Researcher Details |

Neil O'Boyle

Neil O'Boyle is an Associate Professor in the School of Communications and a Research Fellow at DCU’s Anti-Bullying Centre. His research explores the interplay between media, popular culture, and collective identities, with a particular focus on insider-outsider relations, representational practices, and group dynamics. He is the author of several books, including New Vocabularies, Old Ideas: Culture, Irishness, and the Advertising Industry (Peter Lang, 2011), Sport, the Media, and Ireland (Cork University Press, 2020), and Communication Theory for Humans: Communicators in a Mediated World (Palgrave, 2022). His work has also appeared in numerous leading international journals, such as The European Journal of Cultural Studies, The European Journal for Sport and Society, Television and New Media, International Studies in Sociology of Education, Communication Education, Journalism Practice, and Irish Political Studies.

Neil was Co-PI on the ERASMUS+ funded ‘BeFore’ project (Anti-Bullying Education for Sports Coaches) 2022-24, lead researcher on the Irish Research Council funded project ‘Immigration and Social Change in the Republic of Ireland’ in 2008, and Co-PI on the European Commission funded MEDIVA (Media for Diversity and Migrant Integration) project 2011-12. During 2023/24, he co-led the design of the ‘F-air Play’ Workshop on Gender, Media, and Sport, which involved a consortium of partners from across Irish universities, north and south. This initiative was funded by the Olympic Federation of Ireland’s (OFI) Gender Equality Commission and Sport Ireland’s Women in Sport programme.

Neil is a three-time recipient of Research Ireland's Research Ally Award (2022, 2023, and 2024).

Book

	Year	Publication
	2022	O’Boyle, N. (2022) Communication Theory for Humans: Communicators in a Mediated World. [Link] [DOI]
	2020	O'Boyle, N and Free, M. (2020) Sport, the Media and Ireland: Interdisciplinary Perspectives. Cork: Cork University Press.
	2011	O'Boyle N (2011) New Vocabularies, Old Ideas: Culture, Irishness and the Advertising Industry. : Peter Lang.

Book Chapter

	Year	Publication
	2018	O'Boyle, N. (2018) 'The (promotional) value of public-spiritedness: Irish football fans at Euro 2016' In: Handbook on Popular Culture and Tourism. London : Routledge.
	2018	O'Boyle, N. (2018) 'Advertising, Media and Irish Identity: Reflections on the Celtic Tiger Period' In: The Reimagining Ireland Reader: Examining Our Past, Shaping Our Future. Oxford : Peter Lang.
	2015	O'Boyle, N. (2015) ''Politics, Professions and Participation: Immigrants in the Irish Public Sphere'' In: Forthcoming(Eds.). Tolerance and Diversity in Ireland, North and South. : Manchester University Press.
	2011	Fanning, B.; Howard, K.; O'Boyle, N. (2011) 'African and East European immigrants in Irish politics' In: Globalization, Migration And Social Transformation: Ireland In Europe And The World. [Link]
	2011	Fanning B, O'Boyle N, Haase T (2011) ''Immigrant Child Well-being and Cultural Capital' ' In: N. Bushin, M. Darmody and S. Song(Eds.). Ethnic Minority Children and Youth in Ireland. Rotterdam : Sense Publishers.
	2011	Fanning B, O'Boyle N, Howard K (2011) ''African and East European Immigrants in Irish Politics' ' In: Globalization, Migration and Social Transformation: Ireland in Europe and the World. London : Ashgate.
	2008	O'Boyle N (2008) ''Paddy Power and the tenacity of the traditional' ' In: M. Corcoran and P. Share(Eds.). Belongings: Shaping Identity in Modern Ireland (Irish Sociological Chronicles Sixth Edition). Dublin : Institute of Public Administration.

