) for a 14 month project titled “Linking ocean model predictions with coastal impacts using a low cost, time-lapse camera shoreline monitoring system”. Eugene and the team(Dr Stephen Nash, Civil Engineering; Ms Sheena Parsons EOS)  that will test a low-cost shoreline monitoring system using fixed, time-lapse cameras in Brandon Bay, Co. Kerry. Images will be captured at high frequency (every 10 mins) and analysed to determine wave run-up and shoreline elevation changes. The results will be used to validate a coupled tide-wave-morphological modelling system that is under development in a separate project.

Dr Eugene Farrell was recently invited to be part of the European Marine Board (EMB) Working Group on ‘Coastal Resilience’. The EMB is the leading European think tank in marine science policy focussed on advancing marine research and bridging the gap between science and policy. The Working Group is tasked with writing a position paper during 2021 to provide an overview of the current state of the art in methods and tools for coastal resilience and identify knowledge gaps for future challenges. The research will inform EU policy and promote science-based decision making in coastal conservation, restoration, habitat and biodiversity management.

Coastal Change, Climate Adaptation and Mitigation, Free 3-day webinar on the 17th-19th November, See here: [Programme] [Registration]  

Dr John Morrissey has published a new paper with Yairen Jerez Columbié in Territory, Politics, Governance on climate resilience and human security in the Caribbean. By analysing the climate security practices of Cuba, and by interrogating the genealogy of the broader Caribbean’s hurricane culture, the paper shows how an effective human security vision for climate justice and resilience can be achieved by recognizing and integrating the valuable forms of locally attuned knowledge that continue to emerge and coalesce in vulnerable geographies.

Dr Kathy Reilly has published a new book working with co-editors Dr Lisa Moran (Edgehill University, UK) and Dr Bernadine Brady (School of Political Science and Sociology, NUI Galway). This new volume draws together scholarly contributions from diverse, yet interlinking disciplinary fields, with the aim of critically examining the value of narrative inquiry in understanding the everyday lives of children and young people in diverse spaces and places. Incorporating insights from sociology, geography, education, child and youth studies, social care, and social work, the collection emphasises how narrative research approaches present storytelling as a universally recognizable, valuable and effective methodological approach with children and young people. The chapters point to the diversity of spaces and places encountered by children and young people, considering how young people ‘tell tales’ about their lives, highlighting the multidimensionality of narrative research in capturing everyday lived experiences. [Read]

The European research project MOSES involving NUIG Geographers Desiree Farrell, Liam Carr and Frances Fahy seeks to understand and quantify the sustainability dimension of Blue Growth with respect to the potential environmental impacts of key strategic marine sectors across the EU Atlantic Arc member states.  The project is now in the final year and as part of the dissemination of results the team has organised an international Webinar series. Each participating country will host a webinar and NUI Galway is hosting the first in the series on Tuesday 17 November at 1pm  via Zoom.   The webinar will include presentations on: An Introduction to the Wild Atlantic Way -Daithí Gallagher, Fáilte Ireland Wild Atlantic Way tourists: A survey of spending, activities and attitudes - Daniel Norton, NUI Galway Building a sustainable marine tourism trail through community voices: Rathmullan, Co. Donegal - Desiree Farrell, NUI Galway  The MOSES Project is funded by the EU INTERREG Atlantic V Programme (2014 to 2020), Priority 4 Enhancing Biodiversity and the Natural and Cultural Assets

Congratulations to Dr. Chaosheng Zhang, who is featured on Galway Advertiser’s ‘Galway Entertainment Guide’ on October 22, 2020. In an interview with Galway Advertiser, Dr. Zhang talked about his experience of linking geography and photography. “To take good photos, you need to learn geography! This is my personal experience,” Dr. Zjhang says. “Geography is about people and space, as well as time. First and most importantly, you need to know where you can find beautiful sceneries,” and then “you need to be at the right place at the right time, and this is really challenging!”  Click here for the link to the full article in Galway Advertiser.

The MSc in Coastal and Marine Environments spent two successful days aboard the RV Celtic Voyager, conducting preliminary research on Galway Bay water quality and searching for microplastics. The annual cruise, now in its 6th year, is supported by the Marine Institute.

