Dr Robyn Atcheson
Historian
School of History, Anthropology, Philosophy and Politics (HAPP)
Dr Robyn Atcheson is an expert in social history and women¡¯s history in the nineteenth century.
Dr Atcheson is an expert in the social history of Belfast in the nineteenth century. Her research looks at the Belfast workhouse and the legacy of workhouses across Ulster. She is also interested in medical history alongside women’s history across Britain and Ireland. Dr Atcheson is involved in public history projects and is passionate about marginalised histories and presenting history in an innovative and accessible way.
Field
HistoryAreas of Expertise
social history, history of medicine, women¡¯s history, Belfast history, Irish history
Media Experience
Dr Atcheson is a regular contributor to BBC Radio Ulster, appearing on the Afternoon Show and Sunday with Anna Curran, offering features on the Islandmagee witch trials, the Belfast workhouse and profiles of prominent Ulster women. She has also featured on BBC Newsline, U105 radio and RTÉ One to discuss her research on the Belfast workhouse.
Dr Atcheson has been a featured guest on podcasts including ‘Austen After Dark’. She also featured in a film produced for Key Stage 2 about the history of Irish workhouses by CITB NI.
She is a regular contributor to the NI Science Festival and Imagine! Festival of Ideas and Politics.
Notable coverage
- The Conversation, (January 2026)
- Irish News, (November 2025)
- BBC News, (March 2025)
