West Of Ireland Research Articles

Timely diagnosis and disclosure of dementia for patients and their families: exploring the views of GPs

Background Timely diagnosis involves making and sharing a diagnosis at a time and in a way that are most appropriate for the physical, emotional, medical and other needs of the patient and their family. GPs are often the first point of contact for people who are concerned that they may have dementia and, therefore, have an essential role in the timely diagnosis and disclosure of this condition.Aim To explore the views of GPs in relation to the timely diagnosis and disclosure of dementia for patients and their families in primary care.Method This was a small-scale qualitative study in which a survey questionnaire was sent to GPs practising in one health service executive locality in the west of Ireland. A total of ten GPs completed the questionnaire, and descriptive content analysis was used to explore their responses.Findings Enablers of timely diagnosis and disclosure of dementia included: patient and family awareness of dementia; access to diagnostic resources and multidisciplinary assessments; having sufficient time to disclose the diagnosis sensitively; and the availability of community-based, dementia-specific support. Barriers to timely diagnosis and disclosure of dementia included: diagnostic uncertainty; concerns about misdiagnosing patients; and concerns about the stigma associated with dementia and how patients and their families might react to disclosure of such a diagnosis. There was widespread agreement among the GPs that timely diagnosis and disclosure benefit patients and their families, but also some scepticism regarding the efficacy of diagnosis and treatment for dementia (therapeutic nihilism).Conclusion The diagnosis and disclosure of dementia in primary care could be enhanced by improving GPs’ access to resources such as multidisciplinary assessments, memory clinics and community-based support schemes. Primary care and community mental health nurses have an important role in providing expertise to GPs and support to patients and their families.

Bioprospecting and LED-based spectral enhancement of antimicrobial activity of microalgae isolated from the west of Ireland

Antimicrobial screening programmes have shown that microalgae constitute a rich source of secondary metabolites exhibiting antimicrobial activity against human and aquaculture pathogens. In this study, extracts from 80 newly isolated marine and freshwater microalgae strains were tested for antimicrobial activity against 6 pathogens (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus subtilis, Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans). Principal Component Analysis and Hierarchical Clustering analyses (PCA-HC) of 4320 disc diffusion inhibition zones defined three main groups comprising strains with polar fractions inhibiting gram-positive bacteria, strains which exhibited broad spectrum activity and strains with non-polar fractions inhibiting gram-positive bacteria and C. albicans. Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) values were determined for 23 promising strains, which returned an activity threshold ≥15mm inhibition zone diameter by disc diffusion method for at least one pathogen. The relationship between spectral quality and antimicrobial activity was further investigated for 5 promising strains (diatom Stauroneis sp. LACW_24, haptophyte Prymnesium sp. DMGCW_41, and chlorophytes cf. Chlorococcum sp. DMGCW_43, cf. Micractinium sp. LACW_01 and Tetraselmis sp. LACW_06), indicating a significantly higher bioactivity under blue light for the chlorophytes and red light for the diatom Stauroneis sp. LACW_24. Polar fractions from cf. Chlorococcum sp. DMGCW_43 and Stauroneis sp. LACW_24 possessed broad spectrum antibacterial activity with MIC values of 157μg/mL and 875μg/mL against P. aeruginosa, 157μg/mL and 1000μg/mL against E. coli, 438μg/mL and 875μg/mL against B. subtilis and E. faecalis, 110μg/mL and 219μg/mL, against S. aureus, respectively. This screening programme has led to the identification of several strains with promising antimicrobial activity. In addition, the manipulation of LED-based spectral quality to enhance the bioactivity of antimicrobial components within several candidate strains is described for the first time.

The (un)common good: diverging justifications for wilderness making in a modified landscape

ABSTRACTWilderness is most often conceived as comprising large remote areas where evidence of human influence is slight. Little attention has been afforded to the study of wilderness ‘making’ in smaller landscapes that have been heavily modified by human activity. This paper addresses this knowledge deficit by employing the pragmatic sociology of Boltanski and Thévenot to analyse a case study of wilderness making in the west of Ireland. The application of this framework illustrates how contending positions on ‘why’ wilderness making should occur and ‘how’ it should be conducted reflect ethical frameworks rooted in different conceptions of the ‘common good’ presented by the idea of wilderness. The paper demonstrates the difficulties with developing such a new nature-based concept in the absence of conventional (received) ideas of wilderness by revealing how the diverging justifications used suggest incommensurability in the competing notions of wilderness that are formulated and advanced.

