-
Courses
Courses
Choosing a course is one of the most important decisions you'll ever make! View our courses and see what our students and lecturers have to say about the courses you are interested in at the links below.
-
University Life
University Life
Each year more than 4,000 choose University of Galway as their University of choice. Find out what life at University of Galway is all about here.
-
About University of Galway
About University of Galway
Since 1845, University of Galway has been sharing the highest quality teaching and research with Ireland and the world. Find out what makes our University so special – from our distinguished history to the latest news and campus developments.
-
Colleges & Schools
Colleges & Schools
University of Galway has earned international recognition as a research-led university with a commitment to top quality teaching across a range of key areas of expertise.
-
Research & Innovation
Research & Innovation
University of Galway’s vibrant research community take on some of the most pressing challenges of our times.
-
Business & Industry
Guiding Breakthrough Research at University of Galway
We explore and facilitate commercial opportunities for the research community at University of Galway, as well as facilitating industry partnership.
-
Alumni & Friends
Alumni & Friends
There are 128,000 University of Galway alumni worldwide. Stay connected to your alumni community! Join our social networks and update your details online.
-
Community Engagement
Community Engagement
At University of Galway, we believe that the best learning takes place when you apply what you learn in a real world context. That's why many of our courses include work placements or community projects.
Accessibility & LanguageStaff Profiles
Dr Verena Commins
B.Sc., M.A., Ph.D.
Contact Details
Lecturer Above The Bar
Centre for Irish Studies
Room 201
Martha Fox House Distillery Rd
Central Campus
E: verena.commins@universityofgalway.ie
Centre for Irish Studies
Room 201
Martha Fox House Distillery Rd
Central Campus
E: verena.commins@universityofgalway.ie
Biography
Research Interests
Peer Reviewed Journals
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2021) | 'Women and Traditional/Folk Music'
Commins, Verena; Denvir, Síle; Monaghan, Úna; Ní Fhuartháin, Méabh; special issue editors (2021) 'Women and Traditional/Folk Music'. Ethnomusicology Ireland, 7 [Details] |
|
| (2021) | '“The man and his Music”: Gender representation, cultural capital and the Irish traditional music canon'
Commins, Verena (2021) '“The man and his Music”: Gender representation, cultural capital and the Irish traditional music canon'. Ethnomusicology Ireland, :49-60 [ARAN Link] [Details] |
|
| (2019) | 'From Milan to Kilbaha: Bronzing Irish Traditional Music'
Commins, V (2019) 'From Milan to Kilbaha: Bronzing Irish Traditional Music'. Eire-Ireland, 54 :275-296 [Details] |
|
| (2019) | 'From Milan to Kilbaha: Bronzing Irish Traditional Music'
Commins, Verena (2019) 'From Milan to Kilbaha: Bronzing Irish Traditional Music'. Eire-Ireland, 54 :275-296 [Details] |
|
| (2019) | 'Notai/Notes: Music and Ireland'
Commins, V;Fhuarthain, MN (2019) 'Notai/Notes: Music and Ireland'. Eire-Ireland, 54 :10-16 [Details] |
|
| (2019) | 'Notai/Notes: Music and Ireland'
Commins, V,Fhuarthain, MN (2019) 'Notai/Notes: Music and Ireland'. Eire-Ireland, 54 :10-16 [Details] |
|
| (2019) | 'Nótaí/Notes: Music and Ireland: Introduction'
Commins, Verena, Ní Fhuartháin, Méabh; (2019) 'Nótaí/Notes: Music and Ireland: Introduction'. Éire-Ireland, :10-16 [Details] |
|
| (2019) | 'From Milan to Kilbaha: Bronzing Irish Traditional Music'
Commins, Verena (2019) 'From Milan to Kilbaha: Bronzing Irish Traditional Music'. Éire-Ireland, 54 (1-2):275-296 [ARAN Link] [Details] |
