In this final episode of the podcast for this academic year, Jenny is joined by poet, scholar, harper and Arts curator, Emily Cullen. Emily is currently the Poet in Residence in the University of Limerick and combines that role with poetry writing as well as curating literature and poetry events. On foot of Poetry Day Ireland, Emily talks about the importance of poetry in Irish life, her “scenic” route to where she is now, and teaching as a mutually enriching experience for students and...

In this episode of the podcast, Jenny is joined by the artist Vincent Devine, who recently travelled the country with his painting ‘The Vicky Phelan Triptych,’ and its owner, David Brennan. Vincent attended WIT’s International Women’s Day celebrations, where he talked the audience through the symbolism of each section of the painting, and the collaborative process that he and Vicky went through during its planning and development. He discusses the importance of the painting in generating...

On Wednesday 9th March, students of English and Theatre Studies at WIT attended a workshop on Shakespeare facilitated by actor Jamie Beamish in the wonderful environs of Waterford’s Theatre Royal. Jamie is the current Theatre Artist in Residence in the Theatre Royal and in this episode, he joins Jenny in studio alongside the manager of the theatre, Mary Boland, who has an ambitious new vision for how the venue might open itself up to the people of the south east. They discuss the impact of...

In this episode of The Nerve, we are guided by our third-year students, who have lots of questions about how to find the right postgraduate course, and how to navigate the PAC and UCAS systems. In studio with Jenny are Angela Collins, Head of Careers and Careers Advisor at WIT, and final year English students Katie Chance and Ben Harper. If you’re still not sure what you want to do, how do you go about narrowing your selection? What kinds of documentation do colleges look for upon...

In this episode of the podcast, Dr Jenny O’Connor chats to WIT’s own Edward Hayden in his capacity as editor of the Drama League of Ireland magazine. Edward is the course leader for the Higher Certificate in Culinary Arts and is well known to viewers of Virgin Media’s Ireland AM where he occupies a guest chef slot. In his spare time, Edward is a very active member of the award-winning New Ross Drama Workshop, and in his role as editor of the DLI magazine, has interviewed and curated content...

In this episode, Dr. Jenny O’Connor talks to the award-winning poet Annemarie Ni Churreáin, who gave an online seminar this semester at WIT on the way in which literature can develop a critical consciousness in students. This event was organised by English lecturer Dr Christa de Brún, who joins Jenny to chat about using one of Annemarie’s poems to challenge and stimulate students’ thinking. Annemarie has had her poetry published in the Poetry Ireland Review, The Stinging Fly and her first...

In this episode, Jenny is joined by Luke Cassidy, the author of the novel Iron Annie, and writer of the stage show adaptation of the text, the Iron Annie Cabaret. Luke talks about setting his debut novel in his home town of Dundalk, writing two female lead characters, and what is involved in getting a stage show off the ground in Covid times.

In this episode of The Nerve, Jenny talks to theatre makers Deirdre Dwyer and Nicholas Kavanagh, who facilitated this semester’s English and Theatre Studies Day at WIT. Deirdre’s new work is the audio drama The Little Robber Girl, which, along with the accompanying postal pack, brings to life the story of tearaway Mattie and her dog, Arthur. This work was written by Deirdre in her role as Theatre Artist in Residence at Garter Lane Arts Centre, and employs the voice talents of several local...

In this (celebratory!) episode of The Nerve, Dr Jenny O’Connor is joined in studio by second year student Anthony Finn and third year students Aoife Manville and Katie Chance, who have returned to the WIT campus after 18 months. They discuss the remote online learning experience, making friends with people who used to be virtual classmates on Zoom and what it’s like preparing for your first ever college exam in your final year of college.

Welcome back to the first episode of The Nerve for the new semester. In this episode, Dr Jenny O’Connor speaks to Lucy Moore of the Write by the Sea Festival which normally takes place in Kilmore Quay, Co. Wexford. This year, the festival remains online and will host the likes of Douglas Kennedy, Christine Dwyer Hickey, Colm Tóibín, Melatu Uche Okorie, Billy O’Callaghan and WIT’s very own Dr. Fiona Ennis. Lucy discusses community support for the festival, the high quality of entries for the...

In this episode of the podcast, Jenny speaks to Tomm Moore of Kilkenny-based animation studio Cartoon Saloon. Its most recent film, Wolfwalkers, is currently nominated for the 2021 Academy Awards for Best Animated Feature, and was also nominated for a Golden Globe. Prior to this, The Breadwinner, Song of the Sea, The Secret of Kells and the short film Late Afternoon were also nominated for Oscars and other prestigious awards. The studio produces content for television and streaming services...

In this episode, Jenny is joined by Joanne McCarthy, one of the co-founders of literary magazine, The Waxed Lemon. Joanne discusses the responses to the latest edition’s call for submission, offers advice for budding contributors and reads from her own poetry which has been published in The Stinging Fly, The Honest Ulsterman, and The Bangor Literary Review.

