Audio Research Centre
About
The Audio Research Centre (ARC) of Mary Immaculate College was established by the Media and Communications Studies Department as a hub for researchers, broadcasters, technologists and creative practitioners in the field of sound.
The college has a long established research centre which focuses on all things sonic: radio, music, soundscapes, sound art, film soundtracks etc.
ARC serves as a platform and resource for academics, postgraduate students and associates from other institutions who are involved in research into the following fields:
- Radio (terrestrial) at community, local, national and international levels; radio audiences; the listening process; radio and identity; radio documentary; radio drama; talk radio; public participation in talk radio; radio and the public sphere; radio and citizen journalism
- Streamed, digital and internet radio broadcasting
- Music of Film and Television; Film Sound- analysis and design; Soundscape–natural, urban and experimental
- Noise–aesthetics and politics
- Acoustic Ecology Soundscapes architecture and design
- Developments in musical consumption, production and mediation; Interactive audio media; Recording, oral history and musical archives
- Sound, music, gaming and other cross-platform applications
- Popular Music–its production, mediation and audiences
Projects
Survey of Irish Language Programming on Radio
Project Leads:
- Dr Rosemary Day, Mary Immaculate College
- Dr John Walsh, National University of Ireland, Galway
Phase One
This discussion paper presents the findings of the first phase of an ongoing study into the use of Irish language on the country’s radio stations, other than those that broadcast exclusively in Irish. Under broadcasting legislation since 1988, all radio broadcasters are obliged to include the Irish language in their programming but no detailed research has been conducted about this issue. The paper presents data on the provision of Irish language programming by 59 radio stations during 2017 and makes a number of policy recommendations.
The second stage of the research began in January 2018 and will comprise updated data about Irish language programming and interviews with station representatives. We thank Conradh na Gaeilge for their support under the Bliain na Gaeilge initiative for the second stage of the project.
Sa phlépháipéar seo, cuirtear torthaí i láthair ón gcéad chéim de thionscadal taighde faoi úsáid na Gaeilge ar stáisiúin raidió na tíre, seachas na stáisiúin a chraolann go hiomlán trí Ghaeilge. Faoi reachtaíocht chraolacháin ó 1988 i leith, tá dualgas ar gach craoltóir raidió an Ghaeilge a chur san áireamh ina gcuid cláracha ach níor deineadh aon taighde cuimsitheach faoi sin fós. Cuireann an páipéar seo sonraí i láthair faoi sholáthar cláracha Gaeilge ar 59 stáisiún le linn 2017 agus déantar roinnt moltaí ó thaobh polasaí.
Cuireadh tús leis an dara céim den taighde in Eanáir 2018 agus cuimseoidh sí eolas nuashonraithe faoi chláracha Gaeilge agus agallaimh le hionadaithe ó na stáisiúin. Gabhaimid buíochas le Conradh na Gaeilge as a dtacaíocht faoi Bhliain na Gaeilge don dara céim den tionscadal.
- Download the full report in English here and a summary in Irish here.
- Download the survey table for the research here.
Echo Locations
Echo Locations is an exhibition curated by Tony Langlois, presenting sounds and images submitted by contributors around the world in 2014. Its purpose is simply to demonstrate how interesting the sounds of everyday life are when time is taken to stop and listen to them.
Download a brochure that describes the locations and introduces the recordists behind the sounds.

- About
- Projects