Higher risk of vitamin D insufficiency/deficiency for rural than urban dwellers

There are many risk factors for Vitamin D deficiency. This study aimed to compare the Vitamin D status and serum 25(OH)D concentrations of adults living in an urban area to adults living in a rural area in the West of Ireland (latitude 53.27° North). A cross-sectional retrospective analysis of clinical records was performed. Following interrogation of the electronic laboratory information system, individuals who had serum 25(OH)D concentrations measured at Galway University Hospitals between January 2011 and December 2015 were identified. Clinical demographics, setting and date of sampling were recorded. In total, 17,590 patients (urban n = 4,824; rural n = 12,766) were eligible for inclusion. Serum 25(OH)D concentrations were lower among rural compared to urban dwellers irrespective of season (spring p < 0.001, summer p = 0.009, autumn p = 0.002, winter p < 0.001). There was a significant difference in Vitamin D status between urban and rural dwellers in three of the four seasons: spring- deficiency: 16%-v-23%, insufficiency: 39%-v-43%, sufficiency: 45%-v-35% (p < 0.001); autumn- deficiency: 11%-v-10%, insufficiency: 30%-v-35%, sufficiency: 59%-v-56% (p = 0.01); winter- deficiency: 23%-v-25%, insufficiency: 35%-v-42%, sufficiency: 41%-v-33% (p < 0.001). Serum 25(OH)D concentrations were higher and the prevalence of deficiency lower in urban/rural females compared to urban/rural males (p < 0.001). Serum 25(OH)D concentrations increased sequentially from the 18−39 year age group to the 60−69 year age group in both urban (p < 0.001) and rural (p < 0.001) dwellers and then decreased progressively as age increased to ≥90 years. The odds of Vitamin D deficiency increased with age, lower daily sunshine hours, male gender, rural address and season.

Conor McNamara, War and Revolution in the West of Ireland: Galway, 1913-1922

The history, and historiography, of the Irish revolutionary period is inevitably dominated by events in Dublin and Munster. While this is understandable, an overfocus on these two obscures the situation in the other parts of the country. Given that the revolution was driven by an assortment of factors which varied from place to place, regional analysis offers the best way to examine it. Conor McNamara’s book follows the template set by David Fitzpatrick and Marie Coleman and attempts to rebal...

And the winner is ... Galway: a cultural anatomy of a winning designate

ABSTRACT The following is a cultural anatomy of the city of Galway in the west of Ireland. The paper traces the evolution of the cultural profile of the city over the past four decades. It places the city’s recent success regarding international accolades in the context of the creative city script. This work sets out to explore how the city, once famed for its cultural producers, has evolved into a site for cultural consumption; an evolution of a city of culture making to culture taking. Reference is also made to how local government has branded the city as a creative one by targeting cultural designations (such as UNESCO Creative City; European Capital of Culture). The purpose of the paper is to situate Galway’s cultural anatomy in the broader context of neoliberal urbanism, one that takes culture as ancillary amenity to attract tourists and investors. The paper finishes by positing a future path for a sustainable development for the creative/cultural sector and the city more broadly.

Spaces for Public Participation: valuing the cross-border landscape in North West Ireland

Landscape is no respecter of territorial or administrative borders and is a highly pertinent policy-praxis arena within which cross-border cooperation can progress. Although a supportive soft policy space for cooperation on landscape exists on the island of Ireland through the European Landscape Convention (ELC) and the key bilateral spatial planning framework, two interrelated imperatives have not featured substantively on cross-border agendas: engendering active public involvement in landscape management, and harnessing digital technology as a means of enabling such participation. Thus, this paper elaborates upon the findings of #MyValuedPlaces, an online map-based pilot survey aimed at capturing the perceptual values attributed by the public to the places special to them in the cross-border cultural landscape of North West Ireland. Public Participation GIS (PPGIS) offers one accessible method of engaging with the multiple, subjective understandings of landscape, including in the Irish Border region. To this end, the methodology and potential uses of the place-based data generated by the #MyValuedPlaces survey are discussed, including challenges encountered with survey completion. The article concludes with critical reflections on how such ‘soft’ approaches to public participation in the cross-border landscape on the island of Ireland can be mobilised better in future, particularly through embedding them within official public consultation processes.

