Síobhra Aiken

Source: https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/s%C3%ADobhra-aiken/ Parent: https://www.qub.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/anthropology-irish-ba-ql56/

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Síobhra Aiken

Senior Lecturer, School of Arts, English and Languages

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7136-8599

EmailS.Aiken@qub.ac.uk

2016Research output 2016: 1Research output 2018: 3Research output 2019: 1Research output 2020: 1Research output 2021: 3Research output 2022: 11Research output 2023: 5Research output 2024: 92024

Research activity per year

Personal profile

Research Focus

[Béarla thíos/ English below]

Thosaigh Síobhra Aiken i Roinn na Gaeilge agus an Léinn Cheiltigh in Aibreán 2021. Bhain sí amach BA sa Léann Eorpach i gColáiste na Tríonóide agus MA sa Léann Éireannach in Ollscoil na hÉireann, Gaillimh; tá Dioplóma Iarchéime san Aistriúchán agus san Eagarthóireacht aici ó Ollscoil Mhá Nuad freisin. Bronnadh scoláireacht Fulbright uirthi i 2013 agus chaith sí bliain ag teagasc na Gaeilge i gColáiste Elms i Springfield, Massachusetts. \ \ Bhain sí PhD amach sa bhliain 2020 ó Ionad an Léinn Éireannaigh, Ollscoil na hÉireann, Gaillimh. Bhronn An Chomhdháil Mheiriceánach do Léann na hÉireann gradam uirthi, Duais Adele Dalsimer, don tráchtas dochtúireachta is fearr sa bhliain 2021.\ \ Tá réimse leathan spéiseanna taighde aici: nuafhilíocht na Gaeilge; litríocht na Gaeilge sa bhfichiú haois; Athbheochan na Gaeilge i Meiriceá; an ‘tráma’ agus an imirce le linn réabhlóid na hÉireann; staidéir chomparáideacha idir cogadha cathartha na hÉireann agus cogadh cathartha na Spáinne; filíocht Mháirtín Uí Dhireáin agus Mháire Mhac an tSaoi.\ \ Tá go leor aistí agus alt piarmheasúnaithe foilsithe aici. Tá dhá leabhar curtha in eagar aici: The Men Will Talk to Me: Ernie O'Malley's Interviews with the Northern Divisions (2018) agus An Chuid Eile Díom Féin: Aistí le Máirtín Ó Direáin (2018); bhain an dara ceann acu sin Duais Phelan Conan amach sa bhliain 2020.\ \ D'fhoilsigh Irish Academic Press a céad mhonagraf, Spiritual Wounds: Trauma, Testimony and the Irish Civil War, in Aibreán na bliana 2022. Luadh an saothar ar liosta leabhair na bliana 2022 de chuid an Times Literary Supplement agus ainmníodh é do Dhuais Leabhair Whitfield 2023 (Royal Historical Society).\

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Síobhra Aiken joined the Department of Irish and Celtic Studies in April 2021. She holds a BA in European Studies (History, French & Spanish) from Trinity College, an MA in Irish Studies from the National University of Ireland, Galway, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Irish-language Translation and Editing from Maynooth University. She was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship in 2013 and spent a year teaching and researching at Elms College in Springfield, Massachusetts.

She graduated with a PhD in 2020 from the Centre for Irish Studies, National University of Ireland, Galway. Her doctoral dissertation was awarded the Adele Dalsimer Prize by the American Conference for Irish Studies in 2021.

Her research interests include: modernist Irish-language poetry; twentieth-century Irish-language literature; the Gaelic Revival in the United States; 'trauma' and emigration during the Irish Revolution (1916–23); fictionalised testimony by veterans of the Irish Revolution; comparative studies of the Irish and Spanish Civil Wars; the poetry of Máirtín Ó Direáin and Máire Mhac an tSaoi.

