Arts - Béaloideas
Our BA degree programme at University College Cork is the gateway to the immense and exciting possibilities of education. We offer a wide variety of subjects across diverse fields – this allows you the flexibility and opportunity to choose your career pathway or postgraduate route.
| Award Name | Degree - Honours Bachelor (Level 8 NFQ) |
|---|---|
| NFQ Classification | Major |
| Awarding Body | National University of Ireland |
| NFQ Level | Level 8 NFQ |
| Award Name | NFQ Classification | Awarding Body | NFQ Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Degree - Honours Bachelor (Level 8 NFQ) | Major | National University of Ireland | Level 8 NFQ |
Duration
3 years, full-time.
Specific Subjects or course requirements
Leaving Certificate Entry Requirements
At least six subjects must be presented. Minimum grade H5 in two subjects and minimum grade O6/H7 in four other subjects. English and Irish are requirements for all programmes unless the applicant is exempt from Irish. Applicants will need to meet the following minimum entry requirements:
English O6/H7
Irish O6/H7
Other Language O6/H7
Béaloideas (Group 5)
Students wishing to select Béaloideas should normally have a minimum grade H4 in Irish in the Leaving Certificate Examination (or equivalent). Lectures are through the medium of Irish.
Students may not take both Béaloideas and Folklore.
Students intending to apply to transfer to the BA (International) and take Chinese Studies or continental languages, at a Single, Major or joint subject in Second Year, should note that they cannot register for Béaloideas in Second Year.
Leaving Certificate Vocational Progamme LCVP
Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme LCVP
Distinction 66 points
Merit 46 points
Pass 28 points
QQI FET Applicants General Information
Careers / Further progression
Roghanna Iarchéime
Cos i dtaca is ea an chéim sa Bhéaloideas a chuirfidh ar chumas an chéimí dul chun cinn agus a thuilleadh taighde agus traenála a dhéanamh sa ngné seo de na daonnachtaí ar leibhéal níos airde. Is é Coláiste na hOllscoile Corcaigh an t-aon choláiste tríú leibhéal in Éirinn a dhéanann speisialtóireacht de bhéaloideas na Gaeilge ar gach aon leibhéal acadúil ón bhfochéim go leibhéal PhD. Cruthaíonn Bealoideas i gCOC deiseanna nua taighde i léann an bhéaloidis, na Gaeilge agus an chultúir dúchais atá eisceachtúil amach is amach.
PME Professional Master of Education
MPhil Béaloideas/Folklore
MPlan Planning & Sustainable Development
PhD Folklore & Ethnology
Further information
September 2026
CK101 Arts: Approximate Available Places 50
Find out about the mature entry requirements at https://www.ucc.ie/en/study/undergrad/entryreqs/matureapplicants/
CK101 Arts: Approximate Available Places Overall 500
Entry 2026
Early online application (discounted): Fee €35 Closing Date: 20 January 2026 at 5pm
Normal online application: Fee €50 Closing Date: 1 February 2026 at 5pm
Late online application - restrictions apply (see page 3 2026 CAO Handbook): Fee: €65 Closing Date: 1 May 2026 at 5pm
Change of Mind - restrictions apply (see page 3 2026 CAO Handbook): Fee: Nil Closing Date: 1 July 2026 at 5pm
Be sure to complete any action well in advance of closing dates. You should avoid making an application close to a closing date. No extensions to closing dates will be allowed and all application fees are non-refundable.
LATE APPLICATIONS
Late Applications are those which are received after 5pm on 1 February 2026. The closing date for late applications is 5pm on 1 May 2026, subject to the restrictions listed on page 3 of the 2026 CAO Handbook. The online facility for late applications opens on the 5 March 2026 at 12:00 noon - a fee of €65 applies.
Restrictions
As a CAO applicant you may experience one or more of the following restrictions based on your course choices, your category of application, or restrictions imposed by the HEIs that you wish to apply to. Please read the section on 'Restrictions' on page 3 of the 2026 CAO Handbook carefully. This section includes information on:
General Restrictions
1. Making a late application
2. Making changes to your course choices
Restricted Courses
3. Applying for a restricted course
Mature Applicants
4. Mature applicants
Supplementary Admissions Routes
5. Applying for DARE and/or HEAR
This programme gives you the space to explore your options. Ultimately you will not only excel in specific subject knowledge you will develop those intellectual, social and management skills essential for today’s working environment.
Our Arts CK101 programme is a full-time three-year honours programme, based at the College of Arts, Celtic Studies & Social Sciences (CACSSS). If you wish to spend a year abroad at one of our partner institutions in Europe and beyond, you can apply to our four-year Arts (International) CK108 programme which is open to language and non-language students.
Subject options on registration: Students choose four subjects from the list below in Year 1, with not more than one subject from any group.
Students continue with 2 of these subjects in Years 2 & 3:
Group 1: Asian Studies, Computer Science***, History, Portuguese
Group 2(a)*: History of Art
Group 2(b)*: European Studies, Folklore, Gaeilge/Irish, Greek and Roman Civilisation, Studies in Psychology****
Group 3: Archaeology, Chinese Studies, German, Latin***, Mathematical Studies, Politics
Group 4: French, Sociology, Studies in Music
Group 5: Béaloideas, Economics, English, Greek***, Religions and Global Diversity
Group 6(a)**: Geography, Italian
Group 6(b)**: Celtic Civilisation, Philosophy, Spanish
*Groups 2(a) and 2(b): Students can combine History of Art with any subject from Group 2(a) in Year 1 only.Students can only study one subject from Groups 2(a) and 2(b) in Years 2 & 3.
