Officially ABD

Today I finally got an opportunity to defend my dissertation proposal. Unsurprisingly, I got a lot of good feedback from my advisers, and I have a better idea of how to structure my research and dissertation. The most pertinent suggestion was to limit the number of areas in my analysis. I had planned to hit as many cities in Ireland as possible to get a broad spectrum of evidence. My committee suggested choosing two or three cities in addition to Belfast and Dublin to conduct research. The most logical choices seem to be Cork and Derry based on a number of factors - presence of a local press and archives, recruitment levels during the First World War, and ease of access. Cork itself is interesting, especially in the late 10s and early 20s because it was a hotbed of Republican activity - a fact that may yield some interesting research findings. Now I've got three weeks to figure out my research agenda for my 9 weeks overseas. It is abundantly clear to me at this point, that this trip will be the first of several to Ireland. Although I can't afford to stay abroad for a long period of time, this trip will at least get me familiar with the archives and sources and help me to better plan future research in a more efficient manner.