Megan Reads Things

My name is Megan and I am a lifelong historian. I have a bachelor's degree from Baylor University in Waco, Texas in Journalism - Public Relations and History. My undergraduate interest was mainly Plantagenet and Tudor England, but years of post-undergrad personal reading steered me toward Ireland and in 2022 I began my master's at the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas. Prior to that I worked in corporate and non-profit communications until taking a long maternity leave to have my four children. Our family lives outside of Portland, Oregon and I attend classes remotely.

 

I initially returned to school as a passion project and to re-connect with my Irish heritage. However, after a year of classes I am hoping to stay in academia and am currently researching more post-graduate degree options. At the UST William J. Flynn Center for Irish Studies and Department of History I attend classes in Irish Law, History, and Literature as well as Western Intellectual History. My geographical and field interests are still varied, but current research projects include a study on a supposed "Golden Age" of Gaelic women in sixteenth century Ireland, Motherhood and the Great Hunger, Women and the Northern Ireland Peace Process, and Irish Catholic mourning and burial rituals post-immigration.  

 

I am a hobby distance runner and enjoy running races in Oregon and Washington. I love being involved in my children's schools and activities and gently nudging them toward my childhood collection of historical fiction and nonfiction books. My husband a patent attorney and is an excellent support (as well as a stellar academic paper editor).  I also knit, sew, and needlepoint as a way to connect to my Irish and English grandmother and great grandmothers.

 

Thank you for your interest in my work! Go raibh maith agat, slán!