Traditional sailing boats, embodied knowledge(s) and dwelling in coastal rural communities: The case of the ‘Galway Hooker’ in South West Conamara, Ireland

Abstract In the context of a healthy flourishing within rural studies on embodied knowledges and ‘human-nonhuman-nature’ relations, such a relational focus is of especial significance for coastal places where the relations and knowledges connecting humans with less predictable natural phenomena (tides, weather, rocks, fish) and nonhuman elements, such as sea vessels, served to generate ‘dwelling’. Within wider rural studies there is a need for greater attentiveness to those rural places, traditions and knowledges where the sea rather than land has occupied a more dominant presence in the lives and imaginations of people. This study is based in the coastal and rural region of south west Conamara in the West of Ireland where a distinctive family of boats collectively known as the ‘hooker’ remains a deeply revered part of the region's cultural heritage across generations and continues to be actively used for recreation and leisure. Our qualitative study is based primarily on interviews with thirty-three badoiri (‘boatmen’) across older and younger generations, as well as participant observation and documentary evidence. We attempt to show how the coalescence of the natural, material and cultural dimensions of place was constituted through the hooker as sailing vessel. Despite the decline in its livelihood dimension, we seek to place its community significance and continuity within the distinctive ‘embodied spatialities of being’ that are quite different in places where the sea has played a prominent element in the assembly of life over time. In charting the historically vital role of the hooker and the badoiri embodied knowledge for dwelling in south west Conamara, we show to some extent the distinct ‘rhythmic practices of place’ of coastal communities over much of their history. We argue that we cannot fully appreciate how contemporary places, spaces and the experience of ‘community’ and ‘tradition’ are rendered meaningful unless we understand the nature of such connections and their relational dimensions across time.

Low levels of microplastics recorded from the common periwinkle, Littorina littorea on the west coast of Ireland

Abstract Microplastics (MPs) are an environmental pollutant of increasing concern. However, little research has assessed MP levels in intertidal gastropods. The authors explored MP abundance in the gastropod Littorina littorea from four sites within Galway Bay, West Ireland. To do this, 50 L. littorea were collected from four rocky shores of varying wave exposure, with two sites located in the north of the bay and two in the south. An additional 50 individuals were taken from a commercial exporter, to determine MP levels in L. littorea intended for human consumption. MPs were recovered from 60.4% of the individuals and the average MP level was 2.14 MPs/gram of wet soft body mass. MP levels differed significantly between sites, with the two northern sites having the highest levels. Oceanographic conditions within Galway Bay are likely responsible for the observed variation in MP abundance, with the North Sound of the bay potentially facilitating deposition.

139 Prevalence of Hypernatraemia in the West of Ireland during 2018 Heatwave: A Retrospective Cross-sectional Study

Abstract Background Hypernatraemia is a surrogate marker of morbidity and mortality, particularly in the older person.(1) Met Eireann defines a heatwave as 5 consecutive days &gt;25°C. HSE guidelines outline preventative strategies for community-dwelling adults and inpatients during heatwaves.(2) Our objective was to compare the prevalence of hypernatraemia (Na&gt;145mmol/l), in biochemical samples during the heatwave of 2018 to the same period in 2017 Methods A retrospective cross-sectional study using patient demographics, biochemical data from Laboratory Information System and meteorological data from Met Éireann was performed. A ten-day period from 24thJune to 3rdJuly was assessed in 2017 and 2018. Patients aged &gt;65 with at least one biochemical sample were included. Only the first sample from each patient was included. Predictor variables of age, gender and source of sample were measured. Results Maximum air temperatures were higher in 2018 than 2017 (mean 27 v 16.8°C, p&lt;0.0001). Hypernatraemia had 3.6% prevalence (66/1840 samples) during the heatwave of 2018 in comparison to 1.4% prevalence (23/1593 samples) in 2017. This corresponds to a prevalence ratio of 2.5 in heatwave 2018 compared with 2017. In 2018 hypernatraemic samples: 56%(n=37) were male, mean age was 75 with 71(n=47) General Practitioner(GP) samples,12%(n=8) inpatients and 17%(n=11) from outpatient department(OPD). In 2017 hypernatraemic samples: 30%(n=7) were male, mean age was 75 and 74%(n=17) were GP samples,17%(n=4) were inpatients, 9%(n=2) from OPD. The sources of total samples (regardless of Na level) were 63% GP, 7% inpatients and 30% outpatients. Conclusion Hypernatraemia was 2.5 times more prevalent during the heatwave in 2018 than the previous year in patients aged over 65. Hypernatraemia is more prevalent in GP and inpatients taking into account the usual distribution of samples by source. Current guidelines are either not being adhered to or ineffective, a matter which merits further evaluation.