Dr Shane Conway, Researcher in the Discipline of Geography's Rural Studies Unit at NUI Galway chaired a session at this year’s Burren Winterage School AIP-AGRI Symposium on the solutions tested and lessons learned from Ireland's innovative EIP-AGRI projects to date. The use of these EIP-AGRI learnings to inform the new CAP Strategic Plan was also explored at this event, held virtually via Zoom on the 21st of October 2020. More information about the Burren Winterage School can be found here.

Congratulations to Dr. Chaosheng Zhang who is having a photo exhibition in Eyre Square Shopping Centre in Galway City, organized by Galway City Council. This is the first in a series of exhibitions under the Government’s art and culture ‘Getting Through Covid-19 Together’ campaign opens from October 15. Since 2017, Dr. Zhang has been taking photos of the city and around the NUI Galway campus. His photos have been used in various publications at the university and by business groups, and are also widely shared on social media.

Dr Maura Farrell was an invited speaker on the 13th October by the European Commission during the European Week of Regions and Cities to a session on the Long Term Vision of Rural Futures 2040.  Maura presented on Socially Inclusive Rural Futures.  In the afternoon, Maura was invited to take part in an open on-line discussion with EU Vice- President, Dubravka Šuica (Democracy and Demography); Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski (Agriculture and Rural Development) and Commissioner Elisa Ferreira (Cohesion and Reforms).  The sessions were moderated by the European Network for Rural Development. 

Congratulations to Dr. Chaosheng Zhang, who is the winner of the Photography Competition of ‘Best Things in Life are Free’ organised by Galway Advertiser. The competition was launched on World Photography Day, August 19th, and ran until 17th September. There were over 600 competition entries and the stunning photo of the sunrise on the Long Walk from Dr. Zhang is the winning photo. The photo is published on Galway Advertiser of October 1.

Dr Maura Farrell was recently appointed to the European Network for Rural Development Thematic Group, which will contribute to developing the EU 'Long-Term Vision for Rural Areas' announced by the President of the European Commission

Press release recently published by the Marine Institute, that summarizes Dr Audrey Morley's survey in the Nordic Seas on the Celtic Explorer [Read].   Please see here a video compilation of the survey.

Dr Shane Conway, Researcher in the Discipline of Geography's Rural Studies Unit at NUI Galway presented how lessons learned from Ireland's existing 23 EIP-AGRI Operational Groups are helping to build future Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) interventions in an Irish context on the final day of the EIP-AGRI online seminar on 'CAP Strategic Plans: the key role of Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems in Member States'. EU Commissioner for Agriculture, Janusz Wojciechowski, also spoke at this seminar that took place from the 16th to 18th of September 2020. The programme for this event can be viewed/downloaded here.

Dr Eugene Farrell and Ms Sheena Fennell (Senior Technician, Earth & Ocean Sciences NUIG & Ryan Institute) deployed an AWAC and ADCP in nearshore (15m) Brandon Bay Co Kerry last week as part of the ongoing coastal monitoring programme that focuses on The Maharees. The ocean observations are in partnership with the Marine Institute. The wave and current data will assist in validating a numerical model of the hydrodynamics of the bay which in being developed by Mr Andi Egon (PhD candidate) in Civil Engineering NUIG with Dr Stephen Nash. The model will support coastal erosion management decisions. Sincere thank you to Dr Martin White (EOS)  for loaning the sensors to the project. 

This paper presents the longest terrestrial record of ice sheet volume on the Antarctic continent yet constructed. We used multiple cosmogenic nuclides to date relict moraines in the Transantarctic Mountains to show that the massive East Antarctic Ice Sheet has persisted on the landscape in more-or-less its current configuration for at least 15 million years, and may have been thicker than present during periods of relatively warm climate. [Read]  

An infographic of Ireland's 23 EIP-AGRI Operational Group projects, produced by the NRN team at NUI Galway, Dr Shane Conway and Dr Maura Farrell, is featured in the 7th edition of the EIP-AGRI Service Point's Agrinnovation magazine (p.6). This new publication also includes a piece from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) about how these projects are supporting the design of future policy measures. You can view/download this magazine here.

Dr. Chaosheng Zhang had an online photography exhibition during NUI Galway Virtual Summer Festival, August 23-26, 2020 (www.nuigalwayevents.ie).  Dr. Zhang’s photography was featured in the newspaper Galway City Tribute dated August 28, 2020.  From 2017, Dr. Zhang has been taking beautiful photos Galway and campus of NUI Galway. His photos have been used in various publications at the University and widely shared on social media. Four calendars have been published based on his photos. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Dr. Zhang made 10 of his photos publicly available via social media for free downloading.

