The Royal Irish Academy

07/09/2026

Stay tuned for the opening of Beyond the Walls, a new exhibition by Grangegorman Histories: https://www.ria.ie/2026/08/26/beyond-the-walls/

Opening soon! ⏳

Grangegorman Development Agency

07/09/2026

The Manuscript of the Week is RIA MS C iii 1, the Annals of Connacht. This manuscript records episodes in the history of Gaelic Ireland from AD 1224 to AD 1544, with one later entry (in different ink) for the year 1562. There are short gaps in the text where it appears that a pair of leaves has been lost. Another gap from 1427-32 occurs without evidence of loss of a text. You can see an intentional blank space left after the entry for 1426. In this case, there may have been a leaf missing from the older exemplar being used by the scribe.

The MS of the Week is on display in the Reading Room of the Library this week from 10.00-16.30, Monday - Friday. No appointment or reader’s ticket is required to view the MS of the Week.

Read more about the manuscript and view the digital images, provided by Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies - DIAS Irish Script on Screen and copyright Royal Irish Academy Library: https://www.ria.ie/collections/manuscripts/irish-language-manuscripts/irish-language-manuscripts-annals-of-connacht/

06/09/2026

Abhay Pandit is Established Professor in Biomaterials and Founding Director of the Research Ireland Centre for Research in Medical Devices (CÚRAM) hosted at the University of Galway.

Professor Pandit’s research focuses on utilising glycosylation patterns from human pathological disease states to develop innovative strategies for modulating these states using biomaterials. His recent RIA Members’ Research Series piece explains glyco-functionalisation could help design biomaterials that communicate with the immune system, reducing inflammation and promoting tissue repair.

Learn more about his research on the RIA website: https://www.ria.ie/blog/abhay-pandit-mria-science/

05/09/2026

In this episode of ARINS' ‘My Identity’ podcast, Professor Colin Graham is in conversation with Senator Patricia Stephenson, the Social Democrats Senator for the Labour Panel in Seanad Éireann, Leinster House..

Growing up in post-conflict Belfast, Patricia was influenced by the region’s challenges. Prior to her political career, she spent almost a decade working in international development, including six years living in East Africa, including South Sudan and Uganda.

Listen now: https://www.ria.ie/audio/my-identity-colin-graham-with-patricia-stephenson/

04/09/2026

📚 Looking back as we count down to this year's Michel Déon Prize announcement...

In December 2018, the inaugural Royal Irish Academy Michel Déon Prize for Non-Fiction was awarded to historian Breandán MacSuibhne, University of Galway, for The End of Outrage: Post-Famine Adjustment in Rural Ireland. Following his win, he delivered the Michel Déon Lecture in Paris on 10 December 2019.

As we prepare to announce this year's winner on 01 October, we're reflecting on the outstanding scholarship and storytelling that have defined the prize since its inception.

Explore this year's shortlisted books and learn more about the prize: https://www.ria.ie/grants-awards/prizes/michel-deon-prize/

The RIA Michel Déon Prize is generously funded by the Irish Foreign Ministry.

04/09/2026

Did you know that in the Middle Ages the Isle of Man had its own distinctive variety of Latin?

This striking finding has resulted from the Royal Irish Academy (RIA)’s Dictionary of Medieval Latin from Celtic Sources (DMLCS) research programme.

For more on this topic, see the recently published article ‘Manx Latin: A Further Distinctive of the Island?’, written by Anthony Harvey, Editor of the DMLCS dictionary: https://pressto.amu.edu.pl/index.php/scp/article/view/47415

Find out more about the DMLCS and the RIA’s other research programmes at https://www.ria.ie/research-programmes

03/09/2026

This year the Royal Irish Academy is pleased to announce that in addition to the annual funding for archaeological research, which is made possible by the support of the National Monuments Service - Archaeology (NMS), focused funding is also available for research into Norman Ireland.

The Royal Irish Academy, together with the NMS, and a broad group of stakeholders across Ireland are collaborating with the Region of Normandy and other participating territories to mark 2027 as European Year of the Normans.

The Archaeology Research Excavation Grants, Archaeological Archives Research Grants, Archaeolgical Research for World Heritage properties and Archaeology Legacy projects schemes are open as usual and welcoming applications until 15 October with additional funding available for projects under the Archaeology Research Excavation Grants scheme which fall under the theme of Norman Ireland.

A new Year of the Norman research scheme will also offer grants of €5,000 for new research associated with the history of Norman Ireland.

Details of all these schemes are available on our RIA Grants webpage: https://www.ria.ie/grants/ and the schemes will remain open until 15 October 2026.

University College Cork Maynooth University University of Galway Trinity College Dublin National Museum of Ireland Discovery Programme

02/09/2026

The RIA is delighted to announce the continuation of the Ireland-Scotland Bilateral Network Grants, funded by the Irish Foreign Ministry. Following the publication of the Ireland - Scotland Bilateral Cooperation Framework 2030 the scheme now invites applications to strengthen co-operation and learning between excellent researchers, academics and practitioners in Scotland and Ireland under the theme of 'Culture, Language and Sport’ until the 21st October.

All details of the scheme are available here: https://www.ria.ie/grants/ireland-scotland-bilateral-network-grants/

Royal Society of Edinburgh
Consulate General of Ireland, Edinburgh

01/09/2026

Celebrate Dublin Festival of History with the Royal Irish Academy

The Royal Irish Academy (RIA) and its research programmes will be running a number of events during the Dublin Festival of History (26 September – 11 October), on-site at 19 Dawson Street and off-site.

Many of our events are already booked out!

For more details, visit our Dublin Festival of History webpage: https://www.ria.ie/work/public-engagement/dublin-festival-of-history/

31/08/2026

Panel discussion: 'To BA or not to BA?'

This event, in the Royal Irish Academy on Monday, 28 September at 6:00pm, will bring a panel of expertise and experience to bear on a discussion in relation to the provision and choice to study arts and humanities at an undergraduate level.

Speakers: Professor John Doyle, Vice President for Research, DCU, Professor Dame Sally Mapstone, Principal, University of St Andrews, Scotland and Professor Janice Carruthers, Dean of Research, Queen's University Belfast .

Chair: Professor Daniel Carey, President of the RIA.

Register for the event with the link below.

A panel discussion exploring the decision to pursue arts and humanities studies at undergraduate level.