An ‘Ulster Irish’ Rabbie Burns?: A Cultural Biography of Robert Huddleston (1814-87), ‘The Bard of Moneyrea’, County Down

Summary

The Centre for Irish and Scottish Studies, Ulster University, in partnership with National Museums NI, invites applications from suitably qualified applicants for Collaborative Doctoral Partnership (CDP) studentship, funded by the UK Arts and Humanities Research Council, to conduct research leading to a PhD on the theme: An ‘Ulster Irish’ Rabbie Burns?: A Cultural Biography of Robert Huddleston (1814-87), ‘The Bard of Moneyrea’, County Down.

This project will be jointly supervised by lead supervisors Dr Frank Ferguson (Ulster University)  and Dr Dónal McAnallen (Library and Archives Manager, National Museums NI) and second supervisors Alistair Gordon (Librarian, National Museums NI) and Dr Jennifer Orr (Newcastle University). The successful candidate will be expected to spend time at both Ulster University and National Museums NI HQ (Cultra, Northern Ireland), and be part of a wider cohort of CDP funded students across the UK.

The studentship can be studied either full time (4 years) or part time (7 years) and is open to home and international applicants.

We encourage the widest range of potential students to study for this CDP studentship and are committed to welcoming students from different backgrounds to apply. We encourage applicants from all backgrounds to apply, even if you are not certain that you meet every criterion. We are keen to hear from individuals with varied expertise who can bring unique perspectives to the studentships. Experiences beyond academia, including other experience in a professional setting are also highly valued, this includes diverse lived experiences and those with an understanding of diverse research practices, outputs, impacts and engagement practice.

Project overview

This project examines the life and career of Robert Huddleston (1814-87), the self-titled 'Bard of Moneyrea'. Through an exploration of his extensive yet underappreciated literary work, the study sheds light on the profound political, social and cultural changes of rural Ulster over the course of the nineteenth century. Huddleston's poetry, songs and correspondence are written in English essentially, with a rich sprinkling of local dialect, which he called 'Ulster Irish' but is now generally considered within the 'Ulster Scots' bracket and in line with the 'rhyming weavers' poetic tradition. Comparisons with the more famed Robert Burns were and remain inevitable, though Huddleston professed to resent such commentary. An enigmatic figure, Huddleston was a non-subscribing Presbyterian and supporter of several Irish nationalist causes. His writings provide fascinating insights into contemporary political and religious debates within Ulster Protestantism in the decades after the United Irishmen's rebellion. They also offer valuable perspectives on diverse topics such as the advent of the national school system in the 1830s, the communications revolution created by the penny post, effects of the Great Irish Famine, emigration (as addressed in his many letters to America), and shifting attitudes to blood-sports. Despite limited previous scholarship, this project will be the first comprehensive and scholarly examination of Huddleston’s life and works. His extensive collection of manuscripts, housed in the National Museums NI’s Library and Archives at Cultra, offers rich primary material for this ground-breaking historical study, emphasizing Huddleston’s cultural impact and the importance of his literary contributions.

The key research questions of the project are as follows:

1. How did Huddleston position himself within the Ulster-Scots, Irish and British labouring-class, and ‘rhyming weaver’ traditions?
2. In what ways does Huddleston's linguistic usage contribute to our understanding of the use of Scots and Hiberno-English within 19th-century Irish writing?
3. How does Huddleston represent his sense of place, religious, and class identity through his writing on rural and urban settings, the individual and the community, and through celebratory and satirical verse?
4. What does Huddleston’s verse reveal about the ‘liberal’ tradition within Presbyterianism in the Victorian era, particularly in relation to religious and moral matters, land issues, economic and industrial concerns, constitutional questions, and the natural environment?

Application procedure

Application Requirements:

• Applicants will be required to upload a Personal Statement outlining the applicant’s academic qualifications and/or relevant professional experience and expertise (max 300 words) along with a statement on the motivation to pursue this Collaborative Doctoral Partnership (max 500 words)
• Applicants should submit research proposal (max 750 words) detailing the provisional outline of a research topic within the thematic parameters given above. The outline should set out indicative aims and objectives, relevant literature, research questions, and proposed methods, showing how you will develop an original PhD project based around the theme described above.

Research with National Museums NI

This research studentship is allocated to Ulster University by the AHRC to support the work of National Museums NI. Given the site-specific nature of the PhD, the successful candidate will be expected to spend a significant proportion of their time carrying out research and gaining relevant experience at the Library and Archives at National Museums NI as part of the studentship.

• Applicants should ideally have or expect to receive a relevant Masters-level qualification in a relevant subject such as literature, linguistics or history, or be able to demonstrate equivalent experience in the cultural sector e.g. libraries and archives.
• Applicants must be able to demonstrate an interest in the GLAM sector and potential and enthusiasm for developing skills more widely in related areas.

NB. All applicants must meet UKRI terms and conditions for funding.

Informal enquiries

To submit questions about the project and funding, contact the National Museums NI team.

Essential criteria

Applicants should hold, or expect to obtain, a First or Upper Second Class Honours Degree in a subject relevant to the proposed area of study.

We may also consider applications from those who hold equivalent qualifications, for example, a Lower Second Class Honours Degree plus a Master’s Degree with Distinction.

In exceptional circumstances, the University may consider a portfolio of evidence from applicants who have appropriate professional experience which is equivalent to the learning outcomes of an Honours degree in lieu of academic qualifications.

Equal Opportunities

The University is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applicants from all sections of the community, particularly from those with disabilities.

Appointment will be made on merit.

Funding and eligibility

This project is funded by:

• AHRC Collaborative Doctoral Partnership (CDP) studentship with National Museums NI

The award pays tuition fees up to the value of the full-time home UKRI rate for PhD degrees. Research Councils UK Indicative Fee Level for 2025/2026 is £5,006.

The award pays full maintenance for both home and international applicants, with the UKRI National Minimum Doctoral Stipend for 2025/2026 being £20,780, plus a CDP maintenance payment of £600/year.

The student is eligible to receive an additional travel and related expenses grant during the course of the project courtesy of National Museums NI worth up to £2,000 per year for 4 years (pro-rated for part-time students).

The successful candidate will be eligible to participate in events organised for all Collaborative Doctoral Partnership students who are registered with different universities and studying with cultural and heritage organisations across the UK.

Eligibility

• This studentship is open to home and international applicants.
• To be classed as a home student, candidates must meet the following criteria:
• Be a UK or Irish National (meeting residency requirements), or
• Have settled status, or
• Have pre-settled status (meeting residency requirements), or
• Have indefinite leave to remain or enter, or
• International students are eligible to receive the full award for maintenance as are home students. A successful international student will be required to pay the difference between what the AHRC provide to the university for tuition and the charge made by the university for tuition fees for international students studying for a doctoral degree. The full annual international tuition fee for 2025/26 at Ulster University is £18,520 for full time international students, and £10,560 for part time international students.
• Further guidance can be found here based on revisions to Training Grant Terms and Conditions for projects starting in October 2025