**Groups 6(a) and 6(b): From Year 2, students may combine Italian with Spanish, but students may not combine Italian with Celtic Civilisation or Philosophy; or Geography with Celtic Civilisation, Philosophy or Spanish.
***These subjects are available in First Arts and thereafter only as a 10-credit subject in the Single Subject Programme
****This subject is available in Year 1 only
Béaloideas (Group 5)
Students wishing to select Béaloideas should normally have a minimum grade H4 in Irish in the Leaving Certificate Examination (or equivalent). Lectures are through the medium of Irish.
Students may not take both Béaloideas and Folklore.
Students intending to apply to transfer to the BA (International) and take Chinese Studies or continental languages, at a Single, Major or joint subject in Second Year, should note that they cannot register for Béaloideas in Second Year.
‘Folklore of the ancients’ is one of the main sources of knowledge about Ireland according to the Irish ethnographer Sir Sean Céitan (c.1580-c.1644). We have one of the largest archives of folklore in the world. Folklore and the study of the native language played a central role in the formation of culture and identity in Ireland. Folklore and folklore have influenced artists and writers in both Irish and English. Folklore studies study ab initio human life in Ireland. What traditions did people have? What customs did they have? What did they believe? How did they keep warm and food for themselves? This course discusses almost every aspect of human life and livelihood from art to the spade, from this world to the next. Stories, folklore, customs, rituals, festivals, beliefs, superstitions, technology and housing of the people will be presented to you in an interesting, stimulating and understanding way.
Tá ‘béaloideas na sean’ ar cheann de na príomhfhoinsí eolais ar Éirinn dar le rí-eitneagrafaí Éireann Seathrún Céitinn (c.1580-c.1644). Tá ceann de na cartlanna béaloidis is mó ar domhan againn. Bhí ról lárnach ag an mbéaloideas agus ag léann an dúchais i gcruthú an chultúir agus na féiniúlachta in Éirinn. Chuaigh an seanchas agus an béaloideas i bhfeidhm ar ealaíontóirí agus ar scríbhneoirí Gaeilge agus Béarla araon. Déanann léann an bhéaloidis staidéar ab initio ar shaol an duine in Éirinn. Cén seanchas a bhí ag daoine? Cé na nósanna a bhí acu? Cad a chreid siad? Conas a choimeád siad teas agus bia leo féin? Sa chúrsa seo pléitear beagnach gach gné de shaol agus de bheatha an duine ón ealaíon go dtí an rámhainn, ón saol seo go dtí an saol eile. Cuirfear scéalta, seanchas, nósanna, deasghnátha, féiltí, creideamh, piseoga, teicneolaíocht agus tithíocht na muintire i do láthair ar shlí shuimiúil spreagúil thuisceanach.
Sa chéad bhliain déantar suirbhé mór ar an mbéaloideas mar ábhar ann féin agus mar ábhar léinn. Cuirtear scéalta agus seanchas, go háirithe an scéalaíocht thraidisiúnta i láthair. Ina theannta san pléitear nósanna an duine, na féiltí, cúrsaí reiligiúin agus cúrsaí leighis, mar shampla. An triú hábhar a phléitear sa chéad bhliain ná an cultúr ábhartha, an domhan fisiciúil, tithíocht agus teicneolaíocht. Idir scéalta agus seanchas, nósanna agus piseoga, tithíocht agus trealamh cruthaítear pictiúr beo bríomhar de shaol an duine in Éirinn le cúpla céad bliain anuas.
Sa tarna agus sa triú bliain leanann cuid de na hábhair chéanna ar aghaidh arís. Tosnaítear amach i ndáiríre ar mhodhanna speisialta an léinn, ar theoiricí éagsúla agus ar bhríonna na n-ábhar a chur tré chéile níos mó. Bíonn modúil spéisiúla a bhabhtálann ar a chéile ó théarma go téarma. Pléann ceann acu an bhaint a bhí ag an mbéaloideas leis an dtír. Féachfar ar shamplaí éagsúla ó Cambrensis go dtí Craggy Island. Pléann ceann eile le ceisteanna an chultúir ar bhonn feidhmeach praictiúil i saol na Gaeltachta agus na Gaeilge. Déanann ceann eile scrúdú ar chúlra léann an bhéaloidis ón ochtú haois déag go dtí an lá atá inniu ann. Pléitear ‘sean-nós’ nó an t-amhrán agus an amhránaíocht mar ealaín bhéil. Ar na modúil mhóra atá i gcroí an chúrsa déantar anailís agus léamh ar scéalaíocht agus ar sheanchas mar chuid den dioscúrsa dúchais. Cuirtear i láthair na modhanna traidisiúnta sa léann ach ina theannta san ceistítear an seanchas agus fiafraítear conas is ceart é a thuiscint sa lá atá inniu ann. Sa mhodúl bíonn féile, féasta, féilire, creideamh, leigheas, piseoga agus áthas i saol an phobail faoi chaibidil le cabhair na modhanna agus na dteoiricí is déanaí. Bíonn deiseanna leis ag mic léinn tionscadail taighde dá gcuid féin a cheapadh, a dhearadh agus a chur i gcrích ó thosach deireadh.
Year 1 Modules
BD1001 Béaloideas: Scéal, Nós is Ealaín (15 credits)
Dr Clíona O'Carroll
c.ocarroll@ucc.ie
+353 (0)21 490 2599
http://www.ucc.ie/en/bealoideas/
Bláthnaid Begley
b.begley@ucc.ie