Mary Immaculate Research Repository
https://dspace.mic.ul.ie:443/xmlui
The MIRR digital repository system captures, stores, indexes, preserves, and distributes digital research material.2024-03-29T13:10:17ZThe death of Patrick Sarsfield and the search for the remains of the Earl of Lucan
https://dspace.mic.ul.ie/handle/10395/3312
The death of Patrick Sarsfield and the search for the remains of the Earl of Lucan
In 1668, James, the younger brother of King Charles II of England, secretly converted to Catholicism. When Charles II died without legitimate children in 1685, James became King of England and Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII.1 His Catholic faith as well as his taste for absolutism (perhaps inspired by his cousin Louis XIV) led James II increasingly to oppose the Parliament in London, so much so that in 1688 he was removed from power and forced to flee to France, leaving his Protestant son-in-law, William of Orange, to take the throne as William III. With the help of Louis XIV, James II tried to regain his throne, starting with Ireland. In 1689, he landed at Kinsale and assembled an army, one of whose officers was a certain Patrick Sarsfield.2 The following year, in 1690, James II suffered a heavy defeat against William III at the Battle of the Boyne, north of Dublin. He returned to France, leaving behind his army, which eventually retreated to the city of Limerick in the west of Ireland. It was at this point that Patrick Sarsfield truly became a legendary figure. Knowing William III’s plan to lay siege to Limerick, the Franco-Irish officers thought the city undefendable and had chosen to withdraw to Galway, further north. Sarsfield instead, aided by the Marquis de Boisseleau, a French officer, marshalled the defence of the city and, in the course of an intrepid night attack on horseback, succeeded in destroying William of Orange’s munitions train in the townland of Ballyneety, some ten kilometres to the south-east. As a result of this exploit (which became known as Sarsfield’s Ride) and of the heroic defence of Limerick mounted by de Boisseleau and the Jacobite army, with the support of the galvanised citizens, William III and his army were forced to lift the siege and withdraw. A year later, however, in 1691, William III’s army returned under general Ginkel’s command and this time succeeded in forcing the Jacobite army to surrender following a second siege of Limerick. Sarsfield played a central role in this new episode, however, as he negotiated with Ginkel the terms of the famous Treaty of Limerick, which among other things allowed the Jacobite troops to keep their arms on condition that they quit Ireland. As a result of the Treaty of Limerick, approximately 12,000 Jacobite soldiers and their families went into exile on the continent. Most of these soldiers, later to be dubbed the ‘Wild Geese’, eventually joined the French army, many with the secret hope of one day defeating William III’s forces and returning home. This historical episode is referred to in Ireland as The Flight of the Wild Geese. After overseeing the departure of his soldiers, Patrick Sarsfield himself left Ireland for France on 22 December 1691. Once there, he continued to fight in the service of King James II (who, as a reward for his feats of arms, had made him Earl of Lucan), then Louis XIV, and took part in the many battles of the War of the Grand Alliance. He was made Maréchal de camp in March 1693, and fought bravely at the battle of Neerwinden (also known as the battle of Landen) in July of the same year, a battle that proved to be his last.
2023-01-01T00:00:00ZIntegrating mathematics and science in secondary classrooms
https://dspace.mic.ul.ie/handle/10395/3310
Integrating mathematics and science in secondary classrooms
This theoretical paper discusses the value of integrating mathematics and science in the secondary classroom, understanding gained from previous studies in this field, and the means by which lessons of this nature can be effectively designed. Attempts to integrate mathematics and science in the classroom often encounter barriers such as the rigid nature of the school timetable, deficiencies in teacher knowledge of their non-specialist subject, and lack of instructional materials, amongst other issues. A model for integrating mathematics and science in the secondary classroom is presented here which aims to account for these barriers. It is argued that this model will also provide opportunities for students to retrieve previously learned material and explore key concepts from both disciplines in tandem, thereby strengthening retention and understanding. Application of this model should also allow for the development of students’ problem-solving skills and the facilitation of meaningful applications of mathematics to other disciplines.
2018-06-01T00:00:00ZA conceptual framework for integrating mathematics and science in the secondary classroom
https://dspace.mic.ul.ie/handle/10395/3309
A conceptual framework for integrating mathematics and science in the secondary classroom
This article presents a theoretical model for integrating mathematics and science in the secondary classroom. This model, Authentic Integration of Mathematics and Science (AIMS), promotes engagement with rich tasks which combine topics from mathematics and science to enable enhanced learning through structured inquiry, dialogue, and application of knowledge and skills from both subjects to relatable tasks. It is argued that this model will provide opportunities for students to retrieve previously learned material and explore key concepts from both disciplines in tandem, thereby strengthening retention and understanding. Application of this model should also support the enhancement of students’ problem-solving skills and the facilitation of meaningful applications of mathematics to other disciplines in a sustainable manner. Attempts to integrate mathematics and science in the classroom are widely recommended but often encounter barriers such as deficiencies in teacher knowledge of their non-specialist subject, the inflexible nature of school timetables, and a dearth of instructional materials, amongst other issues. Lesson study is proposed as an effective means for operationalising the AIMS model and providing a framework which accounts for these barriers and allows for consistent implementation in tandem with single-subject instruction.
2021-06-14T00:00:00ZThe role of expectancy-value theory in upper secondary level students’ decisions to avoid the study of advanced mathematics
https://dspace.mic.ul.ie/handle/10395/3308
The role of expectancy-value theory in upper secondary level students’ decisions to avoid the study of advanced mathematics
Widening and increasing participation in advanced mathematics studies at upper secondary level (age 16-18) is a significant challenge for most education systems. Policy makers in Ireland have attempted to address this challenge over the past decade by introducing an incentive to encourage students to study advanced mathematics. This study examines the reasons why students, who would appear to have sufficient prior achievement to enable them to engage in advanced mathematics studies at Upper Secondary Level, opted not to do so even with the presence of this incentive. Responses to questionnaires completed by 183 students in 10 secondary schools across Ireland were analysed. This analysis indicated that these students tended to avoid engaging in advanced mathematics study at upper secondary level for a range of reasons. Most cited the expectation that they would struggle or had struggled too much with advanced mathematics. Other commonly cited reasons included the amount of time and effort required to engage effectively in the study of advanced mathematics and the impact this would have on time available to study other subjects.
2023-04-25T00:00:00Z