LPRC Conference Booklet 2019

This publication is sponsored by:
Limerick Postgraduate Research Conference
Welcome to the Limerick Postgraduate Research Conference!
LPRC Committee 2019 ...............................................................................................1

Welcome .....................................................................................................................2
Keynote Speakers .......................................................................................................3
Conference Programme ..............................................................................................4
Conference Panels ......................................................................................................9
LANGUAGE AND CULTURE PANEL A ............................................................................... 9
LANGUAGE AND CULTURE PANEL B............................................................................. 12
LANGUAGE AND CULTURE PANEL C ............................................................................ 14
SOCIETY AND PROGRESS PANEL A .............................................................................. 17
SOCIETY AND PROGRESS PANEL B .............................................................................. 20
SOCIETY AND PROGRESS PANEL C .............................................................................. 22
SOCIETY AND PROGRESS PANEL D .............................................................................. 25
SOCIETY AND PROGRESS PANEL E .............................................................................. 27
HEALTH AND WELLBEING PANEL A .............................................................................. 30
HEALTH AND WELLBEING PANEL B .............................................................................. 32
HEALTH AND WELLBEING PANEL C .............................................................................. 35
SCIENCE AND INNOVATION PANEL A............................................................................ 37
Poster Presentations .................................................................................................42
Sponsors .....................................................................................................................1
LPRC Committee 2019

Joe Haugh, Limerick Institute of Technology
Hala Jaber, University of Limerick
Tijmen Lansdaal, Mary Immaculate College
Dean Lillis, University of Limerick
Caitlin Neachtain, Mary Immaculate College
Kara O’Brien, University of Limerick
Sharon O’Flaherty, Limerick Institute of Technology
Fernanda Zamboni, University of Limerick
Join the conversation on Twitter and connect with fellow researchers

using the hashtag #LPRC2019. We’ll also be tweeting regular updates
from @LPRC2019 – follow us for all the latest news!
1
Welcome
It is our pleasure to welcome you most sincerely to the 8th annual
Postgraduate Research Conference 2019 (LPRC). This conference is
organised every year by committee members from Mary Immaculate
College (MIC), Limerick Institute of Technology (LIT) & University of
Limerick (UL). This year University of Limerick will host the event on the
20th of May 2019.
The theme of this year’s conference is Research & Society: Innovation,

Information & Impact. Postgraduate students from colleges throughout
Ireland will present their work to fellow researchers and members of the
public, across four separate themes: Language and Culture, Health and
Wellbeing, Society and Progress, and Science and Innovation. The
themes were kept broad to encourage students from all disciplinary
backgrounds to participate. Four panels split across three sessions
provide participants an opportunity to choose which topics they are
most interested in attending.
We can also look forward to hearing from our three keynote speakers,
Professor Shane Kilcommins (University of Limerick), Dr Breandán Mac
Gabhann (Mary Immaculate College) and Ms Geraldine Maughan
(Limerick Institute of Technology). Details for all oral, poster and
keynote speakers are outlined in the conference book. Oral
presentations are 15 minutes long with 5 minutes for questions at the
end. Poster sessions will run from 13:45 to 14:30 in the Kemmy
Business School Foyer. Conference attendees will have the opportunity
to vote for their favourite poster using stickers found in their conference
bag.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for supporting us

and we really hope you enjoy the day. We’re sure you will all be inspired
by the various innovative topics discussed here by passionate
researchers throughout Ireland. We would also like to take the
opportunity to thank our numerous sponsors who without their support
this day would not have been possible.
LPRC Organising Committee 2019
2
Keynote Speakers
3
Conference Programme
Don’t miss out on interesting talks! Find the timeslot for each of these
talks on the conference programme (pages 5-8). Abstracts for each of
the papers below can be found under the section Conference
Panels, starting on page 9. Refer to the table of contents for
information relating to a specific session.
Poster abstracts can be found under Poster Presentations, starting

on page 44.
08:30-09:15 | Registration | Kemmy Business School Foyer
09:15-09:30 | Opening Session | KBG12
Prof. Kerstin Mey, University of Limerick
09:30-10:30 | Keynote Speeches | KBG12
Prof. Shane Kilcommins, University of Limerick

Dr Breandán Mac Gabhann, Mary Immaculate College
Ms Geraldine Maughan, Limerick Institute of Technology
4
10:30-11:30 | Session One | KBG11 – KBG15
Health & Science & Society & Language &

Wellbeing Innovation Progress Culture
Panel A Panel A Panel A Panel A
KBG11 KBG14 KBG15 KBG13
CHAIRPERSON: CHAIRPERSON: CHAIRPERSON: CHAIRPERSON:

Dean Lillis Fernanda Zamboni Kara O’Brien Hala Jaber
________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________
Evan Foley (UL) James O’Reilly Joseph Haugh Julie Trobitsch

Supervision in (MIC) How does (LIT) An (MU) Foreign
clinical training: An the use of exploration of the language learning
interpretive augmented reality outcomes and in Ireland and a
phenomenological in the primary experiences of comparison with
analysis school classroom young people in Switzerland: A
________________________________
affect the child’s residential care study on modern
Sean Donal spatial awareness settings foreign language
O’Shea (LIT) Some and ability to education
________________________________
Evelyn Hill (LIT)

Dance to problem solve in ________________________________
Dealing with loss: Michelle Daly (UL)

Remember: mathematics?
________________________________ young people's An investigation
Exploring the
Rokaia Jedir (LIT) experiences of into the
psychosocial
A computational grief support perceptions and
effects of the
auditory working- services for issues experiences of Irish
introduction of an
memory model related to grief and teachers working
adaptive Irish Ceilí
based on human loss. in the Gulf EFL
Dance group
computer ________________________________
context in relation
activity with people Izabela Szlachta
interaction design to intercultural
living with (UL) Unemployed
principles for awareness and
dementia and their narratives: Job
multimodal training
carers seeking
________________________________ interfaces ________________________________
________________________________ experiences with Deborah Tobin

Noelle Clancy
Katie Shiels (LIT) the JobPath (MIC/UL) A critical
(LIT) What is a
Non-proteinogenic discourse analysis
community-based
amino acid GABA of self-perceptions
social care model
bioproduction in of teachers within
in dementia?
cyanobacteria the private English-
language school
sector in the
Republic of Ireland
11:30-12:00 | Coffee Break | KBG Foyer
5
12:00-13:00 | Session Two | KBG11 – KBG15
Health & Society & Society & Language &

Wellbeing Progress Progress Culture
Panel B Panel B Panel C Panel B
CHAIRPERSON:
CHAIRPERSON: CHAIRPERSON: CHAIRPERSON:
Fernanda
Sharon O’Flaherty Joe Haugh Caitlin Neachtain
Zamboni ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________
________________________________
Michael Lynagh Annette O’Brien Pilar Luz Shane Grant

(UL) A prospective (UL) A Political Rodrigues (WIT) (CMGS) Micheál Ó
cohort study Discourse Analysis “Gort is the Siochrú:
investigating, of the mother of all Féiniúlacht, ról
work-rate, injury Governments Brazilians in agus ceist an
status, fatigue and response to the Ireland”: Stories phobail
wellbeing within McMahon Report and Experiences léitheoireachta
an inter-county ________________________________
of Brazilian _________________________________
Sarah Ní
hurling squad Michael Carmody Migrants with
Dhuinnín (CMGS)
An Analysis of the Work & Integration
________________________________
Marion Geary Oideachas an

Evolution of in Gort, Ireland’s
(LIT) The Little Brazil
teanga mhionlaigh
Human Rights
Development and _________________________________ in Éirinn: Forbairt
Philosophy
Maintenance of Beartais agus
Aisling Keavey
Athletic Identity in ________________________________
Cleachtais
Rachel Gregory (DLIADT) How
Elite GAA Dual _________________________________
(UCC) Gender have the Irish Mateus Miranda

Career Athletes
________________________________ Quotas and diaspora been (MIC) From
Aaron Grant Political Ambition represented in Pattern to
(WIT) for Ministerial England from 1980 meaning: A
A Predictive Office: A structural to the present descriptive lexico-
Model for Gym examination of day? grammatical
________________________________
Membership supply-side corpus study on
Shane Reynolds
Retention impacts 1.2 English written
(UL) Impact of
performance
referenda on party
competition and
unity
13:00-13:45 | Lunch | Canteen
13:45-14:30 | Poster Session | Kemmy Business School Foyer
List of posters overleaf →
6
Shannon Slattery | Identification & characterisation of a novel ICE
(Integrating Conjugating Elements) mobile genetic element isolated from a
wastewater environment
Fernando Zamboni | Women in Science: A retrospective gender analysis
through publication
Niamh Lafferty | A Class Act: Emotional display rules of secondary school
teachers
James O’Reilly | How can the use of a 3D printer support children’s
learning in the mathematics curriculum
Caoimhe Madden, Sinéad Lydon, Andrew W. Murphy, Paul O’Connor |
Putting the ‘patient’ into patient safety improvement in primary care
Emily O’Dowd, Sinéad Lydon, Caoimhe Madden, Paul O’Conner | The
nature, impact, motivation for and frequency of complaints in primary care:
A systematic review
Tracey O’Connell | An investigation of the impact of an industry-focused
gender intervention on the self-perception and career aspirations of female
undergraduate students in the STEM disciplines
Lucy M. Davis | Do not attempt resuscitation (DNAR) orders in Ireland: Are
there lessons to be garnered from legislative experiences in Ohio?
Chandrasekhar Dhanapathi | A framework to assess enablers and
inhibitors of incumbent responses to digital technology disruptions
David Byrne | Exploring the educational use of augmented reality and
storytelling for differentiated reading instruction for primary school learners
Eunice Phillip, Paul Corcoran | Household air pollution from cooking fuel
and anaemia in women and children in sub-Saharan Africa: A cross-
sectional study of six countries
Mary Smyth | How can short animated films be used as a healing and
therapeutic tool for children living with familial addiction?
Megan Vine, Ronni Greenwood | A community integration initiative with
displaced persons and a host community in Ireland: Participants’
experiences
Mariana Alves | Biological system scale up for nanoparticle production:
Morphological characterisation, cytotoxicity evaluation and
bionanoconjugate synthesis
Rebecca Coughlan | A framework to assess enablers and inhibitors of
incumbent responses to digital technology disruptions
Fiona Bradley | Development of methods of detection for drugs in sport
7
14:30-15:30 | Session Three | KBG11 – KBG15
Health & Society & Society & Language &

Wellbeing Progress Progress Culture
Panel C Panel D Panel E Panel C
CHAIRPERSON: CHAIRPERSON: CHAIRPERSON: CHAIRPERSON:

Kara O’Brien Fernanda Zamboni Dean Lillis Caitlin Neachtain
________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________
Aisling Costello Sarah AL Ayyash Rachel Clifford Kara O’Brien (UL)

(UL) Rumination (DCU) What is the (MIC) Good Grief! The Hare’s
and cardiovascular red bill of a Changing Lament: The uses
recovery from business Attitudes to of traditional song
acute stress incubator? A Childhood studies in
________________________________
proposal for Bereavement in interdisciplinary
Sharon addressing the Children’s research
________________________________
O’Flaherty (LIT) dark side of the Literature
Simon Thompson
Diet adjustment in business incubator ________________________________
(UL) The neutral

later ________________________________
Thomas Ferlic
mask and the
life: A mixed- Beineán Conway (UL) Who Fears
development of its
method study of (UL) Death: Female-
application in a
eating behaviours Sustainable Circumcision and
new creative
amongst the Development Postcolonial
pedagogy
ageing population Goals in Fantasy ________________________________
of Ireland Technology ________________________________
Dominyka
________________________________
Education Ireland: Pauline Gannon
Majauskaite (UL)
Sandrine Ndahiro a STEP3 in the (NUIG)
Singleness and
(UL) Animality in right direction? Miscarriage within
________________________________ self-esteem:
the narrative the Irish Maternity
Impact of choice
afterlife on the Bianca Rita System: Equal
and relationship
Rwandan Cataldi (UCD) Among Women or
status satisfaction
genocide against Utopian Socialism: Discrimination
on self-esteem of
the Tutsi the industrial Continued?
women without
revolution and the
romantic partners
evolution of Utopia
15:30-16:30 | Meet The Editors | KBG15

