Spotlight on Research

Corkboard with the letters M, E, M, E pinned to it

5 things you didn't know about memes – and why they're more serious than you think

Next time you share a meme, remember that you are participating in something greater than a simple viral joke, writes Dr Constance de Saint Laurent of the Department of Psychology

Thursday, 08 August 2024

Two-wheel carriage pulled by two white horses, with a woman sitting inside, driven by a coachman between a ruined castle and a round tower

'Very savage': letters from a visitor to Ireland in 1827

These richly descriptive letters show us what a 19th century English visitor had to say about the cost of living, religion and Irish society, writes Róisín Berry, Special Collections and Archives, Maynooth University Library

Wednesday, 31 July 2024

Picture of a white sliotar sitting on top of a weathered hurl on grass

Where are the hurling and football strongholds in Ireland?

Examining the number of county final wins for every club can show the strengths of hurling and football throughout the country, write Dr Gerard McCarthy and research assistants Hannah Shen and Amelia Carroll of the Geography Department

Thursday, 25 July 2024

What can we learn from depictions of sleep in literary history?

Sleeping 'too much' is often deemed a character fault, the result of laziness or apathy, writes Hilary White, an Irish Research Council and Government of Ireland 2023 Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of English.

Friday, 19 July 2024

Rows of genetically modified crops merging into a double helix

What could EU changes around genetically modified crops mean for Ireland?

New legislation will allow for the increased use of new genomic techniques in plant research and crop development, writes Dr Ailbhe Brazel of the Department of Biology

Wednesday, 10 July 2024

Map of Pacific showing island of New Caledonia with a red pin in it

What we can learn from New Caledonia about NI peace process

Events in New Caledonia suggest any efforts to move the goalposts as set out in the Good Friday Agreement may put a still fragile peace at risk, writes Prof Dónal Hassett of the Department of History

Thursday, 04 July 2024

Will brands and businesses take a side on protests and activism?

People are increasingly turning to what they buy and consume to make a stance on socio-political issues such as LGBT+ inclusion, writes Dr Max Yu of the School of Business

Thursday, 27 June 2024

Sign reading The Criminal Courts of Justice with justice symbol

Does the public want harsher sentences for criminals?

Public attitudes to criminal justice issues may be more complex than simply assuming 'law and order' policies will be politically popular, writes Dr Ian Marder of the School of Law and Criminology

Tuesday, 18 June 2024

Three children -- two girls and a boy -- standing on blue yoga mats doing triangle poses

3 reasons children can benefit from yoga and a 5-step practice for them

Practicing yoga has rich learning potential for children as a life skill and a way to experience joy in movement, writes Dr Suzanne O'Keeffe of the Froebel Department of Primary and Early Childhood Education at MU's School of Education

Tuesday, 11 June 2024

fake news signpost

The misinformation about misinformation

We tend to overestimate how gullible others are, but misinformation can have dramatic consequences, writes Dr Constance de Saint Laurent, Assistant Professor of Sociotechnical Systems at the Department of Psychology

Wednesday, 05 June 2024

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