Congratulations to Dr. Chaosheng Zhang!! Two photos taken by Dr. Zhang were used by Irish television TG4 in the weather forecast program on September 1, 2020. One photo was reflections of sunrise over the Claddagh, Galway, and the other one was Dunquin Pier of Dingle Peninsula, County Kerry. [Photos]

Dr. Chaosheng Zhang and his PhD student Haofan Xu published a paper titled ‘Investigating spatially varying relationships between total organic carbon contents and pH values in European agricultural soil using geographically weighted regression’ in Science of the Total Environment. The journal is an internationally famous journal in environmental sciences. [Read]

Most recent Irish Quaternary Association (IQUA) Newsletter (No. 64: 08/2020) now available here: Included is a list of recent publications relating to the Quaternary in Ireland. Congratulations to Adrienne Foreman who is mentioned as Eileen Reilly IQUA award recipient.

Dr Eugene Farrell and Ms Emily Rick (MSc student in Coastal and Marine Environments 2019-2020)  published a review in Ocean Focus (Summer 2020 edition - available via subscription). The article "Kelp: a nature-based solution for coastal protection?" examines if the unique traits of kelp (durability, size, age, resilience and biomass density) make it suitable as a potential long-term coastal protection strategy in Ireland. They also discuss "the driftweed dilemma" which describes ongoing conflicts between beach users of how to manage the large volumes of discarded and living kelp washed onshore during storms. [Read]  

Evolution of Ireland’s Industrial, Science and Technology Policy examines the evolution of industrial, science and technology policy from a small country perspective. In particular, the monograph focuses on the evolution of Irish industrial development, the develop of Irish industrial cluster with a distinct focus on the case of the medical technology cluster in the West of Ireland. The monograph reflects on the future industrial, science and technology policy considerations that Ireland as a small open economy needs to focus on in order to evolve, maintain, and grow its international industrial, science, and technology reputation and standing. 

"Extracting Us" is an online exhibition and conversation on the feminist political ecologies of extractivism, going live on the 3rd August.  A launch event takes place on the 13th August.  V'cenza Cirefice, PhD in the geography department, is featured in this exhibition. 

Dr Eugene Farrell was part of two special reports in the Irish Examiner as part of Ocean Week 2020. The reports describe the work of coastal communities in Kerry and Cork to combat erosion and the challenges of implementing new climate action policies within existing planning structures. [Read article 1]  [Read article 2]

Dr Shane Conway, Researcher in the Discipline of Geography's Rural Studies Unit at NUI Galway, was recently featured in the Irish Farmers Journal (23rd of July, 2020) advocating for the social and emotional needs of the older generation of the farming community to be taken into account in light of calls for a new Early Retirement Scheme for farmers. Dr Conway also condemns the previous scheme in 2007 requesting older farmers to ‘cease agricultural activity forever’ in this piece. [Read] 

The winners of the President’s Awards for Teaching Excellence 2020 were announced last week and our colleagues, Dr Therese Conway, Dr Mike Hynes, and Professor Frances Fahy won the Team Teaching Award. Congratulations to the all the nominees and award winners.

The NRN team at NUI Galway, Dr Shane Conway and Dr Maura Farrell, ran a ‘LEADER Programme Promotion Week’ on the NRN's social media channels from the 29th of June to the 5th of July 2020. This pioneering initiative provided rural communities and entrepreneurs with an in-depth insight into the LEADER Programme 2014-2020, and also helped future applicants conceptualise their ideas and see what is possible through LEADER’s unique ‘bottom up’ community-led approach to rural development, particularly as they prepare to rebuild, redevelop and re-energize as part of Ireland’s Covid-19 crisis recovery response. Please click here for further info.