Dr Aileen Dillane Dr Paul Collins
Dr Maurice Colins Dr Jonathan Lavelle
16:30-16:40 | Close | KBG15
8
Conference Panels
LANGUAGE AND CULTURE PANEL A
FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNING IN IRELAND AND A

COMPARISON WITH SWITZERLAND – A STUDY ON MODERN
FOREIGN LANGUAGE EDUCATION | Julie Trobitsch (Maynooth
University) | #ForeignLanguageLearning #EducationPolicies
#LanguageConnectsStrategy
On the 4th of December 2017, The Language Connects – Ireland’s

strategy for Foreign Languages in Education 2017-2026 strategy was
published by the Minister of Education and Skills Richard Bruton. The
purpose of this strategy is to improve the current foreign language
learning process, considered ineffective as it was showed in the
Institute for Management Development’s (IMD) World Talent Ranking
(2017) in which Ireland ranked 44th on language skills; just three ranks
before the United Kingdom.
It has been proven in earlier research that foreign language knowledge

is beneficial for societal development along with business expansion
and personal growth. Indeed, knowing a foreign language and its
culture can bring the learner closer to ethnorelativism, providing them
with a better understanding of the foreign culture in question, and
therefore by comparison of their own culture but also a better
understanding of the world around them.
The current political situation in the UK with the imminent possibility of
Brexit makes the foreign language matter a priority. Indeed, in order for
Ireland to be economically, politically, and socially active in the
European Union, foreign language proficiency is necessary.
This paper will look at the current education policies regarding foreign
language learning in Ireland. Then it will study the new Language
Connects strategy. And finally, it will compare the case of Ireland with
the case of Switzerland, who ranked 3rd, to outline how Ireland can learn
from Switzerland, a fellow bilingual country.
9
AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE PERCEPTIONS AND EXPERIENCES
OF IRISH TEACHERS WORKING IN THE GULF EFL CONTEXT IN
RELATION TO INTERCULTURAL AWARENESS AND TRAINING |
Michelle Daly (University of Limerick) | #Culture #InterculturalAwareness
#TeacherEducationProgrammes
Against the backdrop of globalisation and internationalisation, there is a

pressing need to develop the ability to move sensitively and intelligently
from one cultural context to another as global citizens today.
This PhD research study broadly addresses the call made by cultural
linguistics to help improve intercultural understanding. More
specifically, this thesis conducts an ‘investigation into the perceptions
and experiences of Irish teachers working in the Gulf English Foreign
Language (EFL) context in relation to intercultural awareness and
training’.
Incorporating a triangulated, mixed-methods approach using both

quantitative (questionnaires) and qualitative (interviews/case study) data
collection tools, this study investigates the cultural relationships
between school managers from the local community and Irish EFL
teachers.
The anticipated findings from this study can potentially provide useful
insights into the perceptions of intercultural awareness and the
effectiveness of current teacher and management training programmes.
Findings can contribute to informing teacher education programmes,
namely undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in the local
context. These expected outcomes also have a wider application to the
intercultural training of other professional groups. With Irish exports to
Arab markets expected to exceed €9 billion by 2040, such current
trends suggest the importance of developing intercultural awareness
between communities to enhance international relations.
Don’t forget to use the hashtag #LPRC2019 in your tweets during the
conference. We’ll be tweeting panel details and more from
@LPRC2019 – follow us for all the latest news!
10
A CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF SELF-PERCEPTIONS OF
TEACHERS WITHIN THE PRIVATE ENGLISH-LANGUAGE SCHOOL
SECTOR IN THE REPUBLIC OF IRELAND | Deborah Tobin (Mary
Immaculate College) | #ELTteachers #Perceptions
#CriticalDiscourseAnalysis
The global expansion of English has led to an increased international

demand for qualified, experienced English-language teachers amongst
non-native speakers (Phillipson 1992, Kelly-Holmes and Wallen 2006,
McCrum 2010, Murphy 2011) placing Ireland, being one of two
remaining EU English-speaking countries post-Brexit, in a favourable
position for learners seeking English-language instruction (O’Brien
2016: 9, Hassey 2017). However, the Irish media have recently
highlighted precarious work conditions for teachers within Ireland’s
private-ELT sector such as low pay, job insecurity and lack of benefits
(Ní Aodha 2017, Hassey 2017, Pollack 2018), in truth issues of local and
international concern for a number of years (Centre for British Teachers
1989, Phillipson 1992, O’Keeffe 2001).
The ELT industry is lucrative. The previous Minister for Education

pledged to grow its value by 33% to €2.1 billion by the year 2020
(Bruton in Department of Skills and Education 2016), yet teachers do
not reap financial rewards on an equitable scale (Hassey 2017).
Nevertheless, employers demand postgraduate qualifications,
participation in Continuous Professional Development, measurement of
professional credentials against a range of descriptors (North, Maleva
and Rossner 2007) and adherence to standards of excellence in the
workplace (Hassey 2017, Edwards 2017).
A mixed-methods’ approach using a questionnaire survey and face-to-

face interviews (Leedy and Ormrod 2015, Dornyei 2007).
This study seeks to gain insight into factors within the Irish private-ELT
sector influencing self-perceptions held by ELT teachers and relevant
stakeholders towards them.
Applied Linguistics concerns the analysis of discourse to address

specific, language related, real-world problems (Brumfit 1995), hence is
an appropriate medium to investigate self-perceptions of ELT teachers
in Ireland as part of a community of practice (Vaughan 2007).
11
LANGUAGE AND CULTURE PANEL B
MICHEÁL Ó SIOCHRÚ – FÉINIÚLACHT, RÓL AGUS CEIST AN

PHOBAIL LÉITHEOIREACHTA | Shane Grant (Coláiste Mhuire Gan
Smál) | #MicheálÓSíochrú #BaileAnSceilg #Oireachtas #Fílíocht
Is file Gaeltachta de chuid Bhaile ’n Sceilg, Uíbh Ráthach é an

scríbhneoir dátheangach Micheál Ó Siochrú cé go bhfuil sé lonnaithe i
gCaisleán Uí Chonaing le breis is caoga bliain anuas. Cé go bhfuil
aitheantas áirithe faighte ag Ó Siochrú agus sé duais Oireachtais buaite
aige, is beag léirmheas ná aiste critice atá scríofa air. Is í aidhm an
pháipéir seo ná mionphlé a dhéanamh ar fhéiniúlacht Mhichíl Uí
Shiochrú de réir mar a nochtann sé féin é agus mionanailís a dhéanamh
ar a dhearcadh i leith an phobail léitheoireachta atá ann dá shaothar.
Tarraingeofar ar agallamh a dhein údar an ailt seo le Ó Siochrú agus ar

fhoinsí ábhartha eile idir shaothar an fhile agus ábhar critice.
D’fhás Ó Siochrú aníos i suíomh Gaeltachta ach a bhí faoi bhrú ar leith ó
thaobh an Bhéarla de sna caogaidí. Cé go raibh saibhreas oidhreachta
agus cultúir timpeall air ag an am, aithníonn sé go raibh an dá teanga nó
an dá airm aigne aige ón gcliabhán. Féachann sé ar a chuid féiniúlachta
féin mar scoilt nó mar dheighilt idir an Béarla agus an Ghaeilge. Bíonn
amhras ar leith air go mbíonn pobal léite leanúnach ann dá shaothar
agus nascann sé an tuairim seo go mór le ceist níos leithne teanga,
nach mbeadh an cumas ag daoine a chuid saothair a thuiscint.
Pléitear taithí phearanta an fhile trí an lionsa seo maidir lena chuid
féiniúlachta, lena ról agus a dhearcadh i leith an phobail léitheoireachta
a léann a shaothar a thabharfaidh tuiscint níos fearr dúinn ar shaol agus
ar shaothar an fhile seo.
OIDEACHAS AN TEANGA MHIONLAIGH IN ÉIRINN: FORBAIRT

BEARTAIS AGUS CLEACHTAIS | Sarah Ní Dhuinnín (Coláiste Mhuire
Gan Smál) | #Tumoideachas #OideachasGaeltachta
Sonraíonn Ó Ceallaigh agus Ní Shéaghdha go bhfuil sé mar

phríomhaidhm ag cláir tumoideachas i dteanga dúchais teangacha atá
faoi bhrú a chothabháil agus a fhorbairt’ (2017, lth. 6). Chuige sin, tá ról
12
lárnach ag an oideachas Gaeltachta i gcaomhnú agus cur chun cinn na
Gaeilge sa tír seo.
In ainneoin an méid seo áfach dealraíodh nach bhfuil ach 68%

d’iarbhunscoileanna i limistéir Ghaeltachta ag feidhmiú go hiomlán trí
mheán na Gaeilge (Polasaí don Oideachas Gaeltachta 2016, lth. 7) agus
feictear go bhfuil úsáid an Bhéarla sa treis ar úsáid an teanga dúchais
ag daltaí iar-bhunscoile na Gaeltachta (Mac Donncha et al. 2005 agus Ó
Giollagáin et al. 2007). Dar le Péterváry et al. (2014) is sampla é seo don
sealbhú easnamhach. Thairis sin, tuigtear go bhfuil iliomad dúshláin eile
atá roimh iar-bhunscoileanna Gaeltachta agus ina measc, tá:
éagsúlacht teangeolaíochta i measc na scoláirí, meath ar líon na
gcainteoirí dúchais, easpa fála ar mhúinteoirí le hinniúlacht sa Ghaeilge
chun an curaclam a sholáthar trí Ghaeilge agus easpa freastail ar
riachtanais teanga na gcainteoirí dúchais agus foghlaimeoirí teanga (Ó
Giollagáin et al. 2007; Péterváry et al. 2014; Roinn Oideachais agus
Scileanna 2015).
Sa bhliain 2017 d’fhoilsigh an Roinn Oideachais agus Scileanna an

Polasaí don Oideachas Gaeltachta 2017-2022 a dhéanann imlíne ar an
ngá atá le cur chuige oideachais a bheith ann chun freastal ar
riachtanais na gcainteoirí dúchais. Leis sin, tá sé mar aidhm ag an
bpáipéar seo diancheistiú a dhéanamh ar na forbairt beartais agus
cleachtais atá molta agus ag teacht chun cinn san iar-bhunscolaíocht
Ghaeltachta ó chur i bhfeidhm an pholasaí.
FROM PATTERN TO MEANING: A DESCRIPTIVE LEXICO-

GRAMMATICAL CORPUS STUDY ON L2 ENGLISH WRITTEN
PERFORMANCE | Mateus Miranda (Mary Immaculate College) |
#LearnerCorpus #PatternGrammar #Competence
Corpus linguistics techniques allow for determining common and

uncommon choices and seeing patterns that reveal what is typical or
atypical in particular contexts (Conrad 2010: 228). Drawing on studies
developed by Hornby (1954), Francis et al. (1996 and 1998), Biber et al.
(1999), Hunston and Francis (2000) and Römer et al. (2015) on pattern
grammar, this study investigates pattern grammar to describe L2
learner language.
13
As a descriptive study, the present work aims to empirically describe -
ing vs. to patterns with these structures lexical exponents within the
Brazilian International Corpus of Learner English (Br-ICLE) (Sardinha et
al. 2017), a subcorpus of the International Corpus of Learner English
(ICLE) ) (Granger et al. 2009) and the Louvain Corpus of Native English
Essays (LOCNESS) (Granger, Sanders, Connor 2014) and a comparison
to the findings of the same patterns in the English Grammar Profile
(EGP) (O’Keeffe and Mark 2017).
The study addresses the following research questions: (1) How are verb
patterns with -ing vs. to used in Br-ICLE and LOCNESS? and (2) How
does this use compare with the findings in the EGP? Br-ICLE and
LOCNESS were uploaded to Sketch Engine software (Kilgarrif et al.
2014), where constructed corpus query language (CLQ) searches for
the patterns were carried out.
In order to determine the correlation between the corpora, correlation

graphs were developed in R (R Core Team 2014) software and the
Pearson correlation (r) was calculated. Afterwards, the results in Br-
ICLE were compared to the can-do statements of the same patterns in
the EGP.
The results show that there are significant differences in the patterns
used by the learners in Br-ICLE. The comparison with the EGP shows
that learners meet the majority of the can-do statements for B1 to C1
levels.
LANGUAGE AND CULTURE PANEL C
THE HARE’S LAMENT: THE USES OF TRADITIONAL SONG

