MA in History of Family: Graduate Profile - Padraig Hogan | University of Limerick

Graduate profiles

MA in Technical Writing: Graduate Profile - Deirdre Ann Brogan

I worked in the science area and as my career developed I realized that I was doing a lot more writing than I thought. So when I finished up at my job, I looked for a different career path and chose technical writing.

MA in Journalism: Graduate Profile - Tara McCormack

My name is Tara McCormack and I am from County Offaly, I decided last year that I wanted to go back and pursue journalism. I have been in radio for the last eight years, I actually got into radio during my undergraduate degree at UL which was the BA in English and media, as it was known at the time.

MA in Journalism: Graduate Profile - Mostafa Darwish

Mostafa is a graduate of the MA Journalism programme and is originally from Eygpt. Mostafa describes his experience of the programme and his delight at recently winning Student journalist of the Year 2020 at the Student Media Awards (SMEDIAs).

Padraig [pictured above],is a postgraduate student who completed a Master of Arts (MA) in History of Family.

"I made many good friends on the course and also made a number of contacts in various archives and in the academic world. I was opened up to things that I had not experienced before. However, just the overall broadening of horizons was really great".

Padraig is a graduate of the MA in History of Family. Padraig is a native of Limerick but currently lives in Meath where he works for Erin Research (www.erinresearch.ie) utilising the skills learnt in the MA in his current role.

Can you please introduce yourself; can you explain why you chose the MA history of family?

My name is Padraig Hogan and I live in County Meath. I originally graduated from UL in the 1980’s with a Degree in Electronic Engineering and I worked for almost 30 years in the IT industry. I got interested in genealogy five or six years ago. In 2017, I completed a Certificate in History of Family and Genealogical methods at UL, an evening course. Then I did a diploma in UCC on Genealogy also and I was looking for something else to progress from that. So I decided to go back to UL in 2019 and study the MA in History of Family.

Why did you decide to study at UL?

I'm from Limerick originally. I did my primary degree at UL and completed the certificate in History of Family and Genealogical Methods at UL also. I still have family in the Limerick area. I was looking at doing another course and I always wanted to go back to UL so logistically it was a good idea.

What specific aspects of your course have impressed you the most? What is the best thing about the course?

The quality of teaching was exceptional. I loved every minute of the lectures, the variety of topics was great. We had a lot of different field trips and workshops. The flexibility of the programme was great, if I wasn’t able to attend class in person, I was able to continue with coursework and listen to lectures online. So, there was flexibility there in terms of the delivery of the programme.

What experiences or opportunities has the course presented you with?

There were lots of opportunities. We had the opportunity to visit different archives, that was very good. There was a variety of workshops that were really interesting and insightful. I have also had the opportunity to present my research in a number of forums, both in UL and externally. Overall, it was a really great experience.

Can you provide an insight into how the course is delivered and how you are assessed just in terms of how you found it yourself?

Again, the variety was great. We had a small weekly assignment. Maybe twice in the term we had presentations on a variety of topics, which were very interesting and were delivered through zoom or in person in class. Then towards the end of the term, we had larger assignments on a more specific topic.

Apart from learning outcomes, what would you say have gained from the course or how do you feel you benefited from the course?

I made many good friends on the course and also made a number of contacts in various archives and in the academic world. I was opened up to things that I had not experienced before. However, just the overall broadening of horizons was really great. As a result of doing the MA programme, I got to present my research on the history show on RTE, which was a great experience.

What are you doing now and how has the course has helped you to feed into that?

While I was doing the course, I was still employed in the IT industry, but an opportunity arose soon after I graduated and I was able to take a redundancy package from my previous position. Now, I’m employed by a company called Erin Research (www.erinresearch.ie) doing probate work which is work based on genealogical research where we look for the beneficiaries of estates, where the person has died intestate with no will and there's no obvious relatives. It is very interesting and varied work and allows me to use the knowledge acquired in the MA in my current job.

Would you recommend the course to others?

Absolutely without hesitation. It was just fantastic, I would love to come back and do another history programme if I could.

Any advice or tips for prospective students considering the program at the moment?

Enjoy every minute of it, because the year is very short. As I said previously, I would do another year if I could. I enjoyed every minute of it and don't be intimidated by it. The course is very manageable and you are really supported by faculty in the Department of History.