final cover to print:Layout 1 12/05/2010 15:26 Page 1 ANNUAL REVIEW 08–09 •• ROYAL IRISH ACADEMY ROYAL U VIE N AL E W N R A Y M E 08D A N C N A A E R I H É S H ACADAMH RÍOGA NA I A IR N A L G YA ÍO RO R MH DA 09ACA H RIA ÉIREANN RIA RIA final cover to print:Layout 1 12/05/2010 15:23 Page 2 RIA © 2009 ROYAL IRISH ACADEMY 19 Dawson Street Key Achievements 2008–09........................................................................................2 Dublin 2 President’s Report.......................................................................................4 T: +353 1 676 2570 F: +353 1 676 2346 The quest for safe, secure and sustainable energy—whither Ireland?............................7 www.ria.ie Evaluating humanities research.........................................................10 Senior Vice-President’s Report....................................................12 New Members—Sciences..................................................14 New Members—Humanities and Social Sciences.....................16 New Members—Honorary........................................19 Tribute to Howard Clarke......................................21 Appreciation for Aidan Duggan..............................22 Distinctions conferred on Members.......................23 Bereavements............................................24 Academy Committees and International Relations Report.....................................25 s Policy Report.......................................29 t A Year in View.....................................31 Research Projects n Art and Architecture of Ireland (AAI)........34 Dictionary of Irish Biography (DIB).........36 e Dictionary of Medieval Latin from Celtic Sources (DMLCS)....................38 t Digital Humanities Observatory (DHO). 40 Documents on Irish Foreign Policy (DIFP).....42 n Foclóir na Nua-Ghaeilge (FNG)................44 o Irish Historic Towns Atlas (IHTA)...............46 c New Survey of Clare Island (NSCI)................48 Origins of the Irish Constitution (OIC)..............50 Library Report...............................................51 Publications. 56 Appendices I List of Members .....................................................58 II Council and Executive Committee.......................................61 III Academy Committees........................................................61 IV Academy Staff.....................................................................67 V Summary of Accounts.....................................................................68 ACADEMY PROJECTS FUNDED UNDER PRTLI CYCLE 4, 2008–11: Digital Humanities Observatory St Patrick’s Confessio Hypertext Stack Doegen Records Web Project non pantone version of text:Layout 1 12/05/2010 15:04 Page 2 Key Achievements {} Making 2008–09 the best of third-level science 3 February P OLICY 2009 ROYAL IRISH ACADEMY Seventh Scientific Statement on Climate Change and Health in Ireland Discussion Document • Making the Best of Third-level Science • Key Performance Indicators RIA in the Humanities P UBLICATIONS Treasures of the Royal Irish Academy Library • Our War: Ireland and the Great War (in conjunction with an RTÉ Radio 1 series) • Documents on Irish Foreign Policy, vol. VI • Irish Historic DEVELOPING PERFORMANCE Towns Atlas no.19, Dublin, Part II; no. 20, Tuam • FNG INDICATORS HUMANITIES A report of a meeting convened by the Bibliographical database completed and online • Excavations Royal Irish Academy and the Irish Research Council for the Humanities and Social at Knowth, volume 4 • Darwin, Praeger and the Clare Island Surveys Sciences 12 March 2009 (published to commemorate the centenary of the first Clare Island Survey; accompanied by a Library exhibition) P UBLIC O UTREACH RIA ‘On Global Confusion’, Nobel Laureate, Professor Amartya Sen, Hon. MRIA (Public lecture sponsored by Concern Worldwide, Trinity College Dublin, the Royal Irish Academy and the Irish Times) • ‘My gentle harp: Moore’s ireland Irish melodies, 1808–2008’ (Library exhibition and lecture 2020 series) • ‘Noncommutative Algebra: from Hamilton to our DISCOURSE LECTURE time’, Professor Efim Zelmanov, University of California, Sir George Quigley, MRIA. Royal Irish Academy San Diego (2009 Hamilton lecture) • Public interview 19 Dawson Street, Dublin 2 between Eamon Ryan, TD, Minister for Communications, Thursday 7 May 2009 at 6.00 pm My gentle harp : ADMISSION FREE Moore’s Irish melodies, 1808-2008 Energy and Natural Resources, and Professor Michael To reserve a place, please register E DITED BY S IOBHÁN F ITZPATRICK the number of seats required on our website McElroy of Harvard University • ‘Ireland in 2020 vision’ www.ria.ie/events Sir George Quigley MRIA (Academy discourse) RIA 2 3 non pantone version of text:Layout 1 12/05/2010 15:04 Page 4 