STUDIES IN INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH | Kara O’Brien
(University of Limerick) | #TraditionalSongs #CulturalHeritage
#HuntingSongs
This paper explores the unique perspectives which the study of

Ireland’s traditional songs can offer to many disciplines. Ireland’s
traditional songs are a rich and important part of its cultural heritage
and continue to be sung and enjoyed around the world. Handed on
from generation to generation, singer to singer, each song is altered,
polished and changed slightly by every person who transmits it. The
14
result is a unique cultural artefact which contains an amazing amount of
information in a compact and memorable package.
From historical events retold in verse to folklore encoded in storylines

and discussions of gender issues lying just beneath the narrative, the
information contained in these songs covers a wide variety of fields and
disciplines. Using interdisciplinary research methods can help us to
understand more about the songs themselves and the societies which
created and preserved them, as well as allowing us to explore what
they mean today.
This paper will use my current research into traditional Irish hunting
songs as a case study to discuss different kinds of information which
can be found within the songs, give an overview of some of the
methods used to study them, and discuss their potential contributions
to various other fields.
THE NEUTRAL MASK AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF ITS

APPLICATION IN A NEW CREATIVE PEDAGOGY | Simon Thompson
(University of Limerick) | #CreativePedagogy #NeutralMask #LeCoq
“The first time you put on a neutral mask it seems heterogeneous sort
of an object that bothers and suffocates you. Gradually, however, you
begin to feel hidden and you start to do things that you would never
normally do.” (LeCoq 1987)
When Ameleto Sartori and Jacques LeCoq first developed the neutral
mask (1956), their work was influenced by the theorist, director, and
actor Jacques Copeau (1879-1949) Since then, neutral mask has
become synonymous with actor training and it is the primary pillar in the
pedagogy of LeCoq. In the book Theatre of Movement and Gesture,
LeCoq states that the neutral mask “Helps us discover the space
around us, and the rhythm and gravity of things.” (LeCoq 1987) This
research paper outlines some initial findings from my practice-based
investigation of the use of neutral mask within the devising process.
As a mask performer for over 30 years, I have consistently utilised the

neutral mask as a tool in the devising of new work. I also use it within
my devising methodology in order to enhance my physical awareness,
combined with a mode of action/reaction (play). Throughout the
15
evolution of my creative practice, I have continuously revisited LeCoq’s
application of the neutral mask, exploring new approaches that promote
enhanced cognitive embodiment, with the objective of developing a
creative pedagogy for multidisciplinary training using masks and
clowning.
To date, my research has primarily been carried out via an auto-

ethnographic approach on my own practice, and through in-depth
reflection on my training with LeCoq. I have engaged auto-ethnographic
methods in order to recover and document my training in clown and
mask. This insight into past practices then forms a stepping-stone in
developing new practices and approaches to devising that go beyond
that training. Part of this auto-ethnographic inquiry took place during a
period of artistic residency at Nenagh Arts Centre, Tipperary, where it
was possible to test and evaluate new methods over a consecutive
period of 30 days, using a combination of workshops with professional
artists and through the development of a public performance.
SINGLENESS AND SELF-ESTEEM: IMPACT OF CHOICE AND

RELATIONSHIP STATUS SATISFACTION ON SELF-ESTEEM OF
WOMEN WITHOUT ROMANTIC PARTNERS | Dominyka Majauskaite
(University of Limerick) | #Singleness #RelationshipStatusSatisfaction
Previous qualitative researches have explored an internal

‘inconsistency’ between single women’s overall satisfaction with their
relationship status, their degree of choice to remain single, and how
they feel about themselves. The present study will conduct a
correlational and a cross-sectional methods which will recruit
approximately 200 women (N=200).
The primary aim of the study is to investigate the extent to which

women are satisfied with their relationship status and to what extent
women have chosen to remain single. As a secondary aim, the study
will investigate the predictive link between the interaction of these
aforementioned variables on self-esteem (as a measure of
consistency/inconsistency).
The expected results would show two main interactions between the
degree of ‘choice’ over the relationship status and relationship status
‘satisfaction’ that would in turn implicate women’s self-esteem. It is
16
hypothesised that high ‘choice’ and low ‘satisfaction’ interaction would
suggest experiences of internal ‘inconsistency’ that in turn would
predict negative outcomes of self-esteem. Similarly, low ‘choice’ and
high ‘satisfaction’ interaction would also negatively impact self-esteem.
While other kinds of interactions i.e., low ‘choice’ and low ‘satisfaction’,
would suggest an internal ‘consistency’ and hence would not result in
negative self-esteem scores. The result of the study may contribute to
understanding of single women’s true experience and feelings of their
‘singlehood’ as well as how it may explain their self-esteem.
SOCIETY AND PROGRESS PANEL A
AN EXPLORATION OF THE OUTCOMES AND EXPERIENCES OF

YOUNG PEOPLE IN RESIDENTIAL CARE SETTINGS | Joseph Haugh
(Limerick Institute of Technology) | #Youth #Relationships #Care
The research will employ a case study approach. Two sets of semi
structured interviews will be carried out in Ireland and Germany (n=6:6).
The KJHV (Jugend- und Soziale Hilfen) in Germany and EPIC
(Empowering People in Care) in Ireland will be used to source research
participants. The participants will be aged between 18 – 25 and have
lived in a youth residential care setting for a minimum of 3 months prior
to their eighteenth birthday. This research will adopt a comparative
approach to data collection and analysis. Research has highlighted that
comparative analysis of data can improve outcomes for service users
(Asthana and Halliday, 2006). International comparison of policy and
practice can challenge assumptions and bring contrasting perspectives
to similar social problems and solutions (Francis, et al. 2004; Peters
2008). Data collection will commence mid January 2019.
The results will inform policy and practice in youth residential care
settings and stimulate public debate surrounding youth residential care
settings. Results will be displayed at the conference as further progress
will have been achieved at that stage.
Research can help to inform policy makers and youth residential care
providers. Listening to the voice of the child has been internationally
accepted as good practice and underlines the researchers commitment
to improving the lives of young people in residential care settings.
17
DEALING WITH LOSS: YOUNG PEOPLE'S EXPERIENCES OF GRIEF
SUPPORT SERVICES FOR ISSUES RELATED TO GRIEF AND LOSS.
| Evelyn Hill (Limerick Institute of Technology) | #Loss #Grief
#SupportServices
The structure of Irish families has changed over the last 20 years with
more parental separation and divorce than previous years. The 2016
Census shows that there are 1.22 families in Ireland of which 218,817
are headed by one parent, the majority of whom (86.4%) are one parent
mothers, and 68,378 are one parent mothers following separation or
divorce. This changing demographic signals a change for young people
who have experienced the loss of a parent through changing family
structures. Research suggests that most children adapt well to loss, yet
others struggle in their adaptation and require additional support.
This study sets out to explore how and in what way creative support
services help young people explore their feelings in relation to family
loss, separation or divorce. It will assess how creative mediums help
young people learn new ways to cope and briefly explore young
people’s experiences of the separation event and loss.
The sample group is 5 family units comprising of a parent and their

child. The son/daughter will have accessed support from a grief support
service from the age of 12 years. The son/daughter will presently be
aged between 18-21 years. Using purposeful sampling methods, the
data will be collected using semi-structured interviews and will be
thematically analysed.
The potential research outcomes may contribute to the strategic

planning of a grief support agency in the west of Ireland and influence
political and social change in how policy and policy-makers make
provision to help young people who experience loss and grief.
UNEMPLOYED NARRATIVES: JOB-SEEKING EXPERIENCES WITH

JOBPATH | Izabela Szlachta (University of Limerick) |
#NeoliberalWelfareState #Jobseekers #JobPath
The unemployed are considered as a problem in society. The neoliberal

agenda puts a sole responsibility on the individual and how his actions
led him to become unemployed. It is fundamental for the Irish
18
Government to guarantee that unemployment rates decrease.
Progressively, in 2015 the Department of Social Protection implemented
the JobPath service. Turas Nua is a private employment activation
scheme and part of the JobPath. They support those who are
unemployed for longer than 12 months. The unemployed sign a
contract and start attending mandatory appointments. However, social
research is lacking knowledge on participants experiences with Turas
Nua. It is important topic because it has affected thousands of
unemployed in Ireland.
The research will use a narrative approach to capture the meaning of

long-term unemployment. The narratives are storytelling, with the teller
talking about the subjective experiences of events from his past,
present and future. I will conduct one-to-one narrative-based interviews
asking participants to reflect on their experiences with Turas Nua. I will
also compare the participants narratives with the JobPath official
narrative and discourse.
Recently, the Dail voted to end referrals to JobPath. Therefore, my

research is important. We need to know the experiences of those who
participated in the JobPath. Their subjective narratives could impact
future employment activation programmes.
I am hoping to have at least two interviews conducted before the

conference, therefore I will be able to present initial findings and speak
about further progress of my research.
19
SOCIETY AND PROGRESS PANEL B
A POLITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF THE GOVERNMENT’S

RESPONSE TO THE MCMAHON REPORT | Annette O Brien
(University of Limerick) | #PoliticalDiscourseAnalysis #McMahonReport
“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot,

nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”
In all aspects of life gaining knowledge is paramount and the key to

accessing different views of understanding whether it is cultural,
democratic or life issues. Knowledge and understanding of different
issues in society can and has been understood through research.
Progress on issues which effect society can be gained through shining
a lens on the people who make the choices within the government
walls, it is not very often that people will seek out transcripts of Dáil
debate, unless it makes the national news people do not hear about it.
This research undertook a political discourse analysis of the

Governments response to the McMahon Report on Direct Provision in
Dáil chambers. Research through a political discourse analysis allows
researchers to analysis language and behaviour which would be rarely
seen in print media or from official statements. `
Through the lens of discourse analysis this research found themes of

blame from government officials towards people seeking asylum, lack
of time given to the report that they were instrumental into putting into
place and avoidance of key highlighted issues.
This research highlights the lack of importance which the Government

pay to people seeking asylum in Ireland. The media spin portrays an
empathy for people coming to Ireland to seek refuge and our politicians
are happy with that portrayal but behind “closed” doors they speak a
different truth.
20
AN ANALYSIS OF THE EVOLUTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS
PHILOSOPHY | Michael Carmody | #Conflict #HumanRights
#JustWar #MoralPhilosophy
From Augustine to Rawls, the just war tradition is one of the oldest and
most enduring concepts within moral philosophy. At its heart, it aims to
reduce both the incidence and the effects of warfare. It endeavours to
do so through its three distinct sub-branches; jus ad bellum, or justice
in going to war, jus in bello, or just conduct during warfare and the
embryonic sub-branch jus post bellum, or justice after war.
The dynamic of warfare has constantly evolved through the ages and
the tradition has consistently adapted to such changes. However,
contemporary developments in warfare including; asymmetrical warfare,
the exponential growth in designating armed groups as terrorist
organisations, the advent of social media and the burgeoning
phenomenon of cyber warfare, all pose novel and unprecedented
threats to the tradition.
In light of these developments, this paper poses the question as to

whether it is now time to develop a whole new paradigm. It answers the
question by investigating both the history and the theory underpinning
the tradition, and by examining case studies such as the most recent
Iraq War and existing conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It
concludes by asserting that a radical re-think is neither necessary nor
useful, but that a dedicated restatement of the tradition is needed in
order to successfully combat such challenges.
GENDER QUOTAS AND POLITICAL AMBITION FOR MINISTERIAL

OFFICE: A STRUCTURAL EXAMINATION OF SUPPLY-SIDE
IMPACTS | Rachel Gregory (University College Cork) |
#PoliticalAmbition #GenderQuotas #WomenInPolitics 
Although women represent half of the population, they are still

underrepresented in government, especially at the executive level. In
order to close or reduce this gap, some states and political parties have
implemented gender quotas requiring a certain number of women either
be included on ballots or occupy certain seats. Most gender quotas are
directed at local office or parliamentary seats. When examining impacts
21
of gender quotas, researchers primarily analyse demand-side factors
effecting women’s representation like candidate recruitment.
Little research exists on the impact of gender quotas on supply-side

factors, such as political ambition – the impetus to run for political
office, and concentrates on the influence of quotas on women’s self-
qualifications without examining women’s response to structural
changes in political opportunities.
This research seeks to fill that gap by outlining a framework for

analysing the structural components of gender quotas impacting the
supply- side dynamic of political ambition. Examining women seeking
higher office, such as from the legislative to executive level, isolates the
structural effects of gender quotas on women’s ambition.
Positioning Ireland post the adoption of gender quotas as a case study,

this research proposes an empirical analysis of supply-side impacts by
asking, do gender quotas impact political ambition for ministerial office?
SOCIETY AND PROGRESS PANEL C
GORT IS THE MOTHER OF ALL BRAZILIANS IN IRELAND: STORIES

