Hi, I’m Niamh, and I’m just about to finish my history undergraduate degree at the University of Birmingham, and I’m a co-founder of OVR along with Josh. This September, I will be pursuing a Master’s in Modern British Studies, with a keen focus on gender and social history.
My enthusiasm for history started at a young age. Growing up in London, I was surrounded by grand palaces and museums, so naturally, I spent a large amount of my summer holidays wandering from exhibition to exhibition. My personal favourite, however, was Hampton Court Palace, which sparked my early passion for Tudor history. Reading about the Tudors made me want to find out more, and as a result, I started my love affair with history…
Although I adore all strands of historical study, my personal passion is for history from below and the history of minorities. I really enjoy trying to look at a society from a different point of view and believe that we can learn far more from the bottom than we can from the top. I took this approach in my third year dissertation, which focused on Ireland’s modern history of sexuality by using oral histories and personal experiences (the mark is still being processed though!). As an avid feminist, am particularly engaged with women’s liberation history.
The majority of my essays are gender focused, or involve an examination of related social issues. I provide insight into the topical issues of the daily press involving these themes, throwing a critical eye over their representation in the media.
SOCIAL
Twitter: @niamhcoffey207
Our Velvet Revolution 