Book Chapters
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2022) | 'Ageing Masculinities in Irish traditional music on screen'
Commins, Verena and Méabh Ní Fhuartháin (2022) 'Ageing Masculinities in Irish traditional music on screen' In: Ageing Masculinities in Irish Literature and Visual Culture. London: Routledge. [Details] |
|
| (2015) | 'MUSICAL STATUES: MONUMENTALISING IRISH TRADITIONAL MUSIC'
Commins, V. (2015) 'MUSICAL STATUES: MONUMENTALISING IRISH TRADITIONAL MUSIC' In: Towards 2016: 1916 and Irish Literature, Culture & Society (Irish Studies in Europe, Volume 6). :57-68 Trier, Germany: Wissenschaftlicher Verlag Trier. [ARAN Link] [Details] |
|
| (2023) | ''Top of the Ballard Road: piperland, always piperland, still piperland': Place attachment and learning spaces at the Willie Clancy Summer School'
Commins, Verena (2023) ''Top of the Ballard Road: piperland, always piperland, still piperland': Place attachment and learning spaces at the Willie Clancy Summer School' In: Lifeworlds: Space, Place and Irish Culture (forthcoming). Cork: Cork University Press. [Details] |
|
| (2015) | 'Musical Statues: Monumentalising Irish Traditional Music'
Commins, Verena (2015) 'Musical Statues: Monumentalising Irish Traditional Music' In: Towards 2016: Old and New Irelands. Irish Studies in Europe Series: EFACIS. [Details] |
|
| (2013) | 'Locating the Centre: Irish Traditional Music and Re-Traditionalisation at the Willie Clancy Summer School'
Commins, Verena (2013) 'Locating the Centre: Irish Traditional Music and Re-Traditionalisation at the Willie Clancy Summer School' In: Ordinary Irish Life: Music, Sport and Culture. Dublin: Irish Academic Press. [ARAN Link] [Details] |
Conference Publications
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2015) | TOWARDS 2016: 1916 AND IRISH LITERATURE, CULTURE & SOCIETY
Commins, V (2015) MUSICAL STATUES: MONUMENTALISING IRISH TRADITIONAL MUSIC TOWARDS 2016: 1916 AND IRISH LITERATURE, CULTURE & SOCIETY , pp.57-68 [Details] |
Published Reports
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2018) | Economic and Social Impact Assessment: West of Ireland Creative Sector.
Collins, P., Murtagh, A., Breen, B., Commins, V. (2018) Economic and Social Impact Assessment: West of Ireland Creative Sector. Whitaker Institute, National University of Ireland, Galway, Galway. [Details] |
|
| (2018) | Economic and Social Impact Assessment: North East Iceland Creative Sector.
Collins, P., Murtagh, A., Breen, B., Commins, V. (2018) Economic and Social Impact Assessment: North East Iceland Creative Sector. Whitaker Institute, National University of Ireland, Galway, Galway. [Details] |
Conference Contributions
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2021) | ICTM-Ireland/SMI Joint Conference,
Verena Commins and Méabh Ni Fhuartháin (2021) Portraits of Authenticity: Irish Traditional Music and Recent Documentary Film. [Oral Presentation], ICTM-Ireland/SMI Joint Conference, Trinity College Dublin/online , 01-MAY-21. [Details] |
|
| (2015) | ‘A Peculiar Society’? Ireland, 1970s-1990s,
Commins, Verena (2015) “Blurring and erasure”? De-nationalising Irish traditional music practices 1970s-1990s. [Conference Paper], ‘A Peculiar Society’? Ireland, 1970s-1990s, NUI Galway , 24-APR-15 - 25-APR-15. [Details] |
|
| (2015) | Royal Geographical Society Annual International Conference,
Commins, Verena (2015) The construction of a rural reality in Irish traditional music practice. [Conference Paper], Royal Geographical Society Annual International Conference, Exeter University , 01-SEP-15 - 04-SEP-15. [Details] |
|
| (2015) | 'Beyond Ireland: Boundaries, Passages, Transitions',