Peer Reviewed Journal

	Year	Publication
	2023	Neil O'Boyle; Aaron Gallagher (2023) 'Sports Organizations and Their Defensive Mediatization Strategies: The Sports Journalist’s Perspective'. Journalism and Media, 4 . [Link] https://doi.org/10.3390/journalmedia4020042
	2023	O'Boyle, N. (2023) 'The events before the event: Paratexts, liveness, and the extended presence of sport events'. MedieKultur, 39 :76-93. [Link] https://doi.org/10.7146/mk.v39i75.138196
	2024	Free, M.; Crosson, S.; Liston, K.; O’Boyle, N. (2024) 'Introduction to special issue—sport, the media and Ireland: intersections of gender, class and geography'. Sport in Society, 27 (6):849-859. [Link] [DOI]
	2021	O'Boyle, N. (2021) 'WhatsAppening Donald: The social uses of Trump memes'. European Journal of Cultural Studies, . [Link] https://doi.org/10.1177%2F13675494211004596
	2015	O'Boyle, N. and Knowlton, S. (2015) 'Coming to Journalism: A Comparative Case Study of Postgraduate Students in Dublin and Amman'. JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATION EDUCATOR, 70 :1-12.
	2020	O'Boyle, N. (2020) 'Place, Peripherality, and Play: Reﬂections on Film Tourism in Ireland'. Journal of Popular Culture, .
	2019	O'Boyle, N. (2019) 'Review of The Hurlers by Paul Rouse'. European Journal for Sport and Society, . [Link]
	2017	O'Boyle, N. and Kearns, C. (2017) 'The Greening of Euro 2016: Fan Footage, Representational Tropes, and the Media Lionization of the Irish in France'. Television and New Media, . [Link]
	2016	O'Boyle, N. and Kearns, C. (2016) 'Sporting shades of green: a comparative analysis of sponsored national mythmaking in Irish rugby and soccer'. Sport in Society, . [Link]
	2016	O'Boyle, N. and Maher, E. (2016) 'Editorial Introduction'. Irish Communications Review, 15 (1). [Link]
	2015	O’Boyle, N. (2015) 'The risks of ‘university speak’: relationship management and identity negotiation by mature students off campus'. International Studies in Sociology of Education, 25 . [Link] [DOI]
	2016	O'Boyle, N.; Fanning, B.; Di Bucchianico, V. (2016) 'Polish Immigrants and the Challenges of Political Incorporation in the Republic of Ireland'. Irish Political Studies, 31 . [Link] [DOI]
	2014	Rogers, Jim; O'Boyle, Neil; Preston, Paschal; Fehr, Franziska (2014) 'The significance of small differences: Cultural diversity and broadcasting in Ireland'. European Journal of Communication, 29 (4). [DOI]
	2014	O'Boyle, N., Rogers, J, Preston, P. and Fehr, F. (2014) ''New Irish in the News''. Irish Communications Review, 14 :1-14.
	2014	O'Boyle, N. (2014) 'Front Row Friendships: Relational Dialectics and Identity Negotiations by Mature Students at University'. Communication Education, 63 . [Link] [DOI]
	2012	O'Boyle, Neil (2012) 'Managing Indeterminacy: Culture, Irishness and the Advertising Industry'. Cultural Sociology, 6 (3). [DOI]
	2013	O’Boyle, N.; Fehr, F.; Preston, P.; Rogers, J. (2013) 'Who needs or delivers diversity training? The views of european journalists'. JOURNALISM PRACTICE, 7 . [Link] [DOI]
	2012	O'Boyle, N. (2012) 'Becoming local: Immigrant candidates in Irish politics'. Observatorio, 6 . [Link]
	2011	Fanning, B.; Haase, T.; O'Boyle, N. (2011) 'Well-being, Cultural Capital and Social Inclusion: Immigrants in the Republic of Ireland'. Journal of International Migration and Integration, 12 . [Link] [DOI]
	2010	Fanning, B.; Howard, K.; O'boyle, N. (2010) 'Immigrant Candidates and Politics in the republic of Ireland: Racialization, Ethnic Nepotism, or Localism?'. Nationalism and Ethnic Politics, 16 . [Link] [DOI]
	2010	Fanning, Bryan; O'Boyle, Neil (2010) 'Immigrants in Irish Politics: African and East European Candidates in the 2009 Local Government Elections'. Irish Political Studies, 25 (3). [DOI]
	2009	O'Boyle N (2009) ''Integration and political participation: Immigrants and the 2009 local elections in Ireland''. 389 :59-70.
	2009	O'Boyle N (2009) ''Knowing what it means to be Irish: Cultural identity and the production of Irish advertising''. 15 :565-584.
	2009	O'Boyle N (2009) ''Analysing an advertising campaign: Towards an integrated cultural-industrial analysis''. 14 .
	2009	O'Boyle N, Fanning B (2009) ''Immigration, integration and risks of social exclusion: The social policy case for disaggregated data in the Republic of Ireland''. Irish Geography, 42 :145-164.
	2006	O'Boyle N (2006) ''Addressing multiculturalism? - Conservatism and conformity; access and authenticity in Irish advertising''. TRANSLOCATIONS: THE IRISH MIGRATION, RACE AND SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION REVIEW, 1 :95-120.
	2006	O'Boyle N (2006) ''Addressing youth and being young: Investigating the 'bias of youth' in Irish advertising' '. YOUTH STUDIES IRELAND, 1 :40-60.

