Dr. Niamh NicGhabhann (University of Limerick, Ireland): "Religious Spaces in Transition - changing uses and possible futures for religious architectural heritage in Ireland"

This paper will explore the contemporary challenges facing aspects of religious heritage in Ireland. Throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Irish urban and rural landscapes were transformed through the building activities of the Roman Catholic church. Building types included churches, schools, convents, monasteries, seminaries, buildings for reform, healthcare, and leisure. These buildings often had a significant impact on the broader social and spatial development of their locations and continue to occupy significant positions today. However, this vast architectural legacy is currently in a precarious position, with many buildings falling out of use and into disrepair, reflecting broad social and cultural changes. This paper will explore some of the contemporary risks to these buildings, as well as considering where they sit within a framework of Irish architectural heritage. It will examine some of the innovative examples of use and re-use currently underway, as well as examples of participatory planning and community engagement around their possible futures.

Niamh NicGhabhann is a senior lecturer in the Department of History at the University of Limerick. Her research focuses on Irish art and architecture, and particularly on religious architectural heritage and material culture. Her book Medieval Ecclesiastical Architecture in Ireland, 1789-1915: Building in the Past was published by Four Courts Press in 2015, and Ambition and Magnificence: Roman Catholic Architecture in Ireland 1828-1936 is forthcoming with Liverpool University Press as part of their Reappraisals in Irish History series.

WueGlobal

This lecture is part of “WueGlobal – Writing, Learning, Digital Connection” funded by the DAAD / IVAC International Virtual Academic Collaboration Program. Participation can be applied to the WueGlobal Certificate. Please visit the WueGlobal website for more information: https://www.uni-wuerzburg.de/en/schreibzentrum/wueglobal/

Registration

If you are interested in participating in this online event, please sign up by sending an email with the subject line “NICGHABHANN” to irishstudies@uni-wuerzburg.de by November 3, 2021. Please include your full name, affiliation or address, and a phone number.

Please note that the above given email address is used solely for registration purposes. If you want to contact ISWÜ, please use the contact information given below.

Contact

Irish Studies Würzburg (ISWÜ)

Prof. Dr. Ina Bergmann & Prof. Dr. Maria Eisenmann

ina.bergmann@uni-wuerzburg.de, maria.eisenmann@uni-wuerzburg.de