Geography - Masters by Research Theses
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Item Exploring Cork City's tourist scene: sites, facilities and mobility(University College Cork, 2023) Ikani, Lucky Sunday; Holloway, Paul; Coakley, LiamTourism is a significant contributor to the global economy and a vital source of revenue for many countries. As a multifaceted industry, it encompasses components such as tourist sites, hospitality facilities, and mobility, which all play a crucial role in shaping a destination's appeal and success. This study was aimed at providing a comprehensive understanding of the tourist scene in Cork city, with a focus on tourist sites, hospitality facilities and mobility. The factors that influence tourists' experiences in the city was examined by a conducting field survey. The spatial pattern and density of tourist sites and hospitality facilities in area, as well as the accessibility of the sites and facilities were investigated using spatial techniques such as nearest neighbor analysis, kernel density estimation, Origin-Destination matrix, and least cost path analysis. The research offered valuable insights on the current state of tourism in Cork city and potential avenues for improvement. The findings from the study revealed a random distribution of tourist sites, while the majority of hospitality facilities, such as bars, cafés, and restaurants, exhibited a clustered pattern, particularly around the city centre. The study also highlighted the importance of public transportation and wayfinding information in facilitating tourist mobility. This is especially true for the tourist sites located on the outskirts of the city centre, where most of the facilities were found. The study recommended improving public transportation options to the sites located outside the city centre, enhancing wayfinding alongside directional information, and investing in the quality of services provided by the hospitality facilities to enhance the tourist experience, improve accessibility to tourist sites, and promote tourism development in the study area.Item Ireland's geospatial distribution of border controls: a macro study of Ireland's migration system(University College Cork, 2023) Manley Coughlan, Matthew James; Coakley, Liam; Maceinri, PiarasThis Master’s research project investigates the scalar principle of control that operates between organisations, agencies and departments from the local, to the regional, to the national and international level to underpin the Irish migration system. At each scale, the assemblage of departments, state actors and territorial state structures work in unison, simultaneously, across these scales to enforce control on migrants through bordering procedures. The Irish migration system has evolved through policy and technological advancements which have helped enforce control beyond the territorial land border of the state. Surveillance information systems and various other newly developed virtual bordering processes such as visas (external process), Irish Residence Permit cards(internal process) and passports (at the ports of entry) add to the level of control the state can exert on a migrant. Through these bordering processes, a hierarchical system of rights develops as the migrant’s nationality (EEA/non-EEA) or specific migrant categorisation (e.g. international protection applicant, programme refugee) lead to specific bordering procedures being applied to these individuals at distinct bordering moments. The research is based on interviews with members of An Garda Síochána, a Lieutenant Commander of the Irish Navy, Advocacy Service Manager of Nasc, a national NGO, Chief of Operations for IOM Ireland, the International Organisation for Migration, a spokesperson for the Transparency Section of the Department of Justice as well as Catherine Day, ex-Secretary General of the European Commission (who has also had other functions relevant to this question). Government legislation and policy documents were used in a blended approach to support the claims made in these interviews and to provide my research with a solid structural base.