Thesis Project

AT THE MOUTH OF THE WESTERN WORLD: TEXTUALITY AND MYTH IN THE PLACE-MAKING OF SHANNON - OR RINEANNA

My thesis project was focused on a small town on the far western coast of Ireland, named Shannon. The project required me to utilise alternative research methods, as much of the archival information was locked away and unavailable for public access. Thus, through the walking method and creative writing geographical methods, I charted a mythic understanding of place-making in Shannon, and Ireland more broadly. Ireland’s history of namesakes as associated with mythological and folkloric entities and narratives aided in this exploration. The research was interdisciplinary and spanned many academic disciplines and thought, such as: geography, mythopoesis, phenomenological philosophy, semiotics, architectural and urban history, geopolitical history and creative writing methods. I received a distinction for this thesis project.