Her publications include two edited books, three edited journals as guest\ editor, an exhibition, a number of peer-reviewed articles and chapters and numerous journalistic articles. Her two edited books include: The Men Will Talk to Me: Ernie O'Malley's Interviews with the Northern Divisions (2018) and An Chuid Eile Díom Féin: Aistí le Máirtín Ó Direáin (2018); the latter won the Phelan Conan Award for Irish-language publication in 2020. She has also contributed to a variety of television documentaries and radio programmes. In October 2022, she guest edited a special edition of the literary journal on the poet, essayist and diplomat Máire Mhac an tSaoi.

Her first monograph, Spiritual Wounds: Trauma, Testimony and the Irish Civil War, was published in April 2022 by Irish Academic Press. The book featured in the Times Literary Supplement's books of 2022 and was awarded the Michael J. Durkan Prize for Books in Language and Culture 2022 by the American Conference of Irish Studies (ACIS). Spiritual Wounds was also awarded the 2023 Whitfield prize from the Royal Historical Society; the Whitfield prize is awarded annually to the best first book in British or Irish history and is described as ‘one of the most sought after book prizes for early career historians’. Spiritual Wounds has been generously reviewed in a number of outlets, including in Irish Studies Review, Estudios Irlandeses, Études irlandaises, Irish University Review, Irish Archives, TheIrishStory.com, Tuairisc.ie, Sunday Business Post, Women’s History Association of Ireland, Blosc, Comhar, History Ireland, and the Irish Times.

She is currently completing a second monograph – provisionally entitled GAELTACHT SPRINGFIELD: Pádraig Ó hÉigeartaigh & pobal na nGael san Oileán Úr – which is an examination of the efforts by early twentieth-century immigrants in the industrial city of Springfield, Massachusetts to sustain an Irish-speaking enclave in their adopted home.

In 2023, Dr Aiken was selected to form part of the Young Academy Ireland – an all-island network of 40 early career researchers and innovators based out of the Royal Irish Academy. She is also a board member of Glór na Móna and is involved in the Meitheal Mheantóireachta – a mentorship scheme that contributes to the ongoing community revival of Irish in Belfast by supporting those currently employed in the Irish language sector or seeking to work in the sector.

Teaching

I currently convene and teach the following modules:

CEL1006 An Introduction to Modern Irish Literature (Level 1)
CEL2006 Cearta an Duine agus Nualitríocht na Gaeilge (Human rights and literature in Irish) (Level 2)
CEL3006 Scéal na hImirce (The migrant experience) (Level 3)
CEL3010 Gairmeacha le Gaeilge (Work placement module) (Level 3)
IRS 7013 Language Revival, Reconciliation and Politics in N. Ireland (MA module in Irish Studies)

I also contribute to the following modules:

CEL1101 Gaeilge 1
CEL2101 Gaeilge 2 (Na daonnachtaí digiteacha agus na meáin, digital humanties and media studies)
CEL3028 Miontráchtas taighde (Minor dissertation module)
CEL3101 Léann an aistriúcháin (translation studies)
MML700 (Research in Modern Languages)
LIB2001 Uses of the Past

I am very pleased to be working with the following doctoral students:

Katie Nic Con Midhe, 'Cneasú Fileata: An Scríbhneoireacht mar Theiripe i Nuafhilíocht na Gaeilge'.
Andrew Himmelberg, 'A Gendered Revolution: The Ideology, Activism, and Perception of Ireland's Republican Women, 1910-1925'.
Róisín Nic Liam, 'Rannpháirtíocht na n-óg in Athbheochan na Gaeilge i mBéal Feirste ó 1998'.
Amber Nic Daibhéid, 'An nualitríocht agus na Trioblóidí'.