Commins, Verena (2015) A standstill week”: (re)negotiating the legacy of the past through the liminal spaces of the Willie Clancy Summer School. [Conference Paper], 'Beyond Ireland: Boundaries, Passages, Transitions', University of Palermo , 05-JUN-15 - 06-JUN-15. [Details] |
|
| (2014) | Department of Anglophone Literatures & Cultures Seminar Series,
Commins, Verena , Charles (2014) Music, Meaning and Monuments: Commemorating Irish traditional music. [Invited Lecture], Department of Anglophone Literatures & Cultures Seminar Series, Charles University, Prague , 06-NOV-14 - 06-NOV-14. [Details] |
|
| (2014) | ACIS Latitudes: Irish Studies in an International Context,
Commins, Verena (2014) Is the flat-set responsible for the low-key? The Willie Clancy Summer School guide to a cultural economy. [Conference Paper], ACIS Latitudes: Irish Studies in an International Context, UCD , 11-JUN-14 - 14-JUN-14. [Details] |
|
| (2014) | 8th International Conference on Cultural Gerontology,
Commins, Verena (2014) The ‘Old Maids of Galway’ and the ‘Bashful Bachelor’: Privileging Older Musicians at the Willie Clancy Summer School. [Conference Paper], 8th International Conference on Cultural Gerontology, NUI Galway , 10-APR-14 - 12-APR-14. [Details] |
|
| (2013) | Conference of Irish Geographers,
Commins, Verena (2013) Performing the Local: The Construction of ‘West Clare’ at the Willie Clancy Summer School. [Conference Paper], Conference of Irish Geographers, NUI Galway , 16-MAY-13 - 17-MAY-13. [Details] |
|
| (2013) | EFACIS Towards 2016: Old and New Irelands,
Commins, Verena (2013) Musical Statues: Commemorating Irish Traditional Music. [Conference Paper], EFACIS Towards 2016: Old and New Irelands, NUI Galway , 05-JUN-13 - 08-JUN-13. [Details] |
|
| (2012) | New Directions in Irish Music and Dance Studies. Comhrá Ceoil Symposium,
Commins, Verena (2012) Willie Clancy and “the Darlin’ Girl from Clare”: Developing Relationships of a Culture Economy at the First Irish Traditional Music Summer School. [Conference Paper], New Directions in Irish Music and Dance Studies. Comhrá Ceoil Symposium, NUI Galway , 18-MAY-12 - 18-MAY-12. [Details] |
|
| (2012) | The Speckled Ground: Hybridity in Irish and Galician Cultural Production. Amergin Symposium on Irish Studies,
Commins, Verena (2012) Continuity and Change in Irish Traditional Music: Cultural Transmission at the Willie Clancy Summer School. [Conference Paper], The Speckled Ground: Hybridity in Irish and Galician Cultural Production. Amergin Symposium on Irish Studies, NUI Galway , 30-MAR-12 - 31-MAR-12. [Details] |
|
| (2011) | Higher Seminar in Language and Culture,
Commins, Verena (2011) “Stone Mad for Music”: The Sites and Sounds of Commemoration of Irish Traditional Music. [Invited Lecture], Higher Seminar in Language and Culture, Dalarna, University, Sweden , 18-OCT-11 - 18-OCT-11. [Details] |
|
| (2010) | British Forum for Ethnomusicology Annual Conference,
Commins, Verena (2010) Re-traditionalizing music transmission: Irish traditional music learning encounters at the Willie Clancy Summer School. [Conference Paper], British Forum for Ethnomusicology Annual Conference, St John’s College, Oxford , 08-APR-10 - 11-APR-10. [Details] |
|
| (2010) | “Fins de siècles”: developments in Irish culture, literature and society from the 1890s to the 1990s,
Commins, Verena (2010) “Contentment Is Wealth”: Conceptualising Traditional Irish Music as a Culture Economy. [Other], “Fins de siècles”: developments in Irish culture, literature and society from the 1890s to the 1990s, Leuven, Belgium , 06-SEP-10 - 10-SEP-10. [Details] |
|
| (2021) | ACIS: Heritage, Healing and Home,
Verena Commins and Méabh Ni Fhuartháin (2021) The Rights of Man: Ageing Masculinities, Authenticity and Place in Irish Traditional Music on Screen. [Oral Presentation], ACIS: Heritage, Healing and Home, Derry/online , 18-JUN-21. [Details] |
