Archaeology and Irish

Archaeology and Irish is a degree that connects the deep human past to the living cultural heritage of the Gaelic-speaking world. Archaeology examines how societies have adapted and developed over time through the material evidence they leave behind: artefacts, monuments, settlements, and entire landscapes, read and interpreted through a range of scientific and humanistic methods. Irish connects you to one of Europe's oldest vernacular literatures and to the living language communities that continue to sustain a distinct cultural tradition in Ireland.

At Queen's University Belfast, this three-year full-time degree gives you hands-on experience working with archaeological material and undertaking fieldwork, alongside the theoretical frameworks for interpreting evidence from human origins to modern times. Modules cover world, European, and Irish and British archaeology across a wide chronological range, giving you the breadth to situate Irish and British prehistory and history in a genuinely global perspective. The Irish language and culture component introduces you to the Gaelic heritage and identity of Ireland, including literature, linguistics, and contemporary cultural questions.

The combination means you can engage with the physical and textual traces of the Irish and wider human past with unusual richness. The typical entry tariff is 136 UCAS points.

Graduates of archaeology and Irish programmes find careers in heritage management, museum and archive work, cultural resource management, education, historical research, community heritage, publishing, and the public sector. Fieldwork and practical skills make archaeology graduates employable in consultancy and contracting roles, while the Irish language and cultural expertise opens doors in Irish cultural institutions, community organisations, and the broad cultural sector in Ireland and the diaspora. Many graduates also pursue postgraduate study in archaeology, Irish studies, heritage management, or related fields.