Pilgrim and path: the emergence of self and world on a walking pilgrimage in Ireland

This article foregrounds the pilgrim, as a relational identity, to explore the co-emergence of self and world through embodied spatial practices. The pilgrim, as a liminal and mobile figure, is aligned with Maurice Merleau-Ponty’s phenomenological concept of the ‘flesh’, which presents subject and object as co-incipient. An auto-ethnographic study of the Croagh Patrick pilgrimage in the west of Ireland combines interview accounts from research participants and my own fieldwork experiences. This journey into the performative and liminal aspects of pilgrimages examines of how pilgrim and path emerge in an intermeshing of body and landscape, the spiritual and material and culture and praxis. In mobilising the figure of the pilgrim, this article contributes to disciplinary discussions concerning phenomenology/post-phenomenology, while highlighting the significance of pilgrimage as a purposeful performance.

Mobilisation of arsenic, selenium and uranium from Carboniferous black shales in west Ireland

The fixation and accumulation of critical elements in the near surface environment is an important factor in understanding elemental cycling through the crust, both for exploration of new resources and environmental management strategies. Carbonaceous black shales are commonly rich in trace elements relative to global crustal averages, many of which have potential environmental impacts depending on their speciation and mobility at surface. This trace element mobility can be investigated by studying the secondary mineralisation (regolith) associated with black shales at surface. In this study, Carboniferous shales on the west coast of Ireland are found to have higher than average shale concentrations of As, Cd, Cu, Co, Mo, Ni, Se, Te and U, similar to the laterally equivalent Bowland Shales, UK. Groundwater penetration and oxidative weathering of these pyritic black shales produces oxide deposits, dominated by goethite and jarosite, which are significantly enriched in As (44–468 ppm), Se (12–184 ppm), U (6–158 ppm) and other trace elements, compared to concentrations in the parent shales. Major elemental abundances vary in composition from 3.5 to 29.4% sulphate, 0.6–9.1% phosphate and 36.6–47.2% iron-oxide. Phosphate substitution within jarosite is observed in these samples, formed under ambient pressure and temperature conditions.The major and trace elements forming these secondary deposits are predominantly sourced from the underlying black shales through mobilisation by groundwater. This discovery is critical for the environmental assessment of black shale lithologies during shale gas exploration and production, where the demonstrated mobility of in situ elemental enrichments may indicate a significant source of produced- and groundwater contamination during and after hydraulic fracturing processes. The proportions of the major oxide phases exhibit a clear control on the trace elemental enrichments within the secondary deposits, where increasing Se and As concentrations correlate with increasing phosphate content of the jarosite mineralisation. This has implications for the remediation of acid mine drainage seeps, where phosphate-rich jarosite phases could be utilised for more efficient trace element removal.

Polish Migrant Community in Ireland: the Use of Irish English Slit-t

In any migratory context individuals are faced with several challenges as a result of having to live in a different geographical location, function in a different cultural setting and use a different language. The migrants’ use of language plays a crucial role in mediation of their identity, especially in the domain of pronunciation (Kobialka 2016). When non-native users of language adapt their speech to resemble that of the host community, it may suggest their strong identification with the target community (Hammer and Dewaele 2015). This papers focuses on the pronunciation patterns among Polish adult migrants living in the west of Ireland. The aim of the study is to investigate the link between positive attitudes of the migrant community towards Ireland, Irish culture and community, their acculturation strategies and language identity, and the tendency to use one of the most characteristic features of Irish English – slit-t. The theoretical framework includes acculturation theory (Berry 2005), social identity theory (Tajfel and Turner 1987) and language identity (Block 2007). The qualitative and quantitative analysis of data indicates a certain correlation between the use of Irish English slit-t and the participants’ strategies of acculturation, identity and attitudes to the host community.

