Since 2013 Melissa Shiels has been a Heritage Expert on the Heritage in Schools panel. She researches and recreates historic clothing from a 1,000 year period of history – from Vikings to Victorians. Melissa engages in public outreach, by educating children and adults about historic clothing and its social context in schools, libraries, museums, and public events such as Afternoon Teas.
In addition to making historical clothing for herself, she has made items of historical clothing for permanent display in Tipperary County Museum. Melissa has been awarded an Excellence Scholarship from UCC and will be commencing her PhD in History later this year.