Dr Gordon Bromley and Dr Maggie Jackson have been awarded a higher education teaching grant by the European Geophysical Union for their project 'The Great Irish (Virtual) Glacial Tiki Tour'. This project will deliver a teaching package comprising virtual tours of glacial geomorphological features and the impact of glaciers in Ireland. [Further info]

'Imposing a Lockdown is much easier than lifting one'    Galway Film Fleadh animated film by Dr Pat Collins, Geography, NUI Galway. [watch]

Dr John Morrissey, Geography NUI Galway, writes on the global governance challenge of human security in our COVID-19 world. [Read]

Jeffrey Black, Dakota Holmes (both 2017-18 MSc graduates) and Dr Liam Carr have published their research, 'A Geography of Marine Plastics' in Irish Geography. The paper reviews the geography of marine plastics research, and the pervasive and persistent effects of plastic on the marine system to aid the discussions of comprehensive mitigation measures. The discussion points raised in this paper highlight the need for a global systems perspective that considers geography, environmental impacts, and sources in order to develop effective mitigation responses to marine litter Dakota is currently a Hardiman Phd Scholar under the advisement of Audrey Morley, while Jeffrey is beginning his doctoral studies at Colorado State University with Dr Rebecca Gruby, focusing on marine conservation and governance in the global tropics.

Geography at NUI Galway is delighted to welcome Dr Aurianne Stroude to the Discipline. Funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation, Dr Stroude will be working with Professor Frances Fahy on an 18 month research project focusing on sustainable practices with a view to understanding how they contribute to transforming the relation to the world of the people performing them. According to Aurianne ‘my idea is to analyse the different elements of specific social practices (food consumption, mobility and zero waste living) and to analyse their effects on the way people experience the world (passive relation) and the way they appropriate it or assimilate it (active relation)’. Welcome to Geography at NUI Galway Aurianne!

Congratulations to all of our students who recently received awards in the post from the University, as the 2020 NUI Galway Lá na nGradam(Awards Day) ceremony had to be cancelled this year. 16 of the 38 students about to embark on the 4th year of the new Applied Social Science Degree and 9 of the 41 students about to enter 3rd year BASS were honoured for their first class performances in the previous year of the BASS Programme - a remarkable achievement, congrats to all!

Dr John Morrissey, Geography, NUI Galway, was commissioned to write a political ecology critique of the COVID-19 pandemic in Transforming Society, one of the UK’s biggest lobby forums endeavouring to bring expertise and ethics to UK government policy. [Read]

This year the Burrenbeo Trust Learning Landscape Symposium is going online from 8th - 11th July. Addressing the theme of 'the importance of valuing your local place in a post-Covid world', some of the leading experts who will speak at the event include Richard Louv – journalist and author of Last child in the woods; Katalin Czippán – deputy chair of Commission on Education and Communication (CEC) of the IUCN; David Sobel – author and environmentalist who pioneered the Place-Based Education movement; and, Paddy Madden – educationalist, author and founder member of Engage with Nature.  [Further details]  [Register free]  

New publication by Dr Pat Collins,Geography, NUI Galway in Sciendo [Read]

Ongoing research collaboration between Geography at NUI Galway (Dr. Liam Carr and Desiree Farrell) and the community of Rathmullan, Co. Donegal has been featured on Highland Radio. The radio interview represents an example of community stakeholders demonstrating ownership in the research process. The study is nearing its final phase, and has been examining the impacts of the Wild Atlantic Way on the community of Rathmullan. [listen] 

Looking for new ways to keep the kids occupied during the COVID lockdown? Check out the The Ryan Institute Nature at Home series (@NatureAtHomeIE). Learn through simple exercises about about birdsong, pond life & bugs [here], and if you have a beach near by, about beach erosion [here].

The Rural Studies Cluster is part of the RURALIZATION Horizon 2020 project.  RURALIZATION is based around the idea that a process of ‘ruralisation’ can change development patterns in rural areas overcoming population and economic decline and generating new opportunities. To foster the ruralisation process across Europe, we need new policy-relevant knowledge, which the RURALIZATION project will generate. For updates on the project, check out the latest newsletter [here]  

Dr Shane Conway and Dr Maura Farrell in the Discipline of Geography's Rural Studies Unit have produced a new Video Blog (Vlog) series on behalf of the Irish National Rural Network (NRN) featuring farmers who are participating in Ireland's 23 EIP-AGRI projects located throughout the country. You can view the video here.

