Law & Government

Biographical Details:

Walt Kilroy is a postdoctoral research fellow at Dublin City University. The fellowship is funded by the Irish Research Council (formerly IRCHSS). His research interests include development, conflict, and post-war reconstruction, and the interactions between these processes. His teaching has included these topics, as well as international media and reporting. His PhD looked at the way in which ex-combatants were dealt with after the wars in Sierra Leone and Liberia in West Africa, through the programmes for Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR). Field work for the thesis involved interviews with a wide range of actors in both countries, from local community representatives to international agency staff. The views of ex-combatants were also gathered through interviews, a survey, and focus group discussions in a variety of locations in Sierra Leone and Liberia. Walt previously worked in the Horn of Africa for the development organisation, Trócaire, on conflict and advocacy (2004-06). This focused on the on the Darfur conflict in Sudan, again involving research in the field. Prior to that, he worked in journalism for print, radio, and television, and was Deputy Foreign Editor at the Irish public service broadcaster, RTE. He reported from conflict zones such as Afghanistan and the Balkans, as well as carrying out the more routine international reporting assignments. He received the National Science and Technology Journalism Award (Television Category) for his reporting on climate change for RTE News. His undergraduate studies were in psychology (UCD), with postgraduate studies in journalism and an MA in International Relations (DCU). Outside of work, his interests include flying gliders, gardening, and choral singing.

Research Interests:

Disarmament Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) of former combatants; conflict resolution; development; peacebuilding; security; participation

Selected Peer Reviewed Journals

• Walt Kilroy. 2011. From conflict to ownership: Participatory approaches to the reintegration of ex-combatants in Sierra Leone. Irish Studies In International Affairs, Vol. 22,, pp127-144.

• Kilroy, Walt, From conflict to ownership: Participatory approaches to the reintegration of ex-combatants in Sierra Leone, European Conference on African Studies, 15-JUN-11 - 18-JUN-11, Uppsala, Sweden
• Kilroy, Walt, Whose reintegration? Local ownership of processes for the demobilization and reintegration of ex-combatants in Liberia, European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR) Graduate Conference, 30-AUG-10 - 01-SEP-10, Dublin City University
• Kilroy, Walt, Whose voice now? Consultation of stakeholders in Sierra Leone¿s programme of Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR), Global Sustainable Development Conference, , 16-OCT-09 - 17-OCT-09, University of Limerick
• Kilroy, Walt, Taking ownership: Can the demobilisation and reintegration of ex-combatants be a participatory process?, Political Studies Association of Ireland annual conference, 09-OCT-09 - 11-OCT-09, Liverpool
• Kilroy, Walt, Owning guns but not the process: Involvement of stakeholders in Sierra Leone¿s programme of Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR), Conflict Research Society annual conference, , 08-SEP-09 - 09-SEP-09, University of Kent, Canterbury
• Kilroy, Walt, Disarming Tactics: Can Programmes for Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) be Implemented in a Participatory Way?, Graduate Seminar in International Affairs, 20-NOV-08 - , Royal Irish Academy, Dublin
• Kilroy, Walt, Does a participatory approach improve programmes for Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR)?, European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR) Second Graduate Conference, 25-AUG-08 - 27-AUG-08, Universitat Autonòma de Barcelona
• Kilroy, Walt, , International Peace Research Association biennial global conference entitled `Building Sustainable Futures - Enacting Peace and Development¿, 15-JUL-08 - 19-JUL-08, University of Leuven, Belgium
• Kilroy, Walt, Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) as a participatory process: involving communities and beneficiaries in post-conflict disarmament programmes , Development's Futures conference , 21-NOV-07 - 22-NOV-07, NUI Galway
• Kilroy, Walt, Competition or Coherence: The Role of Second Track Diplomacy in Conflict Resolution, Graduate Research Seminar in International Relations, 13-NOV-03 - , Royal Irish Academy, Dublin