DCU academics analyse Election 2014

Today, almost 2000 candidates will contest some 949 local authority seats, 41 candidates will battle it out for 11 seats in the European Parliament and 19 candidates will contest by-elections in Dublin West and Longford/Westmeath.  And academics from DCU’s School of Law & Government and School of Communications will be out in force this weekend to give their expert opinion on the election results. 

With counts expected to continue throughout the weekend, Professor Gary Murphy, Head of the School of Law & Government, Dr Eoin O’Malley, Senior Lecturer in Political Science and Dr Jane Suiter, political scientist at the School of Communications will be on hand to provide incisive and expert analysis on results as they are announced, explaining how they will shape the Irish political landscape.

RTÉ will feature contributions on Saturday, Sunday and Monday from Professor Murphy, and his colleague, Dr Eoin O’Malley, both on television and radio.  Over on Newstalk, Dr Jane Suiter will be providing analysis throughout the day.  The Sunday Business Post and Irish Examiner will publish opinion pieces from Dr O’Malley and Professor Murphy respectively.

Professor Gary Murphy has published extensively on the politics of modern Ireland, appearing before a number of Irish Parliamentary Committees to speak on lobbying regulation, electoral reform and parliamentary inquiries.  In November 2012, he was appointed by the Minister of the Environment to the Local Electoral Area Boundary Committee.

Dr Eoin O’Malley’s research interests lie in Irish politics, cabinet government in Ireland, the Irish party system and media coverage of Irish elections.  As a member of We the Citizens, an Atlantic Philanthropies-sponsored pilot citizens’ assembly, he is also interested in deliberative democracy and public policy.

Dr Jane Suiter conducts research in political communications and campaigns, and deliberative and participative democracy.  Jane is deputy research director of the Irish Constitutional Convention and is currently working on an Irish Research Council project on referendum voting.