|
| (2022) | ICTM Ireland,
Verena Commins (2022) Outsiders to the tradition: Irish traditional music muralscapes. [Oral Presentation], ICTM Ireland, Dundalk IT/online , 18-FEB-22. [Details] |
|
| (2022) | As I Roved Out: Traditional Songs, Singers and Collections of Britain, Ireland and Beyond,
Verena Commins (2022) Commemorating Ireland¿s song tradition. [Oral Presentation], As I Roved Out: Traditional Songs, Singers and Collections of Britain, Ireland and Beyond, IWMAD, University of Limerick , 10-JUN-22. [Details] |
|
| (2019) | What is it to dwell?”: Home(s) in Irish Studies, Third Galway Conference of Irish Studies,
Commins, Verena (2019) ‘A woman’s place is in the home: music-making and the domestic space’. [Oral Presentation], What is it to dwell?”: Home(s) in Irish Studies, Third Galway Conference of Irish Studies, NUI Galway , 04-JUN-19. [Details] |
|
| (2019) | Women and Irish traditional/folk music,
Commins, Verena (2019) 'The man and his music': Gender representation and the Irish traditional music cannon. [Conference Organising Committee Chairperson], Women and Irish traditional/folk music, NUI Galway , 09-FEB-19 - 09-FEB-19. [Details] |
|
| (2017) | Vaka Seminar on Folk music Festivals,
Commins, Verena (2017) The Willie Clancy Summer School 1973-2013. [Conference Organising Committee Chairperson], Vaka Seminar on Folk music Festivals, Akureyri, Iceland , 24-MAY-17 - 24-MAY-17. [Details] |
|
| (2015) | Irish Studies Lecture Series,
Commins, Verena (2015) Performing place: Irish traditional music and re-traditionalisation at the Willie Clancy Summer School. [Invited Lecture], Irish Studies Lecture Series, St John Fisher University, NY , 03-NOV-15 - 03-NOV-15. [Details] |
|
| (2016) | 'To trouble the living stream’: 1916-2016, Lectures in the Library,,
Commins, Verena (2016) ‘Ireland over all’, Éamonn Ceannt: A musical rebellion?. [Conference Organising Committee Chairperson], 'To trouble the living stream’: 1916-2016, Lectures in the Library,, Galway City Library , 01-MAR-16 - 01-MAR-16. [Details] |
|
| (2016) | Ceannt Symposium,
Commins, Verena (2016) Éamonn Ceannt, the Irish piper’. [Invited Lecture], Ceannt Symposium, Ballymoe, Co. Galway , 08-MAY-16 - 08-MAY-16. [Details] |
|
| (2016) | The Galway Sessions seminar series,
Commins, Verena (2016) Éamonn Ceannt: A piper rising. [Invited Lecture], The Galway Sessions seminar series, Galway City Museum , 16-JUN-16 - 16-JUN-16. [Details] |
|
| (2016) | Farming and Country Life, 1916,
Verena Commins (2016) 1916: the musical aesthetics of rebellion. [Conference Paper], Farming and Country Life, 1916, Teagasc, Athenry, Co. Galway , 11-JUN-16 - 11-JUN-16. [Details] |
Other Journals
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2016) | 'Éamonn Ceannt: the 'union' piper'
Commins, Verena (2016) 'Éamonn Ceannt: the 'union' piper' Sound Post, 14 (4) :8-9. [Details] |
|
| (2016) | '‘The crustiest and most personally unbiddable of instruments’: Éamonn Ceannt and the pipes'
Commins, Verena (2016) '‘The crustiest and most personally unbiddable of instruments’: Éamonn Ceannt and the pipes' An Píobaire, 12 (2) :19-22. [ARAN Link] [Details] |
|
| (2008) | 'A Journey of Found and Lost’: The Concept of East Galway Regional Style in Irish Traditional Music'
Commins, Verena (2008) 'A Journey of Found and Lost’: The Concept of East Galway Regional Style in Irish Traditional Music' Béascna - Journal of Folklore and Ethnology, . [ARAN Link] [Details] |
Conference Paper
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2008) | Modelling the sustainability of Irish agriculture. Paper presented at the European Association of Agricultural Economists Seminar 'Modelling of Agricultural and Rural Development Policies'.