AND EXPERIENCES OF BRAZILIAN MIGRANTS WITH WORK &
INTEGRATION IN GORT, IRELAND’S ‘LITTLE BRAZIL’ | Pilar Luz
Rodrigues (Waterford Institute of Technology) | #Migration #Brazilians
#Gort
In the late 90’s, a meat plant in the small town of Gort, Ireland, recruited
a group of workers from a closing meat plant in the city of Anápolis, in
Brazil. In the following years, Gort witnessed a growth in number of
Brazilian migrants, most of whom were specifically from Anápolis.
By 2006, the Gort population was comprised of 40% non-nationals,

with Brazilians making up the majority. This mixed community of
Brazilians, from those with work permits, those now married to Irish
citizens, and those undocumented, have brought about changes in
Gort, including the opening of Brazilian businesses and of churches
with mass in Portuguese.
22
With a qualitative investigation, comprising of interviews, this study
sought to contribute to an in-depth understanding of the experience of
Brazilians living in Gort today with work and integration in Ireland, nearly
20 years after the arrival of the first recruited groups of Brazilians to
Gort.
The focus of the study was to understand how immigration status and
policy, as well as work, shape their lives, and understand the integration
process between the Brazilian community and the Irish in Gort.
HOW HAVE THE IRISH DIASPORA BEEN REPRESENTED IN

ENGLAND FROM 1980 TO THE PRESENT DAY? | Aisling Keavey (Dún
Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology) | #Diaspora #Identity
#Narrative
This paper presents research in progress on Irish diaspora identity and

focuses on historical representations of Ireland and the hybridity of
identity of the Irish diaspora in England. This research is an expansion
of a previous project on the Irish community in London. Keri E Smith
puts forth reasoning for the emergence of the hybrid identity in
diasporic communities (Smith, 2008). The nostalgia that Irish people in
diaspora feel for Ireland is very much a sense of longing for the
homeland (Boym, 2001). This longing for something outside of the
immediate vicinity of the immigrant in diaspora can sometimes manifest
itself in sickness, physical manifestation of psychological trauma. The
suicide rate of Irish immigrants is far greater than the native population
of England, stemming from this discomfort.
The practical element of this qualitative research centres around

photographing Irish women who have emigrated to London, using
photography as a mode of visual enquiry. Through portraits of Irish
immigrant women and interview texts centred around the immigrant
experience, this project hopes to use the sentimental object as a
method of loci, to enhance memories of the homeland and the diasporic
journey.
The expected outcome of this research is a photographic book of

portraits and interview texts and moving image work. The work will also
be disseminated through participatory workshops focusing on multi-
generational trauma healing.
23
In conclusion, this research in progress will be of academic interest to
diaspora groups in England to add to the debate around immigration
post-Brexit.
IMPACT OF REFERENDA ON PARTY COMPETITION AND UNITY |

Shane Reynolds (University of Limerick) | #Referenda #Volatility
#Heterogeneity
Mair (2013) explores the decline of Party Democracy since the end of
the cold war which coincides with a rise in the usage of referenda,
particularly in Europe, as identified by Qvortrup (2018).
My research is exploring the interaction between these two issues, to

understand the impact of referenda on party competition and unity. It is
built upon the research of Meguid (2005) into how the tactical
positioning of mainstream parties impacts niche party success and
Steiner & Mader’s (2017) analysis of party heterogeneity.
The methodology involves a Europe wide cross national comparison

into the impact of referenda on party unity using the aforementioned
heterogeneity model and testing of the impact of direct democracy on
electoral volatility and the stability of party systems by utilising the
theories of Emanuele & Chiaramonte (2018 & 2019).
I anticipate that the developing findings on this will be mixed, in line

with existing case studies of De Vries (2009) who linked the Netherlands
2005 EU constitutional treaty referendum to a greater politicisation
around European issues in the following year’s general election, in
contrast to McGraw’s (2015) findings that Irish referenda are carefully
managed to mitigate the electoral impact of contentious issues.
Building upon the findings in this paper the research will develop to
examine what variations in referenda type and management lead to
contrasting outcomes on party competition and unity, creating a unique
contribution to a field currently lacking in comparative research.
24
SOCIETY AND PROGRESS PANEL D
WHAT IS THE RED BILL OF A BUSINESS INCUBATOR? A

PROPOSAL FOR ADDRESSING THE DARK SIDE OF THE BUSINESS
INCUBATOR | Sarah AL Ayyash (Dublin City University) |
#BusinessIncubator #BI #TechnologyBusinessIncubator #TBI
#DisadvantagesOfBI
Since the first appearance of the business incubator, has been

recognized as veritable vehicles for economy evolution, reviving the
areas, and stimulate the innovation. Furthermore, as pivotal instruments
for the new enterprises in overcoming the ‘challenges of the threshold’.
This recognition lies on providing the incubated firms with tangible and
intangible resources of BI.
Literature has always been a considerable interested in representing

business incubators as positive environments and tools of
accomplishing the purposes of stakeholders. However, addressing the
negative side of the business incubator remains an evident gap within
the literature because of the scarcity of studies. Consequently, the
tendency to illuminate the risks and disadvantages of the business
incubator might be led to maximize the performance and value creation,
thus the effectiveness.
In this paper we carry on a contrary view concerns the dark side of
these entities opposite of the bright side that has been widely adopted.
Therefore, a proposal for future research is presented comprising
reviewing the literature related to the bright side and the dark side alike,
as well as constructing the conceptual model. Moreover, the
management risk approach is suggested in order to aid the exploration
in a parallel with the appropriate the methodology.
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS IN TECHNOLOGY

EDUCATION IRELAND; A STEP3 IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION? |
Beineán Conway, Keelin Leahy and Muireann McMahon (University of
Limerick) | #SustainableDevelopmentGoals #SocietalChange
#CriticalEducationResearch
The project aims to investigate the teaching of Sustainability in Irish

Post-Primary Technology Education (TE) and devise an ‘agenda for
alteration’ which will aid a more sustainable future for society. The
25
presentation will initially explore the potential for TE subjects to embed
Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs) and how, in doing so, it can
progress towards the achievement of a sustainable future. The
presentation will focus on phase two of the project which seeks
‘information and understanding’ on how Sustainable Development (SD)
is being educated for in practice and what this means for our
understanding of sustainability within society.
The project phases are framed in Normative Theory and employ the
lens of Critical Education Research. Phase one involved a survey of 140
Technology Educators teaching in Ireland. Phase two will involve follow
up interviews with a focused cohort from phase one.
Qualitative data was gathered from phase two through 18 semi-

structured interviews. The findings highlight that teachers recognise the
benefits of incorporating sustainability considerations into their teaching
however, they identified many limitations/challenges which hinder the
teaching of SD in practice.
The subsequent phases of this research project aim to build the bridge
between research and practice through the gaining of ‘information and
understanding’ about the progress of society. Phase three aims to co-
design with educators an ‘agenda for alteration’ to better equip TE
teachers to educate future generations in the move towards a more
sustainable society.
Overall, further research will need to be conducted to explore the many

facets that impact on the teaching of SDGs and the integration of SD
within TE in order to drive social change towards a sustainable global
future.
UTOPIAN SOCIALISM: THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION AND THE

EVOLUTION OF UTOPIA | Bianca Rita Cataldi (University College
Dublin) | #Utopia #Society #Labour
Frederic Jameson, an heir of Benjamin and other Frankfurt School

philosophers, reads utopia as an unexpected symptom, as a figurative
practice in narrative, a textual figuring that emerges time after time. This
emergence is almost like an unconscious letting itself speak in history,
revealing impossible desires*. Being subjected to the passing of time,
26
utopia cannot be always the same and its evolution sets its roots in the
evolution of towns and society.
What I am going to explore in this paper is how utopia changes after the
industrial revolution and what goes under the name of “utopian
socialism”. I will particularly focus on the works by Henri de Saint-
Simon, Charles Fourier and Robert Owen and on the Marxist critique of
utopian socialism. In conclusion, I will analyse how utopian socialism
has established a link between utopia and labour in the nineteenth
century and how this link is still present in our current idea of the
relationship between work, society and progress.
* See Fredric Jameson, The Political Unconscious: Narrative as a

socially Symbolic Act (New York: Ithaca, 1981).
SOCIETY AND PROGRESS PANEL E
GOOD GRIEF! CHANGING ATTITUDES TO CHILDHOOD

BEREAVEMENT IN CHILDREN’S LITERATURE | Rachel Clifford (Mary
Immaculate College) | #LiteratureForChildren #Grief #Death
As children’s literature reflects the culture and society in which it is

written, it is an excellent source to study changing attitudes to societal
and cultural concepts such as childhood grief. For that reason, this
paper analyses two children’s texts published a century apart - Frances
Hodgson Burnett’s The Secret Garden (1911) and Patrick Ness’ A
Monster Calls (2011). It argues that as society’s attitude to children
progresses so does its attitude to childhood grief.
This paper is analysed through the lens of literary trauma theory and
focusses on the works of Cathy Caruth and Michelle Balaev. Caruth
theorises that trauma is not assimilated when it occurs but returns
belatedly. However Balaev, while accepting trauma can have a belated
impact, argues Caruth’s approach is too narrow and advocates for a
more pluralistic approach to trauma theory.
The paper concludes that the lack of acknowledgement of childhood

grief in The Secret Garden reflects cultural attitudes to children at that
time. Conversely, as society and psychology progressed the benefit of
27
acknowledging grief is recognised and is thereby reflected in
contemporary children’s literature.
WHO FEARS DEATH: FEMALE-CIRCUMCISION AND

POSTCOLONIAL FANTASY | Thomas Ferlic (University of Limerick) |
#LiminalRite #AfricanShamanism #Indigeneity
Female circumcision has been and continues to be practiced on

millions of women and girls in more than twenty countries across the
continent of Africa (Robyn Cerny Smith 2450).
The debate concerning the controversial practice of female-

circumcision revolves around its conceptualization as either a culturally-
specific liminal rite or as an integral part of a repressive global
patriarchal practice of control over women’s bodies.
In my proposed presentation I will use Nnedi Okorafor’s postcolonial

fantasy novel entitled Who Fears Death as a point of entry into this
ongoing discussion. While there are strong arguments against the
practice of female circumcision the procedure has been normalized as
traditional (Vestostad 22). Accordingly, circumcision has lingering
debilitating effects on the adolescent women is conceived to be
reinforcing one’s sense of belonging, Okorafor’s main character, Onye,
a child born of rape, voluntarily undergoes the procedure because she
wants to belong to her society. It is through the traumatic experience of
undergoing genital mutilation that she connects with the other young
women. Years later, when she undergoes a shamanistic experience,
she magically repairs her mutilated genitalia.
A Western perspective would presuppose undoing the effects of

circumcision would restore Onye to an embodied wholeness, but
instead we thereafter find her regretful in experiencing the shamanistic
experience, and no longer feeling like she belongs. While Okorafor’s
novel offers no clear answers to the ongoing debate regarding genital
mutilation, her example of Onye emphasizes the complexity of tradition,
alienation and the experience of violence for postcolonial feminist
discourse.
28
MISCARRIAGE WITHIN THE IRISH MATERNITY SYSTEM: EQUAL
AMONG WOMEN OR DISCRIMINATION CONTINUED? | Pauline
Gannon (NUI Galway) | #Women #Gender #Health
Historically in Ireland, women who experienced a miscarriage were

isolated within our maternity system and were dealt with through airs of
hushed tones and silence. Under the National Maternity Strategy
Implementation Plan we are currently seeing welcomed progress to
bring about change with particular focus on miscarriage. This paper will
explore and compare these advancements and plans, questioning their
adequacy to ensure that women who experience a miscarriage have
equal access to health care and legal protection as those women who
experience a still or live birth.
The primary aim of this paper is to bring miscarriage from the shadows
to highlight any inequality of care under existing mechanisms and
especially under future policy reform.
Secondary data research, evaluating, analysing and comparing national

and international law and policy.
Although women-centred care is a key focus of current legal obligations

and intended policy change within the area of maternity care, the
primary focus of that reform has concerned women who have a legally
classified stillbirth or live birth. Within Ireland, advancements proposed
in the area of miscarriage under the National Maternity Strategy
Implementation Plan (2026) are severely lacking in their provisions for
women who fall outside of those two legal classifications. This means
that by 2026 women who experience a miscarriage in Ireland will
continue to experience the current level of discrimination within the area
of health care and legal protection.
29
HEALTH AND WELLBEING PANEL A
SUPERVISION IN CLINICAL TRAINING: AN INTERPRETIVE