Inclusion of a specific prompt within the standard clinical pro forma used in assessment of patients referred to a child and adolescent sexual assault treatment service: A suggested safety-net to facilitate detection of other children at risk of child sexual abuse

BackgroundEvaluation of an index case of child abuse necessitates risk assessment of other children who could be vulnerable to abuse from the same perpetrator/s. ObjectiveTo determine the effectiveness of the addition of a prompt to the standard clinical pro forma used for the assessment of new referrals to a child and adolescent sexual assault treatment service in terms of impact upon detection of other at risk children. Participants and SettingAll referrals to a Child and Adolescent Sexual Assault Treatment Service, Galway, West Ireland. MethodsRetrospective chart review of all children assessed between September 2016 and March 2017. Intervention initiated on September 1st, 2017. Prospective chart review of all children assessed between September 2017 and March 2018. Chart reviews established whether potential risk to siblings, and other close child contacts, of the index case had been adequately considered. ResultsComparing pre and post intervention groups, documentation of children at risk significantly increased from 70% to 96% (p = 0.0124). Cases in which a letter was sent to social services regarding other “at risk” children also significantly increased from 50% to 92% (p = 0.0005). There was a change in the percentage of “at risk” children examined or planned for examination, from 66% to 84%, however that was not statistically significant (p = 0.80). ConclusionsIntroduction of a simple prompt within the standard clinical pro forma had a significant positive impact upon clinicians’ consideration of other “at risk” children. We suggest that other services consider including a similar section in their own pro forma documents.

Polish migrant community in Ireland: the use of Irish English slit-t

AbstractIn any migratory context individuals are faced with several challenges as a result of having to live in a different geographical location, function in a different cultural setting and use a different language. The migrants’ use of language plays a crucial role in mediation of their identity, especially in the domain of pronunciation (Kobialka 2016). When non-native users of language adapt their speech to resemble that of the host community, it may suggest their strong identification with the target community (Hammer and Dewaele 2015). This papers focuses on the pronunciation patterns among Polish adult migrants living in the west of Ireland. The aim of the study is to investigate the link between positive attitudes of the migrant community towards Ireland, Irish culture and community, their acculturation strategies and language identity, and the tendency to use one of the most characteristic features of Irish English – slit-t. The theoretical framework includes acculturation theory (Berry 2005), social identity theory (Tajfel and turner 1987) and language identity (Block 2007). The qualitative and quantitative analysis of data indicates a certain correlation between the use of Irish English slit-t and the participants’ strategies of acculturation, identity and attitudes to the host community.

A qualitative comparison of high and low adherers with apparent treatment-resistant hypertension

ABSTRACTPoor adherence is a leading cause of apparent resistance to antihypertensive treatment. Recent empirical research has investigated predictors of adherence for primary care patients who are apparently resistant to treatment; however, questions remain regarding the variability in adherence behaviour among this group. This study aimed to investigate factors that may elucidate medication adherence among patients with apparent treatment-resistant hypertension (aTRH) using qualitative methods. Fourteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with patients undergoing treatment for aTRH in primary care in the West of Ireland. Patients who self-reported both high and low adherence in a previous quantitative study were purposively sampled. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. A public and patient involvement research group were active partners in developing the study protocol and interview topic guide. Three major themes were identified: beliefs about treatment, habits and routine, and health and health systems. High adherers reported favourable beliefs about antihypertensive treatment that had been validated by experience with taking the treatment over time, described strong medication-taking habits and stable routines, and positive relations with their GP. Low adherers expressed less coherence in their beliefs and used less effective strategies to support their medication-taking in daily life. The current findings are consistent with qualitative studies of adherence in other chronic conditions. Results reflect the difficulty for healthcare practitioners in identifying adherent versus non-adherent patients via conversation, and highlight the importance of accurate adherence assessment. Inception studies may provide an opportunity to better understand adherence behaviour across the illness trajectory.

Impact of BCG vaccination on incidence of tuberculosis disease in southern Ireland