During this time of disruption, widespread suffering and elevated outrage about the racial and economic injustices of our societies, the SCORAI community will be coming together this week (June 10-12th) for the 4th International SCORAI conference focusing on Sustainable Consumption and Social Justice in an Urbanizing World.  Chaired by Prof Frances Fahy from NUI Galway and Prof Jennie Stephens from Northeastern University Boston, this virtual conference provides us with a valuable opportunity to share ideas and catalyze transformative change:  https://cssh.northeastern.edu/scorai2020/  We have an inspiring program that will engage directly with the transformative moment we are in.  The conference will open on Wednesday June 10th with a keynote reflection by Esteban Kelly, a visionary leader of the solidarity economy and Executive Director of the US Federation of Worker Cooperatives. This will be followed by a keynote presentation by Sherilyn MacGregor from Manchester University on integrating social justice into sustainable consumption work to set the stage for the rest of the conference.  The exciting conference program then has multiple parallel sessions on a wide diversity of issue areas, additional inspiring keynotes, yoga classes for all conference participants each day, and an art exhibit that critically examines issues of consumption.  With over 340 researchers, activists, and practitioners already registered from 33 countries, and 6 continents, the conference has representatives from all the SCORAI hubs across the globe.  More information is available here: https://cssh.northeastern.edu/scorai2020/

Dr John Morrissey’s piece in ZNet, one of the biggest e-magazines on the Left in the US, on the origins of COVID-19, the excesses of late modern capitalism and how we might govern and live differently [Read].

Research by Dr Shane Conway in the Discipline of Geography's Rural Studies Unit on the various emotional and social factors governing the behaviour patterns and attitudes of older farmers facing the ‘twin processes’ of farm succession and retirement has recently been featured on the International Farm Transition Network (IFTN) website based in the U.S.A.  You can read this article here.

Research carried out on the human side of farm succession and retirement in later life by Dr Shane Conway, Researcher in the Discipline of Geography's Rural Studies Research Cluster at NUI Galway has recently been featured in the Agricultural Economics section of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln website in the U.S.A. Please see: https://agecon.unl.edu/international-perspectives-farm-succession-and-retirement-later-lifeThis research gives voice to the older farmer's position in the Generational Renewal narrative.As demographic trends in many parts of the U.S.A., Europe and beyond reveal an inversion of the age pyramid with those aged 65 years and over constituting the fastest growing sector of the farming workforce, the recommendations set forth in this research from NUI Galway are equally as applicable and relevant in the U.S.A. as they are in an Irish context

Join us for NUI Galway's Virtual Open Day today! It is the perfect opportunity to talk us about studying Geography at NUI Galway. Join us live from 12-3pm at www.nuigalway.ie/opendays #NUIGalwayLive

Now entering the end of year one, the Horizon 2020 RURALIZATION project General Assembly meeting was held online on April 22nd and 23rd. The Rural Studies Cluster lead work on the project’s research and innovation framework. Dr Aisling Murtagh and Dr Maura Farrell led the session to evaluate current work and future steps related to the research and innovation framework. The meeting also included a dedicated session on the consequences of COVID-19 for the project’s work and future research focus. Find more information here. You can also stay up to date with the project by signing up the newsletter.

Dr Shane Conway, Researcher in the Discipline of Geography's Rural Studies Unit has recently been selected as Ireland's National Expert on a new two and a half-year project supported by the European Commission (DG AGRI) entitled 'Smart Rural 21'. This project aims to promote and inspire villages to develop and implement smart village approaches and strategies across Europe, and to draw conclusions and support future CAP interventions on smart villages. 17 villages are selected across Europe to receive guidance and technical support through the project. 5 villages have already been selected in Ireland (Dingle, Co. Kerry), Finland, France, the Czech Republic and Greece, and a further 12 villages will be selected up until the 5th of May 2020.   Rural communities can submit their expression of interest to participate in this project here.

New Whitaker Policy Brief by Dr Liam Carr & Eoin ÓFátharta. Discipline of Geography, 'The Economic Value of Outdoor Recreation on a Coastal Beach and Dune System in Ireland’s Southwest'  [Read]

Brainstorm article from Geography staff and students highlighting the value of the Irish coastal ecosystem & need for a coherent national investment policy for communities along the Wild Atlantic Way. [READ]

Nominees for this year's National Farming for Nature Awards have just been released. This inspiring initiative is now in its third year and aims to source and share stories of farmers across Ireland who are adjudged to be managing their land and livestock in a way that really benefits nature in their area. Dr Shane Conway, Researcher in the Discipline of Geography's Rural Studies Unit is on the judging panel for this award.  You can read a short extract about each of the nominees here