Further funding has been transmitted to the universities since N ICHOLAS C ANNY President’s 2000 through SFI (maintained by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment), again on a competitive basis, designed initially to support research activity likely to Report benefit the international industrial sectors (particularly Bio- {} Pharmaceuticals and Information and Communication Technologies) already well represented in Ireland, and to encourage other foreign companies to locate here. The appro- M AINTAINING RESEARCH EXCELLENCE priateness of targeting support towards applied areas in which Irish universities sometimes did not have established research records was more muttered about than debated at the outset, and research was successfully launched in several instances only by attracting senior researchers from abroad. Those SFI-funded researchers who have successfully trans- planted their research to an Irish environment have since everal Members, who considered me exces- capital deficits, since Ireland’s research infrastructure lagged far become part of the university establishment here, and have sively pessimistic when in last year’s behind that in other developed countries. The government also more recently been joined by researchers in engineering, Report I likened the economic difficulty established research councils—models-in-miniature of long- energy and specified areas of mathematics, which also have that Ireland, and the world, was facing to established councils in modern societies—to support and been identified as subjects where research is vital to Ireland’s that of the 1920s, have since acknowl- monitor research activity in all disciplines; and the more gen- economic development. These researchers also have been edged my prescience. It gives me no erously funded SFI (Science Foundation Ireland) was also assured tenure by the universities, and they have been readily pleasure to have been proved right, because imitative of international precedents. welcomed by colleagues because they represent disciplines the only progress that we in Ireland (north that are well embedded in our universities, even if not always and south) appear to have since made towards addressing our Extra state investment in third-level capacity has thus been of the previously up to international research standards. Parallel economic plight is in acknowledging that we are in trouble. ‘catch-up’ variety. Nevertheless, its impact has been transforma- support has been offered by Enterprise Ireland and the IDA, S to encourage the filing of patents and the creation of spin- Mainstream politicians, and their advisors, seem of one mind: tive, and especially so for the seven universities of the Republic that ‘a bloated public sector’ must pay the price for the calamity of Ireland, which previously had been concerned primarily with out companies from these SFI-funded laboratories; and this visited upon us by the actions of some irresponsible bankers teaching, training and examining. To state this is not to belittle is rapidly encouraging university researchers in all disciplines, and speculators in Ireland and internationally. This proposed their achievements, since, despite clearly inadequate resources, including in the humanities and the social sciences, to solution immediately raises the problem of how such retrench- the degrees awarded by Ireland’s universities have always enjoyed consider how their research might advance innovation and ment would impact on the maintenance of research excellence international recognition at the highest levels. Also, even in the enhance employment. The move towards developing an in Ireland, at the moment when the two governments on the darkest days, our universities retained some scholars in a range of applied aspect to university research through SFI has, island identify ‘the knowledge economy’ as the only lifeline to disciplines whose publications ranked with the best internation- therefore, come to be regarded positively by most academics. recovery. ally. The transformation, effected initially through the Higher SFI-funded activity is now a core aspect of each university’s is at present being pursued by the government must be identi- Education Authority’s PRTLI (Programme for Research in mission and has proven vital to the transformation that has fied and implemented by leaders from within the sector itself. The academic sector certainly expanded during the boom years, Third-Level Institutions) initiative of 1998 and subsequent been effected in the entire sector. and to this extent can be seen to have contributed to the years, was therefore built upon existing research strengths. Its The first plank in the government strategy to reduce public- increase in public-service expenditure. However,