PHENOMENOLOGICAL ANALYSIS | Evan Foley (University of
Limerick) | #ClinicalPsychology #ClinicalSupervision #TraineeExperience
The quality of supervisory relationships within clinical training is

probably the single most important factor for the effectiveness of
supervision, more important than the supervisory methods used. The
aim of this paper is to explore clinical trainees experience of supervision
and the factors which can have an impact on a supervisory relationship
within a clinical setting. Factors which can impact supervision include
support systems, power, trust and gender which can impact the
wellbeing of trainee clinical psychologists.
This research uses Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) as a

methodological and analytical framework. The participants consist of
current trainee clinical psychologists enrolled in doctoral programmes
across universities in the Republic of Ireland; University of Limerick,
University College Cork, National University of Ireland Galway, Trinity
College Dublin and University College Dublin.
A positive supportive supervisory relationship promotes trainee clinical

psychologist’s self-efficacy enabling them to become competent and
effective psychologists. Trainee psychologists report how they feel their
relationship with their supervisor may impact their professional
development and competence and dealing with a variety of clients.
This paper will add to the limited amount of literature addressing the
experiences of supervision within a clinical setting. These experiences
will highlight where improvements in clinical supervision can be made
and will outline the benefits supervision has on trainees’ experiences.
30
SOME DANCE TO REMEMBER: EXPLORING THE PSYCHOSOCIAL
EFFECTS OF THE INTRODUCTION OF AN ADAPTIVE IRISH CÉILÍ
DANCE GROUP ACTIVITY WITH PEOPLE LIVING WITH DEMENTIA
AND THEIR CARERS   | Sean Donal O Shea (Limerick Institute of
Technology) | #Dance #Dementia #Psychosocial
This arts-based social science Masters research programme explores,

in the context of the psychosocial effects of dance and movement, the
experiences of participants in a newly-developed adaptive Céilí dance
programme for people living with dementia (PLWD).
 
This research takes a phenomenological epistemological stance to
foreground the lived experiences of the research participants living with
dementia and their professional carers. Participants with a diagnosis of
mild/moderate dementia will be identified by a host organisation which
provides respite services for PLWD. The final number of participants will
be divided equally between PLWD and professional care workers.  An
adaptive Céilí dance group activity of approximately thirty minutes
duration facilitated weekly for a period of six weeks will be
complemented by several brief interviews conducted at various stages
with the participants to explore their experiences in depth.  The
interviews will then be transcribed and analysed in order to highlight
common themes found throughout the research process.  
It is envisaged that this research will provide a better understanding of

the psychosocial effects arising from the introduction, in a day care
setting, of an adaptive Céilí dance group activity for PLWD and their
professional carers. Additionally the research will inform the
development of an adaptive Céilí dance teaching curriculum to enable
other organisations incorporate the dance programme in to the
activities they provide for PLWD in their respective centres.
WHAT IS A COMMUNITY-BASED SOCIAL CARE MODEL IN

DEMENTIA? | Noelle Clancy (Limerick Institute of Technology) |
#Dementia #SocialCare #CommunityModel
Noelle qualified with an Honours Degree in Social Care Work from

Limerick Institute of Technology in 2017, and since then has enjoyed
delivering parenting and community programmes with her local Family
Resource Centre on a voluntary basis.
31
She commenced exploring the impact of a community-based social
care model in dementia during the summer of 2018, and her
undertaking this research is driven by her hope, that in collaborating
with individuals, families, the community and agency, it will progress
change and strengthen the level of support available to each and every
stakeholder.
Noelle is currently undertaking research into the impact of implementing

a community-based social care model in dementia in Bruff, Co
Limerick, a collaborative initiative between CareBright and the
Department of Applied Social Studies at LIT.
The presentation discusses various approaches to dementia and

dementia care, and policies that influence that which is delivered in
Bruff.
Research is still at its data gathering stage and findings cannot be

discussed; however, the qualitative research design is outlined, in
addition to challenges and dilemmas negotiated from an ethical stance,
and the benefits of conducting this research for the people living with
dementia in Bruff, and perhaps farther afield.
HEALTH AND WELLBEING PANEL B
A PROSPECTIVE COHORT STUDY INVESTIGATING WORK RATE,

INJURY STATUS, FATIGUE AND WELLBEING WITHIN AN INTER-
COUNTY HURLING SQUAD | Michael Lynagh, Lana Brenna, John
Murphy, Alison Holmes (University of Limerick) | #Hurling #WorkRate
#Injury #Wellbeing
Numerous studies have shown the importance of monitoring player

loads to optimise performance and reduce occurrence of injury in field
sports. Although objective and subjective methods have been validated
as tools to assess athletes’ workloads, to date, few of these studies
have examined the use of these methods in hurling.
The aims of this study were to; describe the match work-rate of inter-
county hurling players, investigate the presence of possible indicators
of injury or fatigue and to identify non-physical demands on players
following championship match-play.
32
Thirty-six inter-county hurling players from one squad were monitored
in this prospective cohort study. Global positioning technology devices
were used to measure running loads during match-play.
Countermovement jumps were collected prior to training sessions. A
subjective questionnaire was completed following championship
matches.
The total distance (TD) and high-speed running distance (HSRD) of

match-play was 7.98 ± 0.81 km and 1017.38 ± 209.5 m respectively.
There were statistical differences in distances covered between
positions with midfielders, half-backs and half-forwards having greater
total distance (TD) and metres per minute than full-back and full-
forwards.
There was a statistically significant correlation between a player’s CMJ

score and their injury status. There was a statistically significant
correlation between players’ match-play load and their overall
wellbeing.
The results of this study provide useful information to coaches about

the match work-rate of hurling. The study shows that a CMJ score is an
accurate indicator of a player’s current status (either injured or
uninjured) and could be helpful in decision-making regarding player
monitoring.
THE DEVELOPMENT AND MAINTENANCE OF ATHLETIC IDENTITY

IN ELITE GAA DUAL CAREER ATHLETES | Marion Geary (Limerick
Institute of Technology) | #Athletes #AthleticIdentity #GAA
Athletic Identity (AI), is the extent an individual identifies with the athletic
role (Good et al., 2003). Over-identification with the athlete role can
have negative consequences on the transition to higher education and
academic engagement of elite dual career athletes (DCAs) (Good et al.,
2003; Debois et al.,2015; Miller and Kerr, 2002). This study examined
the development and maintenance of AI in elite GAA DCA’s in order to
prevent over-identification with the athlete role and thus improve dual
career experience.
In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine senior

inter-county GAA athletes who were also engaging in a full-time course
33
of study in higher education. Interviews were transcribed, coded and
analysed using a six-phase method of thematic analysis (Braun and
Clark, 2013). Themes were extrapolated, reviewed and defined for
further discussion.
Elite GAA DCAs displayed negative consequences of their AI including

reduced academic engagement. Several key milestones and transitions
in the DCAs sporting lives were significant in the development of AI.
Maintenance of AI depended on athlete success, public praise and
adulation, setting sport related goals and time spent on athletic
engagements.
Practitioners should be aware of AI in athletes from a very young age.

As promising DCAs progress to elite performance level AI and
academic engagement of DCAs should be monitored closely.
A PREDICTIVE MODEL FOR GYM MEMBERSHIP RETENTION |

Aaron Grant (Waterford Institute of Technology) | #Health #WellBeing
#PhysicalActivity
In Ireland, over 500,000 people are members of a gym facility across

the country. This increase in physical activity has turned fitness centres
into key health and wellbeing promoters. However, only 25-60% of gym
members continue to remain as members after 12 months. Further,
29% of members who have cancelled their membership indicated that
they intended to join another fitness facility straight away. This suggests
that up to 90% of gym members could have been retained or up to
30% of loss in physical activity behaviour could have been avoided with
a more comprehensive retention strategy. Therefore, the purpose of this
paper is to inform a better understanding of the factors which affect
gym membership retention by predicting member drop out behaviour.
Yearly data relating to the actual behaviour of 2000 members were
analysed using the software that enables the management of users in
WIT Arena in Waterford. This data was analysed using logistic
regression in order to design a model to predict member drop out
behaviour.
The use of recording of historical behaviour from gym members can be

a useful tool to predict member drop out behaviour without the use of
surveys or interviews.
34
This paper will add to the limited amount of literature available that
addresses physical activity drop out behaviour in gym facilities. The use
of these findings will highlight the role gym facilities can play in
promoting health and wellbeing across the country.
HEALTH AND WELLBEING PANEL C
RUMINATION AND CARDIOVASCULAR RECOVERY FROM ACUTE

STRESS | Aisling Costello, Ann-Marie Creaven, Siobhan Howard
(University of Limerick) | #Rumination #ProlongedPhysiologicalActivation
#CardiovascularRecovery
Laboratory research has predominantly focused on physiological

reactivity as the key underlying pathway in the stress-cardiovascular
disease relationship. Less attention has been paid to recovery which
accounts for an element of the stress response that extends beyond the
presence of the acute stressor. The total duration of physiological
activation therefore may be more greatly implicated in the development
of CVD. Perseverative thinking manifested as rumination may lead to
disease via prolonged physiological activation. Therefore, the aim of this
study was to evaluate the influence of trait and state rumination on
cardiovascular recovery following a negative emotional stressor.
A standardised stress-testing protocol was utilised whereby

participants (N = 88) had their cardiovascular responses (SBP, DBP,
HR, CO, TPR) measured throughout a baseline, stress task and
recovery phase. Trait rumination was assessed using the rehearsal
subscale of the revised Emotion Control Questionnaire while state
rumination was measured with the negative thoughts subscale of the
Thoughts Questionnaire.
There was no main effect of trait rumination and no interaction effect of
trait × state rumination on the aforementioned parameters of
cardiovascular recovery. However, there was a significant main effect of
state rumination on DBP and TPR recovery amongst males, whereby
low state ruminators exhibited delayed cardiovascular recovery in
comparison to high state ruminators.
High state rumination facilitated cardiovascular recovery in comparison

to low state ruminators who demonstrated significantly poorer
cardiovascular recovery, but only for males. It might be that high state
35
ruminators, by immediately engaging with the adverse emotional
consequences of a stressor after its termination demonstrate health
protective cardiovascular responses. Additionally, our findings suggest
that state rumination and its relationship with cardiovascular recovery
may be more pertinent to males.
DIET ADJUSTMENT IN LATER LIFE: A MIXED METHOD STUDY OF

