About the Irish Environmental History Network
The primary goal of the Irish Environmental History Network (IEHN) is the provision of a point of contact for researchers working on areas and themes relevant to Irish environmental history. A related goal of the Network, and the Network website in particular, is to help highlight relevant work ongoing on Irish environmental history to interested parties, researchers working in related disciplines, and the general public.
Our definition of environmental history is extremely broad, and therefore so is the remit of an environmental history network. It encompasses work in any discipline employing any method (e.g. scientific, archaeological, historic, literary) that examines how humanity has studied, perceived, managed and influenced the natural environment, and been influenced in return by the environment, in any period of the past. Under natural environment we include all aspects of the natural world, oceans and landscape.
At a meeting to discuss the establishment of an Irish environmental history network on the 19th of October, 2009, hosted by the Trinity Long Room Hub, the initiative was supported by researchers from institutions across the island and colleagues from Scotland. The Network therefore has the potential to involve significant numbers of individuals in disciplines as diverse as archaeology, botany, zoology, ecology, engineering, the physical sciences, anthropology, sociology, geography, economics, history, architecture, English and Irish literature, art and media studies, amongst others.
The main content of this website are brief profiles of members of the Network. But you will also find news of events of interest to Irish environmental history. If you are interested in becoming a member, please contact Frank Ludlow at ludlowf@tcd.ie. The Network is a Member of the International Consortium for Environmental History Organizations.