19MAY25 – MÁLAGA.- The University of Málaga Spain-Ireland Awards of the “Aula María Zambrano de Estudios Transatlánticos”, which are part of the Centre of Iberoamerican and Transatlantic Studies FGUMA-UMA (CEIT), has been granted to the essay “The influence of the Spanish Armada on contemporary Spanish-Irish relationships (XX-XXI centuries)”, by researchers Natalia Mateo-Ripoll and Juan José Oña-Fernández.
The Spain-Ireland Awards were created in 2018 thanks to the patronage of José Antonio Sierra-Lumbreras, founder of the Instituto Cultural Español in Dublin. Their aim is to encourage research on the relationships between both countries in any academic field. The jury’s decision, presented last November, corresponds to the 2024 edition.
“The influence of the Spanish Armada on contemporary Spanish-Irish relationships (XX-XXI centuries)”
The authors of the awarded research, Natalia Mateo-Ripoll and Juan José Oña-Fernández, are since 2017 part of the research group “The Winged Salamander”, named after the iconic object recovered at the wreck site of the galleass La Girona and now on display at the Ulster Museum. This group specializes on the cultural legacy of the Spanish Armada, researching on archives, museums and other institutions both in the British Isles and Spain, and also studying the locations connected with this historical event.
As explained by the authors, their research focuses on the concepts “relationships” and “influence”. The first concept deals with the creation and consolidation of ties between Spain and Ireland in different fields and with different private and public institutions; the second term refers to the prevalence of a collective memory and the effects of the voyage of the Spanish Armada.
“The Winged Salamander” Team divided its research into 4 stages: The first one centered on data gathering from Spanish and Irish sources, both public and private. The second stage dedicated itself to registering and evaluating that data; the third stage focused on filtering chronological, onomastic, toponymic and productive references; after that, the last stage was devoted to the qualitative interpretation of the collected information.
The aim of this research was to find out the influence of the sinking of the Spanish Armada upon the contemporary relationship between Ireland and Spain. Its conclusions are that the Armada constitutes a minor but singular reason for the rapprochement and collaboration between Spanish and Irish institutions and associations, as evidenced by the multiple diplomatic, scientific, cultural, patrimonial, touristic, and social events carried out. They are proof that the Armada remains in our collective memory.
(SENT BY José Antonio Sierra)