BackgroundTuberculosis (TB) is the ninth leading cause of death worldwide and the leading cause from a single infectious agent. Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) is the only licensed vaccine for TB, yet its efficacy remains debated with variations in vaccine sub-strains, policies, and practices observed across the world. Three BCG vaccination policies were implemented across adjoining regions in the South West of Ireland from 1972; neonatal vaccination (vaccinated Region-A), vaccination of children aged 10–12 years (vaccinated Region-B) and no vaccination (unvaccinated Region-C). The aim of this study is to examine the impact of different BCG vaccination policies on incidence of TB disease in the South of Ireland over a 13-year period.MethodsCases of active TB disease from 2003 to 2016 were identified through surveillance data. Residential addresses for each case were geocoded using the Google Maps API. Addresses were linked to 2011 census population data and to Local Health Offices BCG coverage data for study regions A-C. A steady-state population was assumed to calculate the 13-year incidence of TB disease. Using SatScan (v9.4.4), spatial clusters were identified at a small area level with the spatial scan statistic based on the discrete Poisson probability distribution.ResultsOf 621 TB disease cases identified, 510 could be linked to the study area based on the reported addresses. The median age was 42 years (range 4 months - 94 years), 65% male and 66% Irish born. The incidence of TB disease was higher in the unvaccinated population, region-C 132/100,000 (95% CI 116–150) versus vaccinated region-A 56/100,000 (95%CI 45–69) and region-B 44/100,000 (95%CI 29–63). A spatial cluster analysis identified a single high-risk cluster in region -C where the relative risk (vs. the areas outside of the cluster) was 4.94 (95% CI 4.03 to 5.96).ConclusionOur study demonstrates significant regional variation in the incidence of TB in demographically similar populations based on BCG vaccination policy. This observation is particularly noteworthy in a country with low TB disease incidence such as Ireland. These findings strengthen existing data demonstrating efficacy of BCG vaccination for primary prevention of TB disease.

Connemara Marble, Co. Galway, Ireland: a Global Heritage Stone Resource proposal

Abstract Connemara Marble, a well-known distinctive decorative stone from the west of Ireland, is herein proposed as a Global Heritage Stone Resource. Connemara Marble is a sillimanite-grade ophicarbonate, dominated by dolomite and calcite with varying proportions of serpentine, diopside, forsterite, tremolite clinochlore and phlogopite. The marble displays intricate corrugated layers that range in colour from white through sepias to various shades of green. These features impart unique characteristics that set the marble apart from other ornamental stones. Characteristics reflect amphibolite-grade metamorphism of an impure siliceous dolomitic limestone during the Grampian orogeny (475–463 Ma). Olivine, diopside, tremolite along with calcite and dolomite were formed during the peak of metamorphism which was followed by a later pervasive hydrothermal metamorphism that led to the extensive growth of serpentine after olivine and diopside. It has been used since Neolithic times, but has been quarried and fashioned in Connemara since the eighteenth century, and widely utilized in buildings in Ireland and the UK, for cladding, banisters, columns and church fittings. Later in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries it was exported in large quantities to the USA for use in civic and educational buildings. Its many uses as an ornamental stone in the interiors of buildings and in Irish jewellery commands worldwide acclaim.

Practice Guidance for Culturally Sensitive Practice in Working with Children and Families Who Are Asylum Seekers: Learning from an Early Years Study in Ireland

ABSTRACT This article is based on a study of two early years services in the West of Ireland which was attended mostly by asylum seekers. Using a sample of the findings for illustration, we discuss how the study captured an example of culturally sensitive practice that demonstrated an ability to counteract some of the negative effects of being an asylum seeker through the particular philosophy and practice model. Eight specific guidance points for practice are drawn out and considered within the context of the ecological model [Bronfenbrenner, U., & Morris, P. (2006). The bioecological model of human development. In R. M. Lerner, W. Damon, & R. M. S. Lerner (Eds.), Handbook of child Psychology, Vol. 1: Theoretical models of human development. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley]. We argue that a duality of attention to the agency—recognising the importance of the actions of each individual and to structure—recognising the inherent power differences, structural inequality, social injustice and prejudice—is essential. We show the importance of agency and of an ecological framework. We make the case for an approach to “cultural competence” that emphasises the importance of interactions at the micro level. While we are focused in this paper on the early years sector, there is also wider applicability from this specific study to general practice in the field of social care and social work with diverse populations.

Women as Patrons and Benefactors of the Mendicant Friars in Medieval Connacht

This article considers the nature and variety of forms of patronage bestowed by women on friaries in Connacht in the west of Ireland in the high and late medieval period. Two detailed case studies are presented to this end. The first deals with the evidence for Athenry Dominican priory, drawing especially on the priory’s register, a survival of a type rare for medieval Ireland. The second considers Creevelea Franciscan friary, a foundation attributed to a Gaelic-Irish woman. The contrasts between the types of patronage provided by women and men are drawn out as are the differences between Anglo-Irish and Gaelic-Irish women, in terms of their capacity to act as patrons and the forms taken by their beneficence. The motivations of female patrons are considered.