EATING BEHAVIOURS AMONGST THE AGEING POPULATION OF
IRELAND | Sharon O Flaherty (Limerick Institute of Technology) |
#Ageing #Nutrition #Mealtimes
Falling fertility rates and ever-increasing life expectancy will see the
number of older people aged 60 or more almost double, while those
over the age of 75 are expected to triple by the year 2050. Older
individuals are the fastest growing segment of the world’s population,
yet they are often overlooked by the food industry, with most food
products targeted at those aged 21 to 49. The aim of this study is to
identify potentials barriers and motivators for food intake in the ageing
population.
A mixed method approach positioned in pragmatism, was used for this

research. Firstly, current research utilized qualitative methods, based on
a constructivist grounded theory approach. A substantive theory,
explaining the processes involved in dietary shifts of behaviour for older
adults was developed. Secondly, the initial constructed theory will be
tested, modified and validated through a large quantitative sample.
Results from this study indicate dietary changes in later life. Such
changes can result from changing family circumstances, death of a
spouse, relationships with adult children, retirement, disability or illness.
Further investigation will identify the aging adult’s perception of what
one needs to consume daily to remain in good health.
Participants will indicate whether they concur with the populist theory
that one needs less food as a natural process of ageing. Should this
cohort verify the populist theory it may unearth a gap in public health for
the older adult, as current nutritional guidelines outline that aging adults
need the same if not higher levels of protein to offset malnourishment
and prevent anorexia of ageing.
36
ANIMALITY IN THE NARRATIVE AFTERLIFE ON THE RWANDAN
GENOCIDE | Sandrine Ndahiro (University of Limerick) | #Animality
#Humanity #ProjectRwanda
This paper engages in the emerging scholarly discourse of animality,

humanity, necropolititics, biopolotics, and the post-human. I will reflect
on the literary project ‘Le Devoir de mémoire’ that was created in an
effort to produce African counter-narratives to the dominant European
and American coverage of the Rwandan genocide. Specifically, I will
refer to Véronique Tadjo’s The Shadow of Imana: travels in the heart of
Rwanda, Tierno Monémbo’s The Oldest Orphan and Boubacar Diop’s
Murambi, the Book of Bones to reflect on how the project promoted this
atrocity by engaging with and moving beyond the conceptual pre-
conceived notions regarding of human and non-human ‘others’ ,
especially as such distinction has been conceived by the West.
The Rwandan genocide against Tutsis exposed a tension explored in

Western narratives as Tutsis were stripped of their humanity and
reduced to an animal figure by the extremist Hutus. The terminological
use of ‘cockroaches’ is repeatedly acknowledged in these narratives in
order to reinforce the message of them being disposable. In my
presentation I will explore animality in the literary writings of texts by
Tadjo , Monémbo and Diop , to address how the dichotomy of animal
versus human presents itself as a far more precarious and unstable
difference than the Western coverage of the Rwandan genocide
represented through a prism of tragedy. The animality lens therefore
demands the readers to reconsider these three African writers attending
to the literary project ‘Le Devoir de mémoire’ from an African
perspective.
SCIENCE AND INNOVATION PANEL A
HOW DOES THE USE OF AUGMENTED REALITY IN THE PRIMARY

CLASSROOM AFFECT THE CHILD’S SPATIAL AWARENESS AND
THEIR ABILITY TO PROBLEM SOLVE IN MATHEMATICS? | James
O’Reilly (Mary Immaculate College) | #AugmentedReality
#SpatialAwareness #ProblemSolving
Augmented Reality (AR) is a technology that is emerging from infancy

and becoming increasingly powerful, accessible and mainstream. As
37
industry is poised to market the technology to primary schools this
research will investigate how the technology can be effectively used in
the classroom.
To investigate this research question I propose the adoption of an

action research project with a constructivist epistemology and ontology.
The research will adopt qualitative methods, with aspects of
quantitative research. Research participants will engage in regular
focus groups throughout the process and complete qualitative
questionnaires. Suggested improvements will be collected from
teachers and children relating to the application and its use, which will
be implemented after each session and the process will be repeated.
It is hoped that the research will help to improve the child’s ability to
problem solve, particularly in Mathematics. It is also hoped that the use
of the technology will improve the children’s attitude towards and
confidence in Mathematics. Finally, it is hoped that some features of an
effective educational AR application may be identified.
This research seeks to investigate how Virtual Reality can be effectively

integrated into the primary classroom. Through the action research
approach the researcher hopes to identify features of effective software
use and to gain some insight in the efficacy of the technology for the
developing of skills and knowledge in Mathematics.
A COMPUTATIONAL AUDITORY WORKING MEMORY MODEL

BASED ON HUMAN–COMPUTER INTERACTION DESIGN
PRINCIPLES FOR MULTIMODAL INTERFACES | Rokaia Jedir
(Limerick Institute of Technology) | #WorkingMemory
#AuditoryPerception #MultimodalInterfaceDesign
The central research question examines if non-speech, auditory

streams can be effectively utilised to present multidimensional data,
specifically when combined with concurrent visual tasks and when
working-memory constraints are robustly catered for in multimodal
interfaces. A primary objective is the design of a comprehensive
working-memory model, aimed at identifying key influential factors that
determine the perceptual interplay between auditory and visual
information streams. The primary aim is the transcoding of the working-
memory model into a functional HCI-design framework, from which
38
machine-learning algorithms can be generated during the development
of next-generation multimodal interfaces.
Research literature extending to cognitive and applied psychology;

neuroscience and hearing anatomy; human computer interaction and
computer science; psychoacoustics and acoustics, form the basis of
this project. Leading authors whose research have been fundamental to
the author’s understanding of the complex workings of working-
memory processes and auditory perception include A. Bregman, A.
Baddeley, B. Shinn-Cunningham, D. M. Jones, N. Cowan, J. Neuhoff,
and P. Barouillet & V. Camos. The constructs of the model are built
upon these theoretical foundations, with the applied aspects based on
an exhaustive review of the literature associated with statistics; machine
learning; algorithmic constructs; computational modelling; and human-
computer interaction design principles. The author’s proposed working-
memory model incorporates details such as capacity limitations,
attention maintenance, and links to long-term memory.
On an applied level, outcomes of this research will benefit multimodal

interface development in applications that have a societal, civic,
educational, and health impact. These include wearable health
monitoring technologies, smart city infrastructure, accessible
technology design, virtual learning environments, and next-generations
interface development in general.
Throughout this project, the author aims to make scholarly contributions

to the areas of human-computer interaction (HCI); auditory perception
and psychoacoustics; acoustics; and audio technology. This research
offers applied contributions to the development of next-generation
multimodal computer interfaces; wearable and mobile healthcare
devices with reduced screen real-estate; smart acoustic infrastructure
for civic applications; improvements to accessibility systems for blind
users; and commercial deployment in Industry 4.0 automation
processes.
39
NON-PROTEINOGENIC AMINO ACID GABA BIOPRODUCTION IN
CYANOBACTERIA | Katie Shiels (Limerick Institute of Technology) |
#Cyanobacteria #GABA #Rapeseed
Cyanobacteria are rich sources of structurally new and biologically

active metabolites. Cyanobacteria are promising sources of functional
nutrients for human health. GABA (-aminobutyric acid) is a non-
proteinogenic amino acid, which plays a significant role in various
health functions. Certain cyanobacteria respond to environmental
stimuli and produce these amino acids for their own survival. The aim of
this project is to screen Irish marine cyanobacteria for sustainable
production of GABA as a natural source of functional ingredients for
health applications.
The present investigation studied thirty-six fast-growing cyanobacteria

from the established Shannon ABC biobank. All cyanobacteria were
actively grown in multiple flasks with ASN-III medium under controlled
standard growth conditions to collect enough biomass, which were
extracted with optimized protocols to extract GABA. The extracts were
then assayed spectrophotometrically and by a Thin Layer
Chromatography (TLC) method optimized during this study to screen
potential cyanobacteria.
As of now, both spectrophotometric and TLC methods were

successfully applied and optimised to characterise GABA containing
cyanobacteria. Our findings revealed five cyanobacteria which were
found to possess GABA using TLC and spectrophotometric method.
These strains were selected for downstream analysis to quantify levels
of GABA. A Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrophotometry method
was developed for this project and thus far has proven successful with
GABA standards. The customised method is being further developed
for cyanobacterial samples. This research provides important evidence
of the potential of cyanobacteria, naturally grown in Ireland, in
producing amino acids. This work highlights the capacity of leveraging
Irish natural resources to benefit human health.
Rapeseed oils from the flowering plant of the Brassicaceae family,

contain less than half the saturated fat of olive oil, and are a natural
source of omega 3, 6, and 9 making this an ideal culinary oil for a
healthy diet. A number of rapeseed oils from Ireland and other countries
40
were analysed for characterization based on physiochemical,
biochemical and sensory properties. Physiochemical analysis of the oils
included, acid value, free fatty acid content and fatty acid profiling.
Biochemical analysis included antioxidant capacity testing using FRAP
and DPPH methods, followed by total phenolic content (TPC) and total
flavonoid content (TFC) measurement. Sensory analysis was carried out
using a trained panel for acceptability and descriptive sensory profiling
for each rapeseed oil. Studies have shown that some rapeseed oils
have higher unsaturated fatty acids, while others have high antioxidant
activity or higher acceptability indicating a difference between rapeseed
oil types from a health and structural point of view. Therefore, are all
Irish rapeseed oils the same or are some properties different based on
location, harvesting time, processing technique. Additionally, is it
feasible to produce an Irish culinary oil which increases economical
sustainability by creating jobs, improving agricultural yield and
decreasing on importation of foreign oils such as olive and sunflower
oils.
41
Poster Presentations
IDENTIFICATION & CHARACTERISATION OF A NOVEL ICE
(INTEGRATING CONJUGATING ELEMENTS) MOBILE GENETIC
ELEMENT ISOLATED FROM A WASTEWATER ENVIRONMENT |
Shannon Slattery (University of Limerick) | #Wastewater #Bacteria
#MobileGeneticElement #MGE
Potentially pathogenic bacteria are constantly being released into the

environment. These bacteria spread among water and soil
communities. Wastewater is a potential reservoir for pathogenic
bacteria. These bacteria can carry ICE mobile elements.
ICEs have been detected worldwide in many different environments.

These elements are of interest as they may harbour antibiotic resistance
genes and other harmful genes, which pose a threat to human health.
The aim of this study is to identify a novel ICE mobile genetic element of
the SXT/R391 family isolated from a wastewater environment.
SXT/R391 ICE mobile elements are the largest and most studied family.
These elements integrate and replicate into the host chromosome and
transfer via conjugation which allow the genes to be spread from one
bacterium to another. The elements contain a core ‘backbone’ which
allows for integration, excision and transfer, with five hotspots and four
variables regions which allow for the insertion of genes which provides
the organism with an adaptive advantage.
Methods:
• Collection & Processing of wastewater samples
• Bacterial screening & molecular identification of ICE containing strains
• Genome Sequencing and Genome Annotation
Results:
Detection of an ICE mobile genetic element from a Proteus bacterium
by amplification of the integrase gene using specifically designed
primers. Genome sequencing confirmed identification of a Proteus
mirabilis bacteria containing a novel ICE mobile element.
Conclusion:
ICE mobile elements detected in a wastewater environment.
42
WOMEN IN SCIENCE: A RETROSPECTIVE GENDER ANALYSIS
THROUGH PUBLICATION | Fernanda Zamboni (University of Limerick) |
#Gender #Science #Engineering
The underrepresentation of women in Science, Technology, Engineering

and Mathematics (STEM) is notorious and it can be partially explained
by sociocultural factors. Herein, the gender disparity is investigated
through the analysis of gender of the first and last authors in scientific
publications in the areas of STEM.
In this study, 323 publications were analysed for the gender of the first
and last authors from publications divided into ranges: publications ≤
2007, 2008 ≤ publications ≤ 2013 and publications ≥ 2014. Data
shows that literature from 2007 and below had in total 19 (79.2%) males
and 5 (20.8%) females as first authors, but 17 (70.8%) males, 4 (16.6%)
females and 3 (12.6%) unknown as last authors.
Literature within the last 10 years (2008 ≤ publications ≤ 2013) had in

total 57 (60%) males, 29 (30.5%) females and 9 (10.5%) unknown as
first authors, and 69 (72.6%) males, 23 (24.2%) females and 3 (4.2%)
unknown as last authors. Finally, literature within the last 5 years (≥
2014) showed 123 (60.3%) males, 65 (31.8%) females and 16 (7.9%)
unknown as first authors, and 153 (75%) males, 43 (21.1%) females and
8 (3.9%) unknown as last authors.
It is noticeable that there is an increase of female first authors in the last

couple of years. In the future, it is expected that this trend will prevail
and alongside several targeted strategies to promote women in STEM
fields, gender equality and equity will be achieved.
A CLASS ACT: EMOTIONAL DISPLAY RULES OF SECONDARY