In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):

SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being
SDG 5 Gender Equality
SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics where Síobhra Aiken is active. These topic labels come from the works of this person. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Irish Gaelic Social Sciences
Revolutions Social Sciences
Irish Revolution Arts and Humanities
Civil War Arts and Humanities
Re-membrance Arts and Humanities
Women Social Sciences
Hunger Social Sciences
Spain Social Sciences

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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years

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Research output

8 Article
4 Chapter (peer-reviewed)
4 Special issue
3 Featured article
5 More
2 Book
1 Edited book
1 Other report
1 Editorial
1 Book/Film/Article review
1 Other contribution
Banscríbhneoirí Bisiúla Ár Linne

Translated title of the contribution: Special edition journal on contemporary women's writingAiken, S., Nov 2024, In: Comhar. 84, 11, p. 1 59 p.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Special issue - ### Eagarfhocal: Banscríbhneoirí bisiúla ár linne

Translated title of the contribution: Editorial: contemporary women's writingAiken, S., Nov 2024, In: Comhar. p. 4 5 p.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Editorial - ### From Shame to Surrealism: Narrating Illness as a Minoritised Language Speaker

Aiken, S., 20 Nov 2024, The Polyphony: Conversations across the Medical Humanities.

Research output: Contribution to specialist publication › Article

Open Access - ### Géarchéim an fhoréigin agus fuascailt na litríochta?

Translated title of the contribution: Violence against women at crisis point; the potential of literature?Aiken, S., 22 Nov 2024, An Páipéar, 4.

Research output: Contribution to specialist publication › Book/Film/Article review

Open Access - ### Historians and the ‘silence’ of the Irish Civil War: some comparative perspectives

Aiken, S., 12 Sept 2024, Atlas of the Irish Civil War : new perspectives. O'Keeffe, H. (ed.). Cork University Press, (Atlas Series; no. 13).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter (peer-reviewed) › peer-review

Open Access

File

11 Downloads (Pure)

View all 34 research outputs

Prizes

2023 Whitfield Book Prize (Royal Historical Society)

Aiken, S. (Recipient), 2023

Prize: National/international honour

Social Systems
Awards
History
Irish Gaelic
Occupations
American Conference for Irish Studies Adele Dalsimer Prize for Distinguished Dissertation

Aiken, S. (Recipient), 2021

Prize: National/international honour - ### Duais Phelan Conan / Phelan Conan Book Prize, NUI Galway

Aiken, S. (Recipient), 2020

Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)

Aiken, S. (Recipient), 2023

Prize: Election to learned society - ### Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy

Aiken, S. (Recipient), 2023

Prize: Election to learned society

View all 14 prizes

Activities

23 Invited or keynote talk at national or international conference
11 Public lecture/debate/seminar
6 Hosting a school group or open day
5 Participation in conference
25 More
7 Publication peer-review
7 Research and Teaching at External Organisation
6 Participation in workshop, seminar, course
3 Membership of national or international committees and working groups
2 Other examination
2 Visiting a School
1 Participation in Festival/Exhibition
1 Contribution to the work of national or international committees and working groups
1 UG external examination
1 Hosting an academic visitor
1 Membership of board
1 Membership of peer review panel or committee
1 Membership of network
1 Other
An Ghaeilge agus na hEolaíochtaí Sóisialta

NicCormaic, E. (Organiser) & Aiken, S. (Organiser)

22 Oct 2025

Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in Festival/Exhibition - ### Civil war as love triangle: the interactions between romance and trauma-telling (QUB)

Aiken, S. (Invited speaker)

15 Jun 2024

Activity: Talk or presentation types › Invited or keynote talk at national or international conference - ### Communities, Inclusion, Decolonisation and Heritage Symposium

Widdis, B. (Organiser), Reisz, E. (Organiser), Aiken, S. (Speaker) & Pierse, M. (Participant)

14 Jun 2024

Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in workshop, seminar, course - ### Comparative perspectives on the 'silence' of the Irish Civil War (Cambridge)

Aiken, S. (Invited speaker)

08 May 2024

Activity: Talk or presentation types › Invited or keynote talk at national or international conference - ### ‘Spiritual Wounds?': The Hidden Ireland and the Irish Civil War (UCC)

Aiken, S. (Invited speaker)

20 Apr 2024

Activity: Talk or presentation types › Invited or keynote talk at national or international conference

View all 99 activities