Other Journal

	Year	Publication
	2020	O'Boyle, N. (2020) 'Researching Representational Tropes: Football, Fandom, and Irishness' . [Link]
	2019	O'Boyle, N. (2019) 'Assessment Failure: Lessons for the Reflective Practitioner' 28 .
	2017	O'Boyle, N. (2017) ''Plucky Little People on Tour: Depictions of Irish Football Fans at Euro 2016'' 20 (4) . [Link]
	2015	O'Boyle, N. (2015) 'Decoding Brand Ambassadors and Their Cultural Universes' 3 (4) :1-9. [Link]
	2009	O'Boyle N, Fanning B (2009) ''Immigration, integration and risks of social exclusion: The social policy case for disaggregated data in the Republic of Ireland'' .
	2008	O'Boyle N (2008) ''A short reflection on the researcher and researched'' Summer :3-8.

Other Publication

	Year	Publication
	2024	Free, M.; Crosson, S.; Liston, K.; O’Boyle, N.; Kitching, N. (2024) Introduction to the special issue—sport, the media and Ireland: intersections of gender, class and geography. [Link] [DOI]
	2006	O'Boyle N (2006) Review essay: Culture and Everyday Life by D. Inglis.
	2019	O'Boyle, Neil (2019) The hurlers: the first All-Ireland championship and the making of modern Ireland. [DOI]