In this episode of the podcast, Jenny chats to writer John Patrick McHugh, whose recent collection of short stories, Pure Gold, has received rave reviews from The Irish Times and Vanity Fair. Prior to the publication of the collection, JP’s stories were published in literary journals like Granta, Winter Papers and The Stinging Fly. The conversation veers from how long it takes to produce two good sentences to working in a supportive writing bubble with Nicole Flattery and Sally Rooney, and...

Bernie McGill’s novel The Watch House was nominated in 2019 for the Ireland/European Prize for Literature and Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes nominated The Butterfly Cabinet as his novel of the year in 2012. Her short fiction has been nominated for several awards and in 2008, she won the Zoetrope: All-Story Short Fiction Award in the United States. Bernie is a former Writing Fellow with the Royal Literary Fund at the Seamus Heaney Centre in Queen’s University, Belfast and she teaches...

In this season of episodes, Jenny conducts one-to-one interviews with people who are important to the Arts in Ireland in one way or another. This first episode features Barbara McCormack, the Academy Librarian with the Royal Irish Academy. The discussion focuses on what it means to be in this type of role and how the pandemic has affected the work that can be done. There is also some valuable advice for students looking to follow this career path.

Ho ho ho! Five of the regular podcast hosts from WIT got together to record a joint episode recommending some books, TV programmes, films, podcasts and tech that you (or a loved one) might enjoy over the Christmas period. Features Jenny O’Connor from The Nerve, Bruce Wardrop from Win Win, Niamh Maguire from Engendering Change, Tom Grinsell from WIT Talks Student Life and Rob O’Connor of The Machine. A very Happy Christmas to all our listeners. Recommendation Notes: Bruce Wardrop (Book)...

In this episode of The Nerve, Dr. Jenny O’Connor is joined by three English graduates who are currently engaged in postgraduate study. Lauren Browne, Michael Power and Dylan Phelan reflect on what they might tell their first year selves about opening themselves up to new experiences, taking feedback on board and fostering self-belief, and they discuss how the BA Arts programme has prepared them for the current challenges of their postgraduate work.

In this episode of The Nerve, Dr. Jenny O’Connor is joined by Billy O’Callaghan, our special guest for this semester’s English and Theatre Studies Day. Billy is the winner of a Bord Gais Energy Book Award and has been nominated for a raft of other awards for his writing. He has had over a hundred short stories published in literary journals around the world and has had his work translated into eleven languages.  Billy ran two sessions with our students: one on the art and craft of the short...

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Jenny O’Connor talks to Dr. Christa de Brun about being on the judging panel for the Global Undergraduate Awards, which receives approximately 4,000 entries each year from across the world. She is also joined by two former English, Aaron Kent and Alessia Zuccarelli, who discuss being highly commended in the Awards and how their time at WIT led to their current postgraduate opportunities. Aaron has recently won an Irish Research Council scholarship and has...

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Jenny O’Connor speaks to Dr. Áine Furlong, Dr. Úna Kealy and English and Theatre Studies student Jack Reid about the process of moving from face-to-face to emergency online teaching and learning. They discuss the things that scared them the most, the opportunities they see in the digital space, and top tips for maximising time and  energy online.

We continue our Books on the Nightstand tradition in the final episode of The Nerve for this semester. However, while we normally invite staff from other departments to give their recommendations, we had to improvise a little in these abnormal times. Instead, this episode comes to you from the sitting room of Dr. Jenny O’Connor, who is joined by her husband Rob O’Connor from the Department of Computing and Mathematics, and their four daughters Sophie, Elise, Wendy and Stella. From science...

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Jenny O’Connor is joined by Dr. Jennifer O’Mahoney and Dr. Kate McCarthy of the Magdalene Heritage and Waterford Memories projects which aim to document survivors’ narratives about their time in Magdalene laundries and to offer educational resources to schools and the general public that focus on the social history, cultural and built heritage of Waterford’s former Magdalene Laundry and Industrial School. Dr. O’Mahoney and Dr. McCarthy have developed...

English Day at WIT takes place once per semester. This semester, we were delighted to welcome the multi-award winning author and lecturer in Creative Writing, Donal Ryan to the Institute for a workshop with our English major and minor students. In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Jenny O’Connor is joined by Donal who speaks about the process of writing and the emergent beauty of simple, precise language. Dr. Fiona Ennis, Dr. Christa de Brún and third year student Angela Sutherland also offer...

As part of the extracurricular programme of events on offer to students of English and/or Theatre Studies at WIT, staff and students attended a production of Gone Full Havisham at Garter Lane Arts Centre. The play documents the wedding night of Emily Halloran, who has been jilted at the altar and is live streaming the fallout via social media. Written and performed by Irene Kelleher and directed by Regina Crowley, it uses innovative staging techniques and challenges the audience to think...

In the first episode of The Nerve for the new semester, Dr. Jenny O’Connor is joined by three English students to talk about the content of the English programme: first year Rebecca Byrne, second year Beibhinn O’Sullivan and third year Lauren Browne. The students discuss the modules they’re studying, the extra-curricular English activities facilitated by staff and the benefits of studying at WIT (there are many!).