SCHOOL TEACHERS | Niamh Lafferty (University of Limerick) |
#Emotions #Teachers #SecondarySchool
Teaching is a profession requiring emotional labour which relies upon

both explicit and tacit knowledge of emotional display rules. Due to
their implicit nature, emotional display rules are often unclear, unstable,
and conflicting. This study aims to explore the complicated nature of
emotional display rules of practicing secondary school teachers.
43
Modern online research methods incorporating traditional diary studies
and a series of semi-structured interviews were conducted with
secondary school teachers currently practising in Ireland.
Preliminary analysis is currently being conducted with results expected

to shed light on (a) the expected emotional displays of secondary
school teachers; (b) the outcomes of adhering or not adhering to display
rules; (c) unclear emotional display rules.
Data were limited to teachers practicing in Ireland. Findings will be

beneficial for initial teacher education, for teachers and students, and
will serve to draw a coherent frame for future research in the field.
Furthermore, it is hoped that the importance of considering display
rules when examining emotional labour in any occupation will be
exposed.
Explores the under-researched element of display rules as the core of

emotional labour whilst answering calls for more focus on emotional
labour in teaching.
HOW CAN THE USE OF A 3D PRINTER SUPPORT CHILDREN’S

LEARNING IN THE MATHEMATICS CURRICULUM | James O’Reilly
(Mary Immaculate College) | #3DPrinting #SpatialAwareness
#ProblemSolving
Previously the preserve of business and industry 3D printing is a

technology that has recently been made accessible to amateurs and
individuals. Using Computer Aided Design software individuals can
create their own virtual designs which can be physically created using
3D printers. The technology has apparent links to the Mathematics
curriculum, and this research set out to investigate these links.
To investigate this research question a qualitative approach was

adopted with aspects of quantitative data collection. Children were
given the opportunity to create a variety of designs using Tinkercad
software, which were then printed and given to the children. Focus
groups and qualitative questionnaires were used to investigate how the
children felt about the software and their ability in Mathematics, while
Mathematics assessments were used for triangulation of data.
44
The children reported that they enjoyed using the software and that
they really enjoyed seeing the prints. The children reported that their
confidence in Mathematics improved over the course of the intervention
and the Mathematics assessment suggested that their ability to
problem solve had improved. The intervention was highly motivational
and enjoyable, but it was also time consuming.
This was an investigation of the use of an innovative and exciting

technology in the classroom. The children enjoyed the intervention and
the data suggests that they benefited from it. Lessons learned from this
investigation may have relevance to others investigating new
technologies or techniques in the classroom.
PUTTING THE ‘PATIENT’ INTO PATIENT SAFETY IMPROVEMENT

IN PRIMARY CARE | Caoimhe Madden, Sinéad Lydon, Andrew W.
Murphy, Paul O’Connor (NUI Galway) | #PatientSafety #PrimaryCare
#PatientPerspective #SafetyMeasurement
GPs are unsure about how best to measure and improve safety in their
practices. Although research suggests that studying patient
experiences has the potential to enhance safety, there exists a lack of
tools to appropriately measure safety in primary care from the patient
perspective.
Study 1. Involving patients in safety measurement in healthcare: a

systematic review
This will allow for the identification of instruments available to measure

patient perspective of safety in healthcare, and explore their
psychometric properties, content, and quality.
Study 2. Critical incident interviews with patients
Interviews will be conducted with patients about an event in which they

felt an error was made in their care to develop an understanding of
patients’ experiences relating to quality and safety in Irish general
practice.
Study 3. Development and validation of a patient safety measurement

tool for use in primary care.
45
A tool to measure the patient’s perception of safety in primary care will

be developed and statistically validated.
Study 4. Examining the feasibility and utility of a novel safety evaluation

in primary care.
A feasibility study will be carried out to determine whether the data

collected with the patient safety tool is useful to inform improvements in
quality and safety initiatives at a practice level.
It is expected that this program of research will provide guidance, and a

specific tool, to facilitate patient involvement in quality and safety
measurement and improvement processes in primary care.
THE NATURE, IMPACT, MOTIVATION FOR AND FREQUENCY OF

COMPLAINTS IN PRIMARY CARE: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW | Emily
O’Dowd, Sinéad Lydon, Caoimhe Madden, Paul O’Conner (NUI Galway)
| #HealthcareComplaints #SystematicReview #PrimaryCare
Healthcare complaints are an untapped resource for quality and safety

improvement, as they are not traditionally addressed at a systems level.
A small body of work has begun to focus on classifying patient
complaints to enable quality improvement in hospital settings, such as
the taxonomy developed by Gillespie and colleagues. However, there
has been little focus on complaints in primary care. This review aimed
to synthesise extant research on complaints in primary care, specifically
examining the motivation for, content, frequency, and impact of primary
care complaints. This will in turn facilitate comparison between
complaints in primary and secondary care, and inform the adaptation of
existing complaints taxonomies to make them applicable to primary
care.
A systematic review was conducted with reference to the PRISMA
guidelines. Five electronic databases were searched using a systematic
search strategy (CINAHL, Medline, Web of Science, Academic Search
Complete, and PsycInfo), and results were screened. Data were
extracted from papers which fit the inclusion criteria, and synthesised.
Quality appraisal of included studies was carried out by two authors.
46
38 papers were included in the synthesis, which is ongoing. It is
expected that the results will inform an adapted taxonomy which will be
applicable to primary care complaints.
Primary care complaints are infrequently utilised at a systems level.
However, a taxonomy adapted from this review could help inform
analysis of these complaints in the future.
AN INVESTIGATION OF THE IMPACT OF AN INDUSTRY-FOCUSED

GENDER INTERVENTION ON THE SELF-PERCEPTION AND
CAREER ASPIRATIONS OF FEMALE UNDERGRADUATE
STUDENTS IN THE STEM DISCIPLINES | Tracey O’Connell (University
of Limerick) | #STEMEducation #HigherEducation #GenderEquality
Gender equality in the context of Science, Technology, Engineering and

Mathematics (STEM) Education has emerged as a significant area of
interest in recent years. The research reported in this study focuses on
an investigation of the appropriateness and ultimately the impact of an
industry- focused gender intervention on the self-perceptions and
career aspirations of female undergraduate students in the STEM
disciplines. Thirty second and third year female students studying
STEM disciplines at University engaged in the WiSTEM2D Programme,
a university and industry collaboration.
Bronfenbrenner’s (1989) Ecological Systems Theory was used to

investigate the influence of the programme on participating students.
Participating students in the programme were surveyed prior to their
engagement with the programme to capture their views regarding their
experience of STEM. The main themes explored were confidence levels
in a variety of STEM situations, perceptions of STEM, their knowledge
of STEM and STEM Careers.
Preliminary findings revealed that 60% (n=30) of the students did not
know the types of career positions they were qualified to apply for on
completing their degree. The main factors affecting the students’
confidence and progression at university were: large class sizes, self-
doubt, peers attitudes and male dominated environments. In total, 70%
(n=30) of the students had experienced negativity in society around
STEM. These findings imply that more supports need to be in place in
order for students to be informed about STEM Careers at post-primary
level and at university. The findings presented in this research have
47
identified barriers in STEM Disciplines and the need for initiatives at
Higher Education in Ireland.
DO NOT ATTEMPT RESUSCITATION (DNAR) ORDERS IN IRELAND:

ARE THERE LESSONS TO BE GARNERED FROM LEGISLATIVE
EXPERIENCES IN OHIO? | Lucy M. Davis (University of Limerick) |
#Resuscitation #Regulation #ComparativeLaw
In the moment of a patient’s last breath, the Irish legal system is silent.
Whilst there has been an attempt to develop a policy to guide the use of
Do Not Attempt Resuscitation (DNAR) orders in Ireland (National
Consent Advisory Group 2013; revised 2016), this policy was not
successfully implemented (O’Brien, et al 2018) and, as a result,
considerable uncertainty remains in Irish DNAR order practice (O’Reilly,
O’Tuathaigh and Doran 2018). Clear legal guidance is necessitated in
this area (Butler, et al 2006). To this end, this poster proposes to
explore whether the development of a legislative model comparable to
that established in the U.S. State of Ohio could be adapted to address
the issues in the Irish legal system. The research on Ohio is informed by
a recent research trip undertaken to this jurisdiction.
This poster will be divided into three sections. The first section will
outline the current legal framework governing DNAR orders in Ireland
and will outline the limits of this framework in Irish medical practice,
through the exploration of recent empirical studies undertaken in this
field. The second section will then provide a snapshot of the legislation
governing Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) orders in Ohio. The final section
will then provide a table outlining the potential drawbacks and merits of
incorporating a legislative model comparable to Ohio into the Irish legal
system.
A FRAMEWORK TO ASSESS ENABLERS AND INHIBITORS OF

INCUMBENT RESPONSES TO DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY
DISRUPTIONS | Chandrasekhar Dhanapathi (NUI Galway) |
#DigitalDisruption #IncumbentResponses #ReconfiguringCapabilities
Enterprises face major challenges when new entrants disrupt their

industries through the use of innovative business models and digital
technologies such as Data analytics, Artificial Intelligence and the
Internet-of-things (IoT). The survival and long-term viability of these
48
enterprises depends significantly on their awareness, preparedness,
strategic actions and adaptations.
Previous studies have shown a lack of timely and proactive measures

taken by incumbents to face current and emerging threats with serious
consequences to their continued viability and competitiveness.
Their responses are hindered by inhibitors such as path dependencies,
inertia, exploitation / exploration balance. To counter this, incumbents
can use enablers such as dynamic capabilities, management attention,
architecture.
There is insufficient research on the specific tools to aid decision

making, strategic commitments regarding creating capabilities /
competences and their subsequent reconfiguration when new threats
emerge.
Determine the major enablers/inhibitors to capabilities/competences

creation, to develop a conceptual model to guide managers regarding
commitments to strategic paths, developing a competences portfolio.
Develop a survey instrument, scales for measurement and examine inter

construct relationships, conduct data analysis using exploratory factor
analysis (EFA)/force field analysis to identify the major enablers and
inhibitors/ visually guide managers to use the right levers for successful
strategic renewal of capabilities /competences.
Important, emerging field of leveraging on the confluence of digital

technologies, it enhances the knowledge, skills, best practice for
enterprises to enable effective responses. The research is well
grounded within the resource-based-view (RBV) and dynamic
capabilities theories.
EXPLORING THE EDUCATIONAL USE OF AUGMENTED REALITY

AND STORYTELLING FOR DIFFERENTIATED READING
INSTRUCTION FOR PRIMARY SCHOOL LEARNERS | David Byrne
(Limerick Institute of Technology) | #AugmentedReality
#DifferentiatedReadingInstruction #PrimarySchoolLearners
The aim of this research is to test the effectiveness of an augmented

reality (AR) and collaborative storytelling intervention, supporting
49
differentiated literacy learning of 6–8-year olds. The Digital learning
framework (Department of Education and Skills 2017a) encourages
Teacher to “ use appropriate digital technologies to support
differentiated learning”. We aim to offer new alternatives to those
teachers.
Our research involves consultation with the stakeholders followed by

app development and testing. Educational research and policy will be
utilised to fulfill current curriculum needs. Students will have the
opportunity to vote on outcomes of story branches, participate in AR
puzzles and interact with the virtual environment.
The app is designed to enable all students to read the same story but
when asked to read aloud our software generates lines tailored to that
student’s individual reading level. This offers a unique approach to
differentiation encouraging the weaker students and pushing the
students with stronger literacy skills.
The intervention will occur in different categories of primary schools and

will Determine whether AR has benefits compared to traditional
methods of instruction.
AR is a new and exciting technology with many possibilities our hope is

to play a part in the future development of national curriculum.
Follow conference news on Twitter using the hashtag #LPRC2019!
50
HOUSEHOLD AIR POLLUTION FROM COOKING FUEL AND
ANAEMIA IN WOMEN AND CHILDREN IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA:
A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY OF SIX COUNTRIES | Eunice Phillip,
Paul Corcoran (University College Cork) | #HouseholdAirPollution
#CookingFuel #Anaemia
Globally, anaemia affects 0.5 billion 15-49-year-old women and 42% of