Congratulations to Galway Doctoral Research Scholar Adrienne Foreman who received the Eileen Reilly research award. The award is for postgraduate members of IQUA in memory of Eileen Reilly, an Irish Quaternary scientist, for training courses, conference attendance, laboratory analysis or fieldwork. Adrienne will be using the award for laboratory analysis (cosmogenic nuclide surface exposure dating)  

A virtual seminar was held on the coronavirus crisis in the Moore Institute on Thursday 3rd April.  The speakers were Dr John Morrissey (Geography), Dr Nessa Cronin (Irish Studies), Dr Kevin O’Sullivan (History) and Dr Pádraic Moran (Classics). It was streamed live on Facebook [watch]

A consortium of 23 organisations, led by the Greifswald Mire Centre, National University of Ireland Galway (Dr. Terry Morley and Niall O’Brolchain) and the Wetlands International European Association, call on the preservation of peatlands in the post-2020 Common Agricultural Policy. The position paper, part of an INTERREG NWE Project: Care Peat draws on the links between climate change, agriculture and peatland conservation. As agriculture is one of the main causes for peatland drainage, the paper focuses on the potential of the post-2020 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) to reduce this degradation.[further info]

In June 2020, Prof Frances Fahy will be Co-Chairing the 4th International SCORAI conference on sustainable consumption on behalf of the international Sustainable Consumption Research and Action Initiative (SCORAI) and Northeastern University in Boston. The theme for the 4th International SCORAI conference is Sustainable Consumption & Social Justice in an Urbanizing World. The world has changed dramatically since we began planning this conference many months ago, and we have shifted the conference format to be online only. We are grateful to have the opportunity to transition to a fully digital conference format that will reduce our collective consumption while preserving vitally important sharing of ideas.For more details and to register for this conference please visit our website

Frances Fahy’s research focuses on sustainable consumption and along with 7 of her international colleagues (in Canada, Germany, Ireland, Switzerland, the UK, Mexico, Hong Kong and the USA) she has established a new research project - Consumption and wellbeing in the time of Covid: We are living in interesting times. The Coronavirus is changing the way we interact, teach, study, work and consume. In response to this, Frances is working with 1st and 3rd year BASS students, inviting them to reflect on changes that are taking place in their everyday lives. In this process they are bringing together students from around the globe who may be living similar experiences. They hope that through this experience they can learn together how our consumption is changing, how our views of the world are changing, and what this means in relation to our wellbeing.  For more information or to join the study please email frances.fahy@nuigalway.ie

Read the Geography Newsletter, 23rd March, 2020

Congratulations to Dr. Chaosheng Zhang, who has recently been appointed as an Associate Editor of Journal of Geochemical Exploration. The journal is dedicated to the publication of research studies that cover new developments in the application of analytical geochemistry and geoinformatics. Dr. Zhang already holds three other editorial positions: Section Editor of Data in Brief, Coordinating Editor of Environmental Geochemistry and Health; Editorial Board member of The Science of the Total Environment.

Congratulations to Natasha Keenaghan who successfully defended her PhD thesis in February 2020. Drawing from perspectives in geography and media studies Natasha’s thesis examines the role of NGOs in changing public attitudes towards distant humanitarian crises. Natasha’s thesis was examined by Professor Rob Kitchin (Maynooth University) and was supervised by Dr Kathy Reilly (Geography, NUIG)

Dr Maura Farrell and Dr Shane Conway presented the aims, objectives, practices and progress of Ireland’s 23 locally-led EIP-AGRI Operational Groups to a group of students from the University of Paris Seine and the University of Cergy-Pontoise in France, studying a Master's degree in European and International Studies who recently visited NUI Galway. This is another example of the Rural Studies Unit's continued efforts to increase the impact and international awareness of research projects being carried out in the Discipline of Geography at NUI Galway. 

