About
My field of research is comparative politics, with a special focus on Irish and West European politics. I am interested in how radical political movements interact with the institutions of liberal democratic states. My PhD thesis explored the influence of the libertarian movement on mainstream right-wing party policy change within Europe. I have also researched the Antifa’s role in combating the electoral ambitions of the extreme right.
My current Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) postdoctoral research examines Sinn Féin’s evolution into a party that is electorally competitive both sides of the Irish border since the Great Recession. The project is titled, ‘From Outsiders to the Mainstream: A comparative evaluation of Sinn Féin as an all-island party since the Great Recession’. It compares Sinn Féin’s operations in the North to the South and contrasts its unusual all-island position (i.e., one party, two jurisdictions) to other anti-systemic European parties of the left. In addition to this main research agenda, I research and publish on the radical left, agenda setting, youth unemployment policy, and the ‘revolving door’ in European politics.