Dillon, E, Hennessy, T, Hynes, S, Commins, V (2008) Modelling the sustainability of Irish agriculture. Paper presented at the European Association of Agricultural Economists Seminar 'Modelling of Agricultural and Rural Development Policies'. Seville, Spain: Conference Paper [Details] |
|
| (2008) | Assessing the sustainability of Irish agriculture (1996-2005). Paper presented at the Agricultural Economics Society 82nd Annual Conference.
Dillon, E, Hennessy, T, Hynes, S, Commins, V (2008) Assessing the sustainability of Irish agriculture (1996-2005). Paper presented at the Agricultural Economics Society 82nd Annual Conference. Circencester, England: Conference Paper [Details] |
Encyclopedia Entry
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2024) | 'Gender and Canon' In: Fintan Vallely (ed.) The Companion to Irish Traditional Music. 3rd ed.
Commins, Verena (2024) 'Gender and Canon' In: Fintan Vallely (ed.) The Companion to Irish Traditional Music. 3rd ed. Encyclopedia Entry [Details] |
|
| (2024) | 'Commemoration' In: Fintan Vallely (ed.) The Companion to Irish Traditional Music. 3rd ed.
Verena Commins (2024) 'Commemoration' In: Fintan Vallely (ed.) The Companion to Irish Traditional Music. 3rd ed. Encyclopedia Entry [Details] |
|
| (2011) | Various articles. The Companion to Irish Traditional Music.
Commins, Verena (2011) Various articles. The Companion to Irish Traditional Music. Cork: Cork University Press Encyclopedia Entry [Details] |
|
| (2003) | Various articles. The Encyclopaedia of Ireland.
Commins, Verena (2003) Various articles. The Encyclopaedia of Ireland. Dublin: Gill & Macmillan Encyclopedia Entry [Details] |
|
| (1999) | Various articles. The Companion to Irish Traditional Music.
Commins, Verena (1999) Various articles. The Companion to Irish Traditional Music. Cork: Cork University Press Encyclopedia Entry [Details] |
Invited Lectures
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2015) | Irish traditional music and diasporic exchange: re-sounding the influence of the diaspora in Ireland.
Commins, Verena (2015) Irish traditional music and diasporic exchange: re-sounding the influence of the diaspora in Ireland. St John Fisher University, Rochester, NY Invited Lectures [Details] |
|
| (2020) | Piping on the plinth.
Commins, Verena (2020) Piping on the plinth. NPU Notes and Narratives Invited Lectures [Details] |
Reviews
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2024) | Kneecap's Pushback Against Power.
Commins, Verena (2024) Kneecap's Pushback Against Power. Journal of Music Reviews [Details] |
|
| (2024) | Dhá Leagan Déag: Léargais Nua ar an Sean-nós.
Commins, Verena (2024) Dhá Leagan Déag: Léargais Nua ar an Sean-nós. Folk Life Reviews [Details] |
|
| (2023) | A Landmark Recording in Irish Piping.
Commins, Verena (2023) A Landmark Recording in Irish Piping. Journal of Music Reviews [Details] |
