Ailbhe McDaid

Ailbhe McDaid is an Assistant Professor in English Literature at the Department of English Language & Literature, Mary Immaculate College (University of Limerick). Her work spans contemporary poetry, conflict literature, migration studies, and women's writing, with a focus on Irish cultural identity and global intersections.

Education:

• Bachelor's at University College Cork
• Master's at Trinity College Dublin
• PhD at University of Otago

McDaid's research examines biopolitical poetics, intergenerational trauma, and gender dynamics in conflict literature, particularly in Irish revolutionary and post-conflict contexts. Her recent projects include PATHOS (Pathologies of Violence: Inscriptions of Global Conflict in Irish Writing, 1922-present) and studies on linguistic/cultural minorities in Ireland and the UK.

Her 15 most recent publications highlight trends in ecocritical poetry, Irish diaspora narratives, and experimental forms of conflict representation, with keywords spanning political theory, historical memory, and postcolonial aesthetics. She has secured major funding from the Irish Research Council, Science Foundation Ireland, and British Academy.

Scientific Awards:

• IRC-SFI Pathways Fellowship (€590,000)
• British Academy international exchange grant
• Moore Institute Research Fellowship
• Busteed Postdoctoral Fellowship
• International Doctoral Scholarship

McDaid mentors PhD students April Quin and Leah Smith and serves on the International Association for the Study of Irish Literatures (IASIL) council. Her work contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goals related to education and cultural equity.