<5-year-olds while over 3 billion use polluting fuel daily. We examined
exposure to specific cooking fuels and prevalence of anaemia in Sub-
Saharan Africa (SSA).
Six SSA countries included cooking fuel and anaemia in their most
recent (2013-2018) Demographic and Health Surveys of 33,533 women
(15-49 years) and 26,405 children (6-48 months). Multivariable Poisson
regression analysis was used to estimate adjusted risk ratios (aRRs) for
associations between type of cooking fuel, using electricity as the
reference group, and anaemia status, adjustment for relevant
confounding variables.
Overall, 93% were exposed to polluting cooking fuel and the prevalence
of anaemia was 35% and 54% in women and children, respectively. For
women, liquid-petroleum-gas (LPG) and charcoal were associated with
higher prevalence of anaemia (aRR=1.29, 95% confidence interval,
CI=1.03-1.63; Children, aRR=1.19, 95% CI=1.01-1.41). For children,
risk of anaemia was 10% lower with exposure to bottled gas, natural
gas was associated with a 73% increased risk.
This study supports the evidence of a need for policy-makers to

increase funding for the development of clean, affordable and
sustainable fuel sources. The primary focus of global health advocates
should shift from low-polluting to non-polluting fuel. Educational
awareness is crucial at the household level about the associated health
risk of polluting fuel used for cooking irrespective of the hazard level.
The 2019 final of the Thesis in Three Competition, will take place after
LPRC 2019 in KBG 12. The competition final includes participants
from UL, MIC and LIT.
51
HOW CAN SHORT ANIMATED FILMS BE USED AS A HEALING AND
THERAPEUTIC TOOL FOR CHILDREN LIVING WITH FAMILIAL
ADDICTION? | Mary Smyth (Limerick Institute of Technology) |
#Animation #Addiction #Prevention 
This research will be the first of its kind in Ireland and involves
collaboration with Aiséirí - an addiction recovery organisation with 4
treatment centres (www.aiseiri.ie).
The main focus of the project is to receive first-hand feedback from

individuals using recovery services and to examine current research into
animation as a therapy tool with the aim to help vulnerable youths deal
with addiction and prevent a future cycle. The project outcome is to
design and create an informed animated short film that will be used as
an addiction awareness raising and prevention tool by the Aiseiri
Addiction Recovery Services as part of their prevention programmes.
Focus groups with participants in recovery are organised to better

understand the experiences of the individuals and to identify key
addiction prevention drivers. Arts based tools will be used in these
focus groups to broaden the dialogue and to help enable the
participants to express themselves, sharing their stories, their
experience and their opinions on addiction in our culture. A narrative
methodological framework is being used to analyse the information
gained from the research. With the knowledge and input from the
participants the animation will be developed.
The project is still ongoing and in its first year of a two year duration.
A COMMUNITY INTEGRATION INITIATIVE WITH DISPLACED

PERSONS AND A HOST COMMUNITY IN IRELAND: PARTICIPANTS’
EXPERIENCES | Megan Vine, Ronni Greenwood (University of Limerick)
| #IntergroupContact #CommunityIntegration #Wellbeing
In Ireland, asylum seekers are accommodated in Direct Provision (DP)

centres. In DP centres, residents experience poor-quality food, lack of
privacy and disempowering regulations. In the broader Irish society,
displaced people experience negative stereotyping, prejudice, and
discrimination. Together, these conditions function to block the
government’s goal to integrate migrants into Irish society.
52
Across Ireland, communities have responded to the isolation,
disempowerment, and discrimination displaced people experience with
community integration initiatives. These initiatives aim to improve
integration of displaced people and the host community through shared
activity and inter-cultural events.
Intergroup contact decreases prejudice between groups under ‘optimal

conditions’ but optimal conditions are often not characteristic of real-
world contact situations; and when present, do not always achieve
positive contact outcomes for minority groups. Moreover, minorities
make sense of intergroup contact in ways that are different from the
majority.
The aim of our research is to understand how participants from majority

and minority groups experience intergroup contact in community
integration initiatives. I will disseminate the results of a qualitative
interview study we conducted with equal numbers of ‘host’ and
‘displaced’ participants (n=18) who had taken part in a community
integration initiative in Galway city.
The results show that minority and majority group members both
experienced intergroup anxiety for different reasons, perhaps related to
the asymmetry of power between groups. Participants of all
backgrounds reported positive effects on well-being in different ways,
with an emphasis on social connections and communion for displaced
people and on increased community/political engagement for the host
group.
BIOLOGICAL SYSTEM SCALE UP FOR NANOPARTICLE

PRODUCTION: MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISATION,
CYTOTOXICITY EVALUATION AND BIONANOCONJUGATE
SYNTHESIS | Mariana Alves (Limerick Institute of Technology) |
#Biosynthesis #Bionanoconjugates #Nanotechnology #Nanoparticles
Nanoparticles play an important role in modern medicine treatments

and drug delivery. Traditional methods of synthesizing nanoparticles
(NPs) involve multistep physical and chemical processes that can use
large amounts of energy, hazardous chemicals and/or expensive
methodologies. However, biological systemes can provide an
environmentally benign alternative process.
53
The aim of this research was to investigate a scalable biological system
to synthesise NPs of defined size and shape, in a robust manner, and
further to evaluate the potential associated biotechnological
applications. Different biological systems were investigated for their
ability to synthesise AgNPs and AuNPs by the addition of soluble salts
of silver and gold under precise reaction conditions. Uv-Vis
spectrophotometry, transmission electron microscopy and Energy
dispersive x-ray spectroscopy analysis confirmed all systems studied
were capable of NP synthesis albeit with different size and colloidal
stabilities. Scalable system growth was carried out at small scale while
simultaneously implementing a ten-fold scaled process.
Results demonstrated no major differences in the physical or

morphological characterisation of the NPs synthesised indicating that
the biological systems can be successfully scaled up. An in vitro
cytotoxicity assay was conducted demonstrating the biocompatibility of
the biological system and respective NPs. These results indicated
excellent potential for conjugation with external stabiliser/reducing
agents. The biological system was then tested for the ability to
synthesise bionanoconjugates with a specific cancer cell receptor
targeting peptide. Absorption curve patterns and morphological
characterisation suggested effective bionanoconjugate synthesis.
Future work will involve the evaluation of the bionanoconjugates as
cancer therapeutic agents.
A FRAMEWORK TO ASSESS ENABLERS AND INHIBITORS OF

INCUMBENT RESPONSES TO DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY
DISRUPTIONS | Rebecca Coughlan (Limerick Institute of Technology) |
#RapeseedOil #HealthyDiet #IrishRapeseed
Rapeseed oils from the flowering plant of the Brassicaceae family,

contain less than half the saturated fat of olive oil, and are a natural
source of omega 3, 6, and 9 making this an ideal culinary oil for a
healthy diet. A number of rapeseed oils from Ireland and other countries
were analysed for characterization based on physiochemical,
biochemical and sensory properties.
Physiochemical analysis of the oils included, acid value, free fatty acid
content and fatty acid profiling. Biochemical analysis included
antioxidant capacity testing using FRAP and DPPH methods, followed
54
by total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC)
measurement. Sensory analysis was carried out using a trained panel
for acceptability and descriptive sensory profiling for each rapeseed oil.
Studies have shown that some rapeseed oils have higher unsaturated
fatty acids, while others have high antioxidant activity or higher
acceptability indicating a difference between rapeseed oil types from a
health and structural point of view. Therefore, are all Irish rapeseed oils
the same or are some properties different based on location, harvesting
time, processing technique. Additionally, is it feasible to produce an
Irish culinary oil which increases economical sustainability by creating
jobs, improving agricultural yield and decreasing on importation of
foreign oils such as olive and sunflower oils.
DEVELOPMENT OF METHODS OF DETECTION FOR DRUGS IN

SPORT | Fiona Bradley (Limerick Institute of Technology) | #Drugging
#DrugDetection #Sport
Drug use and abuse is a phenomenon which can be traced back to

ancient times, when athletes used special diets and various substances
to enhance physical performance. In addition to detrimental health
implications, there are other negative consequences of drug taking,
such as the ethics of fair play. The concept of having a level playing
field in sport is important when there are large financial rewards at
stake. Thus, substances and methods which artificially enhance athletic
performance are banned in most sports.
My research focuses on method development for drug detection in

sport, specifically within the Irish greyhound industry. Detection
methods need to be robust, sensitive, reliable and fast. In addition to
these criteria, the established protocols must be able to stand up to
legal scrutiny.
In order for a lab to detect these substances, a method first must be

developed. Using mass spectroscopy (MS) and other analytical
methods to identify drug metabolites in the system, we can increase
drug detection rate and help to clean up the issue of drugs in sport.
MS provides valuable information about the drug structure. Chemists
can use a mass spec. to deconstruct the drug and then separate and
identify the fragments based on their weights. Test samples can then be
55
compared to the reference standard to determine if quantified levels are
above or below a pre-defined, acceptable threshold.
This research is both fascinating from an analytical point of view and

from an ethical perspective to preserve the long-term integrity of sport.
56
Sponsors
The conference committee would like to acknowledge the
generous support of:
• UL Graduate School
• Bernal Institute
• Bank of Ireland
• Fáilte Ireland
• Spar, University of Limerick
• O’Mahony’s Bookstore, Limerick
• Musgraves, Cork

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Limerick Postgraduate Research Conference

Welcome to the Limerick Postgraduate Research Conference!

LPRC Committee 2019 ...............................................................................................1

LPRC Committee 2019

Join the conversation on Twitter and connect with fellow researchers

The theme of this year’s conference is Research & Society: Innovation,

We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for supporting us

LPRC Organising Committee 2019

Poster abstracts can be found under Poster Presentations, starting

08:30-09:15 | Registration | Kemmy Business School Foyer

09:15-09:30 | Opening Session | KBG12

Prof. Kerstin Mey, University of Limerick

09:30-10:30 | Keynote Speeches | KBG12

Prof. Shane Kilcommins, University of Limerick

Health & Science & Society & Language &

KBG11 KBG14 KBG15 KBG13

CHAIRPERSON: CHAIRPERSON: CHAIRPERSON: CHAIRPERSON:

Evan Foley (UL) James O’Reilly Joseph Haugh Julie Trobitsch

Evelyn Hill (LIT)

Dealing with loss: Michelle Daly (UL)

________________________________ experiences with Deborah Tobin

11:30-12:00 | Coffee Break | KBG Foyer

Health & Society & Society & Language &

KBG11 KBG14 KBG15 KBG13

Michael Lynagh Annette O’Brien Pilar Luz Shane Grant

Marion Geary Oideachas an

(UCC) Gender have the Irish Mateus Miranda

13:00-13:45 | Lunch | Canteen

13:45-14:30 | Poster Session | Kemmy Business School Foyer

List of posters overleaf →

Health & Society & Society & Language &

KBG11 KBG14 KBG15 KBG13

CHAIRPERSON: CHAIRPERSON: CHAIRPERSON: CHAIRPERSON:

Aisling Costello Sarah AL Ayyash Rachel Clifford Kara O’Brien (UL)

(UL) The neutral

of Ireland Technology ________________________________

15:30-16:30 | Meet The Editors | KBG15

FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNING IN IRELAND AND A

On the 4th of December 2017, The Language Connects – Ireland’s

It has been proven in earlier research that foreign language knowledge

Against the backdrop of globalisation and internationalisation, there is a

Incorporating a triangulated, mixed-methods approach using both

The global expansion of English has led to an increased international

The ELT industry is lucrative. The previous Minister for Education

A mixed-methods’ approach using a questionnaire survey and face-to-

Applied Linguistics concerns the analysis of discourse to address

MICHEÁL Ó SIOCHRÚ – FÉINIÚLACHT, RÓL AGUS CEIST AN

Is file Gaeltachta de chuid Bhaile ’n Sceilg, Uíbh Ráthach é an

Tarraingeofar ar agallamh a dhein údar an ailt seo le Ó Siochrú agus ar

OIDEACHAS AN TEANGA MHIONLAIGH IN ÉIRINN: FORBAIRT

Sonraíonn Ó Ceallaigh agus Ní Shéaghdha go bhfuil sé mar

In ainneoin an méid seo áfach dealraíodh nach bhfuil ach 68%

Sa bhliain 2017 d’fhoilsigh an Roinn Oideachais agus Scileanna an

FROM PATTERN TO MEANING: A DESCRIPTIVE LEXICO-

Corpus linguistics techniques allow for determining common and

In order to determine the correlation between the corpora, correlation

LANGUAGE AND CULTURE PANEL C

THE HARE’S LAMENT: THE USES OF TRADITIONAL SONG

This paper explores the unique perspectives which the study of

From historical events retold in verse to folklore encoded in storylines

THE NEUTRAL MASK AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF ITS

As a mask performer for over 30 years, I have consistently utilised the

To date, my research has primarily been carried out via an auto-