Dundalk Institute music students present research at European Conference

Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) said they are proud to report that music students Darren Culliney and Leandro Pessina recently presented their research at the 9th EUGEO Conference, ‘Geography for our Common Future’, which was hosted by the University of Barcelona.

EUGEO is the Association of Geographical Societies in Europe with members from 27 countries.

The conference’s programme demonstrated the breadth of interests in geography.

Within the cultural geography streams, a number of papers and conversations focused on sound and music.

Darren and Leandro presented and chaired a session entitled ‘Music at Borders’.

Darren, whose research is supported by a Technological University Transformation Fund (TUTF) Scholarship, presented his research on Irish traditional music in Ulster, focusing on the role of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann.

He said: “For me, this engaging and informative event was an eye-opening experience, as it was the first academic conference from a different field of study that I have attended.

"It has challenged me to think more broadly about my research topic and introduced me to some concepts and perspectives that I believe will strengthen my research as I continue my study.”

Leandro, an Irish Research Council (IRC) scholarship holder, already holds a Masters in Geography and he presented on the potential for the further development of music tourism in the border region.

“Following on from my presentation and the response I received, I am hoping to write up and expand on my paper with an aim to publish it in a peer-reviewed journal in the near future.”

Attendance at the conference not only facilitated dissemination of their ongoing research about musical cultures in Co. Louth but allowed them to encounter other research projects and develop ideas for further development at DkIT which will enhance and evolve their current research projects.

Both Darren and Leandro are completing their PhDs in the Department of Creative Arts, Media and Music and are members of the Creative Arts Research Centre at DkIT.