Béaloideas / Folklore and Ethnology - Masters by Research Theses

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    Cín lae an bhailitheoir béaloideasa, Michael J. Murphy: staidéar cartlainne agus eitneagrafaíoch ar an méid a chuir Michael J. Murphy le Cnuasach Bhéaloideas Éireann, le béim faoi leith ar a chín lae i gcaitheamh na mblianta 1949-1952 agus 1969-1977
    (University College Cork, 2022) Ní Neachtain, Áine; O'Carroll, Clíona; O Gealbhain, Ciaran
    Building on the work of Michael Briody in his 2007 publication The Irish Folklore Commission 1935-1970 History, ideology, methodology, in which he proffered the opinion that the journals of the field collectors may be the jewel in the crown of the National Folklore Collection, I put forward the thesis that Michael J. Murphy’s field journal is an important archival resource that merits in-depth study across a wide range of academic disciplines. Over the course of more than 40 years’ service as a professional Folklore Collector, Michael J. Murphy contributed more than 30,000 pages of folklore material, Building on the work of Michael Briody in his 2007 publication The Irish Folklore Commission 1935-1970 History, ideology, methodology, in which he proffered the opinion that the journals of the field collectors may be the jewel in the crown of the National Folklore Collection, I put forward the thesis that Michael J. Murphy’s field journal is an important archival resource that merits in-depth study across a wide range of academic disciplines. Over the course of more than 40 years’ service as a professional Folklore Collector, Michael J. Murphy contributed more than 30,000 pages of folklore material, including some 4,000 pages of field journal, and 1,100 photographs to the collection now known as the National Folklore Collection, housed in University College Dublin. Murphy collected folklore throughout the nine counties of Ulster, from a broad range of communities that not only had a rich store of folklore material, but were also troubled by political strife. Michael J. Murphy’s accounts of his life and work in these communities provide a unique insight into their everyday lives. This study of Murphy’s field journal seeks to keep important developments in the area of folklore archives in view throughout. It can be said that some scholars have turned their backs somewhat on archival study of pre-modern culture, in favour of the study of contemporary culture, as well as the role of archival structures and practices in the generation of knowledge, resulting in a paradigm shift which changed how folklore archives are viewed in the research community. In tandem with that, the way general archives are viewed has been evolving, thereby generating openness for the type of material stored in folklore archives. Michael J. Murphy had a strong belief in the potential of the material deposited in the archive of the Irish Folklore Commission to provide a valuable archival resource for those seeking a better understanding of who we are as people, and the ongoing provision of digital access to the National Folklore Collection creates a context that supports such a use of this material. In this context, Murphy’s thoughts on the confidential trust relationship between collector and storyteller, brought to light in this study of his field journal, provide valuable food for thought for those making difficult decisions in their efforts to balance the provision of access with the need to respect the intentions of those whose words populate the archives. This thesis posits that Michael J. Murphy fulfils several key research requirements in his field journal, in so far as he supplies a wide-ranging context for his folklore collection, with clear insights into the methodology, ethics and function of the work. As well as that, he supplies a wide-ranging, contemporary, authoritative, unedited account of his life and his work, in an area overshadowed by conflict, and about which so much has been written by reporters and historians, during the second half of the twentieth century. Michael J. Murphy was strongly of the opinion that it is on the word of the insider we should depend for an insight in people’s everyday lives. It is the word of the insider that is presented in his own field journal, brought to light in this thesis. Coimriú Ag tógaint ar shaothar Mícheál Briody ina leabhar The Irish Folklore Commission 1935-1970 History, ideology, methodology (2007), ina chuir sé cíona lae na mbailitheoirí lán-aimseartha chun tosaigh mar sheodra na corónach de Chnuasach Bhéaloideas Éireann, arbh fhiú tuilleadh taighde a dhéanamh orthu, áitím go bhfuil cín lae Michael J. Murphy ar cheann dóibh siúd gur chóir taighde domhain a dhéanamh uirthi. Chaith Michael J. Murphy breis agus daichead bliain mar bhailitheoir proifisiúnta, agus chnuasaigh sé níos mó ná 30,000 leathanach de bhéaloideas, le 4,000 leathanach de chín lae agus 1,100 grianghraf san áireamh, atá i dtaisce anois sa chartlann ar a nglaotar Cnuasach Bhéaloidis Éireann in Ollscoil Bhaile Átha Cliath. Bhailigh Murphy ar fud na naoi gcontaetha d’Uladh, agus ní amháin go raibh stór béaloidis ríshaibhir le cnuasach ann, ach bhí na pobail sin ciapaithe ag coimhlint pholaitíochta chomh maith. Sholáthar Murphy tuairisc ar a shaol agus a shaothar a thugann radharc faoi leith dúinn ar an saol laethúil a chaith pobal na Teorann le linn an ama a bhí seisean gníomhach mar bhailitheoir. Tá athruithe in earnáil an bhéaloidis maidir le cartlann comeádta in aigne le linn an tráchtais seo. Le roinnt blianta anuas, thug scoláirí áirithe cúl láimhe don taighde cartlainne a bhain le hábhar réamh-nua-aimseartha. Chas siad ar an mbéaloideas comhaimseartha, chomh maith le structúirí agus modhanna oibre cartlainne, mar ábhar taighde, agus d’athraíodh dearcadh scoláirí áirithe i dtaobh na gcartlann. Chomh maith leis sin, d’athraíodh dearcadh scoláirí ar an gcartlann thipiciúil, athrú a d’oscail doras don saghas ábhair atá caomhnaithe i gcartlann béaloidis. Bhí muinín ag Michael J. Murphy go raibh fiúntas tábhachtach ina chnuasach mar ábhar taighde dóibh siúd a bhí ar thóir tuiscintí maidir le cé muid féin mar dhaoine, agus is iontach an rud é go bhfuil obair ar siúl ag Cnuasach Bhéaloideas Éireann chun go mbeadh teacht ag scoláirí ar ábhar na cartlainne ar bhonn digiteach. Tá tuairimí Murphy nochtaithe sa tráchtas seo maidir leis an gcaidreamh agus iontaoibh idir bailitheoir agus faisnéiseoir, agus ba cheart an méid atá le rá aige a chur san áireamh nuair a bhíonn cartlannaithe ag machnamh ar an gcaoi agus ar an méid agus ar an saghas ábhair cartlainne gur chóir a chur ar fáil go digiteach agus ar líne, gan feall a dhéanamh orthu siúd a sholáthar an t-ábhar ar an gcéad dul síos. D’áitigh Michael J. Murphy gurb ar fhocal na ndaoine ar an taobh istigh den phobal gur chóir dúinn brath chun fíorscéal na ndaoine a chloisint, agus is é sin atá i gceist lena chín lae féin. Léiróidh an tráchtas seo go gcomhlíonann a chín lae réimhse riachtannais taighde tábhachtacha sa mhéid is go soláthríonn sé comhthéacs fairsing dá chnuasach béaloidis, le lánléargas maidir le cur chuige, eiticí, agus feidhm na hoibre. Chomh maith leis sin, soláthríonn sé tuairisc fhairsing, chomhaimseartha, shainiúil agus ionraic dá shaol is dá chuid oibre, i gceantar a bhí fé scáth coimhlinte, agus ar a bhfuil an oiread sin scríte ag iriseoirí agus staraithe acadúla, i gcaitheamh an dara leath den fichiú aois.