Coastal Environments in the West of Ireland: Sea, Land, and Spirit

This multi-authored study explores how the natural sciences and the humanities together can understand the connections between the natural environment, the built environment, and the cultural heritage of communities along the west coast of Ireland. Knowledge of the sea and marine life, and what they mean to humanity is dependent on both scientific study and local knowledge, which, in turn, can lead to a greater commitment to sustainability. Until the 1950s, there was little government support for scientific research, nor an interest in helping fisheries beyond near shore catch. Irish fisheries remained small, underfunded, and had difficulty accessing international markets. However, as this book shows, Ireland’s cultural heritage demonstrates a deep appreciation for the coastal environment and a sense of place. This is preserved in the Irish language, in poetry, story and music, and in the ways the Irish lived with an often-wild coastal topography.

John B. Roney, PhD, is a Professor in the Department of History and Co-Director of Sacred Heart University Campus in Dingle, Ireland. His research focuses on French, Genevan, Belgian, Dutch, and Irish history, and the cultural heritage of coastal communities and artisan fishing. His publications include The Inside of History: Jean Henri Merle d’Aubigné and Romantic Historiography (1996), The Identity of Geneva: The Christian Commonwealth, 1564-1864 (1998), and Culture and Customs of the Netherlands (2009).

Mark Beekey, PhD, is Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and Professor in the Department of Biology of Sacred Heart University, USA. His research looks at how to use living shorelines or other green infrastructure to stabilize coastal shorelines while increasing biodiversity and habitat complexity in a comparison of the Eastern United States and Ireland. He has a special interest in the population dynamics of horseshoe crabs in the Long Island Sound with respect to habitat requirements, reproductive behavior, population demographics, and dispersal. His publications include the articles “Conservation Status of the American Horseshoe Crab, (Limulus Polyphemus): A Regional Assessment” (2017) and “The Mismanagement of Limulus polyphemus in Long Island Sound, USA: What Are the Characteristics of a Population in Decline?” (2015).

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