Dr. Sorcha de Brún's research focuses on masculinities, class and gender in Irish language fiction, film and poetry and on gothic fiction in translation. A literary translator, she has translated the works of numerous English, American and German authors and poets. Her research focuses mainly on narratology, and on the use of literary devices in the development of masculinities, class and gender in fiction. Sorcha was a successful co-applicant and co-researcher on the research project 'Tá Bean in Éirinn:' Violence and Gender against Women and Girls in the Justice System in the early years of the Irish Free State, awarded by the Royal Irish Academy in 2024. She was also a successful co-applicant and researcher on the National Strategy for the Irish Language Based Arts, Straitéis d'Ealaíona Teangabhunaithe valued at €35,000 in August 2019. Sorcha is currently working on her monograph on masculinities in Irish language fiction, to be published by Arlen House in December 2025 and funded by the Royal Irish Academy' Fochoiste na bhFoilseachán. 

My teaching specialisms are in the following areas:

Irish language fiction and autobiography (including masculinities and literary translation): Máirtín Ó Cadhain, Pádraig Ó Cíobháin, Daithí Ó Muirí, Micheál Ó Conghaile, Pádraig Mac Piarais, Liam Ó Flaithearta, Joe Steve Ó Neachtain, Eithne Ní Ghallchobhair, Alan Titley, Peig Sayers, Eibhlín Ní Shúilleabháin, Dracula (in translation), Marita Conlon Mc-Kenna (in translation), Maeve Binchy (in translation). 

Irish language poetry: Caoineadh Airt Uí Laoghaire (19th century), Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill, Michael Davitt, Gearóid Mac Lochlainn, Seámus Barra Ó Súilleabháin, Ciara Ní É., Dairena Ní Chinnéide, Alan Titley (20th and 21st century).

Irish language film (including Literary Adaptations): An Cailín Ciúin, Seacht gCéad Uaireadóir, An Gadaí, An Buille, An tÁdh, Arracht, Foscadh, Joe Éinniú: Song of Granite. 

Irish language radio drama: Aodh Ó Domhnaill, Brian Ó Tiomáin. 

Creative Writing (Final Year Project students): Short story collections. 

Selection of supervised Final Year Projects:  Theme and Technique in Irish language Film: Enabling the Promotion of the Irish Language; The Great Famine as Historical Silence: A Comparative Study of three texts from the 19th Century on the Great Famine: Cín Lae Amhlaoibh, (Amhlaoibh Ó Súilleabháin) Glórtha ón Ghorta: Béaloideas na Gaeilge agus an Gorta Mór (Cathal Poirtéir) and Litreacha as Éirinn (Moritz Harmann, trans. Labhras Ó Finneadha). 5. An evaluation of the concept of double marginality of twentieth century Republican Irishwomen; A Comparative study between Les Mots (Jean-Paul Sartre) and Fiche Blian Ag Fás (Muiris Ó Súileabháin);The Podcast in Irish: The Irish language podcast as a 21st century revival; The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA Trinity College Dublin) in the context of the experience of Irish language speaking senior citizens; Twitter as a barometer of participation in the Irish language; Representation of LGBTQ charachters in English language film: 1919-2019; Portrayal of Anti-intellectualism in Irish language novels An Triail and Súil le Breith; Irish language proverbs and their use in Literature, Politics and Speech;The cultural and musical influence of the Ó Curráin family of Gaoth Dobhair; Female charachters in Máirtín Ó Cadhain's Cré na Cille; Pygmalion (George Bernard Shawe) and Macbeth (Shakespeare): a thematic comparison

Dr. de Brún is an Associate Professor of modern Irish in the University of Limerick. A qualified University and music teacher and an award-winning writer of creative fiction in Irish, she has published widely on Irish language fiction, film and literary translation. Sorcha is an awardee of the John and Pat Hume Scholarship in Maynooth University, the Máirtín Ó Cadhain Short Story Award, the Duais Foras na Gaeilge and numerous Oireachtas awards. She has a BA and MA in Politics (UCD), an MA in Political Philosophy (UCD), an MA in Irish (DCU), a PhD in Irish (UU), an LTCL in Piano (Trinity College London) a DipABRSM in Organ Performance (Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music London) and is an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. She also holds a Diploma in Teaching, Scholarship and Learning at Third Level from the University of Limerick. In 2024 she was longlisted for the Irish Senate (Seanad Éireann) to represent Foras na Gaeilge as Senator. In 2024, she was named as one of the Irish language poets for Introductions series run by Poetry Ireland / Éigse Éireann. She is the Irish language Editor of the online database Literary Encylopedia.  https://www.litencyc.com/editors.php In 2021, she was awarded a Teaching Hero Award by the Union of Students of Ireland and the National Forum for Teaching, Learning and Assessment. She completed her PhD in the University of Ulster in Belfast (Northern Ireland) on masculinities in the fiction of Pádraig Ó Cíobháin, Joe Steve Ó Neachtain and Micheál Ó Conghaile, introducing the term fireannachtaí into the Irish language lexicon. Prior to moving to the University of Limerick, she enjoyed a successful career as an organist, pianist and choral director for English and Irish language choirs, working in a variety of settings, including music schools, churches and festivals. She has recorded extensively on Irish language church music for Raidió na Gaeltachta's Aifreann an Lae programme. She has held lectureships and research supervisor positions in St. Patrick's College, Drumcondra (Dublin City University), the University of Ulster, Hibernia College Dublin and Maynooth University, and has given guest lectures in Trinity College Dublin, University College Dublin and Antioch University Los Angeles. She has extensive experience of teaching Irish to the public service sector, including Enterprise Ireland, the IDA and the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. She has taught Irish in the Kerry and Donegal Gaeltachts, and has worked teaching Irish in France, the United States and Hungary, as well as having worked with all the major Irish language and Gaeltacht organizations in Ireland. She was President for the European Prize for Literature in 2009 and European Prize for Literature Jury member in 2019. Sorcha was the Irish Consultant for the Secretary General of the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltachts, and for An Chomhairle Um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta. In 2017 she developed and wrote the first Irish language course for Special Needs Assistants in Irish language schools which was used subsequently to train SNA's by Gael-Linn/An Chomhairle Um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta. Her thesis on masculinities in Irish language literature, the first study of its kind, resulted in the tern fireannachtaí being introduced in the Irish language terminology database www.tearma.ie Her work on music in Irish language film resulted in the introduction of the word idirmheánúlacht (intermediality) in the terminology database. Her monograph on Masculinities, funded by Fochoise na bhFoilseachán and the Royal Irish Academy will be published by Arlen House in 2025.