Read the Geography Newsletter, 9th March, 2020 [download]

Read the Geography Newsletter, 2nd March, 2020 [download] 

On Friday, 28th February 2020, Dr Audrey Morley and Dakota  Holmes went to the Iveagh House in Dublin to launch the Network of Arctic Researchers in Ireland (NARI) with the Marine Institute and Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. [further info]    

This Saturday 29th February,  Dr Pat Collins, Geography, NUI Galway wil take part in Ireland’s Edge which  returns to Ballina bringing together a compelling range of voices that span diverse disciplines, sectors and industries to discuss Ireland; where we’ve been, where we are now, and where we want to go. [Further Info]

Read the Geography Newsletter, 24th February, 2020 [download]

Learn more about the RURALIZATION Horizon 2020 project in its first newsletter. This includes a special feature on the Rural Studies Cluster who are part of the project.  [Read]

Read the Geography Newsletter, 17th February, 2020 [download]

Sunday Independent article: "Analysis confirms north Mayo Ceide Fields dates back 6,000 years, making it older than the pyramids" [READ][READ]

Dr Eugene Farrell was interviewed by Finnish journalist Mr Hannu Taavitsainen on coastal research he was conducting in Ireland last summer. Hannu has written a short article for the Finnish Association of Science Editors and Journalists. The finnish journalist was very interested in learning about Dr Farrell’s experience with coastal communities and the search for management solutions (e.g. dune fencing in article picture). Hannu was also very impressed with the CIG 2019 / EUGEO conference organised by staff members Dr Kathy Reilly and Dr Frances Fahy. [Read]

Dr Shane Conway, Researcher in the Discipline of Geography's Rural Studies Unit featured in a recent episode of RTÉ’s Ear to the Ground, where he discussed the importance of part-time farming, not only to the survival, continuity and future prosperity of the Irish agri-food industry, but also to the broader sustainability, viability and vibrancy of rural society, by incentivizing such farmers and their families to live and work in their local community.  You can view a clip of Shane discussing the intrinsic link between farming and rural sustainability here.  The full version of this particular episode of Ear to the Ground can be found on the  RTÉ Player (Season 27, Episode 11).

Intergenerational Considerations for Generational Renewal Policy Strategies' research by Dr Shane Conway Dr John McDonagh and Dr Maura Farrell in the Discipline of Geography's Rural Studies Research Unit at NUI Galway is featured in a recent ARC 2020 (Agricultural and Rural Convention) Rural Dialogues publication (p.38-40). [Read]

Publicationby Porf. Michael O'Connell, Dr Karen Molloy and Dr Eneda Jennings, Palaeoenvironmental Research Unit, School of Geography, Archaeology and Irish Studies, NUI Galway on the stone-wall fields at Céide Fields, Co. Mayo. [download]

NUI Galway is making great strides in the area of sustainability and has plans for further work as outlined in this new article published in Ireland’s Yearbook of Education co-authored by Prof Frances Fahy.  [Read]

Steering Demand? New energy geographies publication by Dr Mary Greene and Prof Frances Fahy examines the intersections of policy, practice and lives in energy-systems-change. [Read]

Read the Geography Newsletter, 4th February, 2020. [download]

Dr Pat Collins recently published a Whitaker Institute Policy Brief titled Planning for a better Ireland: Trusting in the wisdom of crowds. The policy brief can be read in full here.

Adrienne Foreman, PhD student at the  Discipline of Geography, NUI Galway,  takes us through a typical day and what it’s like to be a Palaeoclimatologist.[download]

Professor Ulf Strohmayer, (Geography, NUI Galway) takes us through a typical day and what it’s like to be a Urban Geography  [download]

  Read the Geography Newsletter, 4th February, 2020.

Labhair an Dr. Eugene Farrell ag féile Éigse na Bríde 2020 i gCiarraí Theas. Chuir an Dr. Farrell fadhbanna agus réitigh ar athrú aeráide ar fáil do phobail chósta in Éirinn.

Are you a woman in the natural/geosciences in Ireland?  If so, we want to know whether you think academic lifestyles are attractive. If you have a PhD and are interested in participating please register for: February, 18th, UCD Dublin February, 19th, NUI Galway  

Congratulations to Professor Frances Fahy  on her recent appointment as Personal Professor at NUI Galway.  Wishing you continued sucess Frances.

Read the Geography Newsletter, 20th January 2020.

Stories exploring the past, present and future of Abbeyleix Bog will be shared at a community mapping workshop in the town on Saturday 25 January.  For further information please see here

Daithí Maguire presenting his PhD research while attending the Geological Remote Sensing Group's 30th Anniversary AGM at the European Space Agency's Centre for Earth Observation in Frascati in December. Funding for his trip was provided by the Marine Institute

[READ] Geography Newsletter, January 2020.

Dr Aaron Potito (Geography, NUI Galway) takes us through a typical day and what it’s like to be a Palaeoecologist. [download]