Conference Contribution

	Year	Publication
	2024	O'Boyle, N. (2024) IX International Conference in Cultural Studies Cultures, Activisms and Cultural Changes Chris Eubank Jr. – Armband Activist? Sport Events, Social Justice, and ‘Soft’ Athlete Activism University of Aveiro, Portugal, 13/11/2024-15/11/2024.
	2024	O'Boyle, N. et al. (2024) BeFore Project Final Multiplier Event BeFore Anti-Bullying Education for Sports Coaches Multiplier Event Dublin City University, 14/06/2024-14/06/2024.
	2024	O'Boyle, N. (2024) DCU Pride in Teaching & Research Inaugural Event Slurs, Outbursts, and Innuendo: The Role of Language in the Policing of Compulsory Heterosexuality in Male Boxing Dublin City University, 13/06/2024-13/06/2024.
	2024	(2024) School of Communications Autumn Series Public Seminar on ‘Sport and Discrimination’ Seamus Heaney Theatre, DCU, 28/11/2024-28/11/2024.
	2023	Neil O'Boyle (2023) Sport and Discrimination Conference 2023 The love that dare not speak its name. Boxing, homophobia, and euphemistic discrimination Rotterdam, 23/06/2023-23/06/2023.
	2023	O'Boyle, N. and Gallagher, A. (2023) Expert workshop on mediatization research, Institute of Social Communication and Media Studies Defensive Mediatization in Sport Maria Curie-Skłodowska University Lublin, 27/11/2023-27/11/2023.
	2023	O'Boyle, N. (2023) Sport Research Series, Huston School of Film & Digital Media Sport & Exercise Research Group Sport and masculinity University of Galway, 07/11/2023-07/11/2023.
	2021	O'Boyle, N. (2021) HOMER Annual Conference 2021 Film Memories And Tourism Spaces: Ethnographic Reflections On The Quiet Man Maynooth, 24/05/2021-29/05/2021.
	2021	O'Boyle, N. (2021) Worlds of Imagination: Media, place and tourism Filmic Paratexts and Geographical Imaginings: Ireland on Screen Rotterdam, 07/04/2021-09/04/2021.
	2019	O'Boyle, N. (2019) EUPOP 2019 The ‘Special One’ at Manchester United: A Study of Power at the World’s Most Valuable Football Club Mary Immaculate College, University of Limerick, 16/07/2019-18/07/2019.
	2018	O'Boyle, N. and Kearns, C. (2018) Changing the rules of the game? An interdisciplinary symposium Football, Fanbassadors and Tropes about Irishness: The Boys in Green at Euro 2016 Loughborough, 16/05/2018-18/05/2018.
	2019	O'Boyle, N. (2019) IAMCR 2019 Madrid Mourinho at Manchester: An Anatomy of Power (Or the Lack Thereof) Madrid, 08/07/2019-12/07/2019.
	2018	O'Boyle, N. (2018) DCU Teaching and Learning Day Assessing Assessment: What Student Feedback Tells Us St Patrick's College, 13/09/2018-13/09/2018.
	2017	O'Boyle, N. (2017) Branded Content Research Conference 'Branded content in destination marketing: A case study of Tourism Ireland' University of East London, 07/11/2017-08/11/2017.
	2017	O'Boyle, N. and Kearns, C. (2017) Sport in Society, Imperial College, London Sponsors, Fanbassadors, and the Textual Cartography of Irishness London, 10/07/2017-11/07/2017.
	2017	O'Boyle, N. (2017) Celebrating Positive Ageing: Taste of DCU 'Media, Ageing, and the Mature Learner' Dublin City University, 29/09/2017-.
	2017	O'Boyle, N. (2017) Locating Imagination: Popular Culture, Tourism and Belonging 'Happy little people on tour: Football fandom and tropes about Ireland' Rotterdam, 05/04/2017-07/04/2017.
	2017	O'Boyle, N. and Kearns, C. (2017) Investigating Cultural Expertise Sports Sponsorship as Collective Cultural Expertise Universite de Bourgogne-Franche-Comte, .
	2016	O'Boyle, N. (2016) Advertising Past and Present: Research in the Irish Context Conference Organiser Dublin City University, 22/01/2016-22/01/2016.
	2016	O'Boyle, N. and Kearns, C. (2016) IAMCR Annual Conference Ireland as a multi-directional symbol: A comparative analysis of sponsored national mythmaking in Irish rugby and soccer Leicester, 27/07/2016-31/07/2016.
	2015	O'Boyle, N. (2015) DCU First Age Friendly University Conference Aging Friends and the Age Friendly University DCU, 08/03/2017-.
	2016	O'Boyle, N. (2016) ECREA Advertising Research Fair Advertising Research Report: Ireland Online conference, 22/12/2016-22/12/2016.
	2014	O'Boyle, N. (2014) ECREA 2014 Campus contradictions: A dialectical study of mature students at university Lisbon Portugal, 12/11/2014-15/11/2014.
	2013	O'Boyle, N. (2013) Tolerance and Diversity in Ireland: North and South 'Fit for office: Migrant participation in politics and news media in Ireland' UCD Research Building, 14/02/2013-14/02/2013.
	2012	O'Boyle N. (2012) MEDIVA Final European Workshop 'MEDIVA Findings Ireland' Press Club Brussels, 15/06/2012-15/06/2012.
	2012	O'Boyle N. and Fehr F. (2012) MEDIVA Symposium 'MEDIVA Diversity Training Report Findings and Recommendations' Dublin City University, 02/02/2012-03/02/2012.
	2012	O'Boyle, N (2012) Rethinking Migration 'Creative practices in migration research' Royal Irish Academy, 09/12/2012-09/12/2012.
	2011	O'Boyle N. and Fehr F. (2011) ECREA Diaspora Migration and the Media Conference 'Tackling the diversity deficit in the Irish media sector: training matters?' Maynooth, 02/12/2011-03/12/2011.
	2010	O'Boyle N. (2010) IAMCR Annual Conference 'Locals before citizens: Immigrants in Irish politics' Braga Portugal, 18/07/2010-22/07/2010.
	2008	O'Boyle N. (2008) IMRN Annual Conference 'Counting immigrant readers: New directions in the Joint National Readership Survey' Maynooth Ireland, 19/09/2008-20/09/2008.
	2006	O'Boyle N. (2006) Sociological Association of Ireland Annual Conference 'The 'cultural' component: Dissonance and disavowal in Irish advertising' Sligo IT Ireland, 01/05/2006-03/05/2006.
	2006	O'Boyle N. (2006) IMRN Annual Conference 'A hollow discourse of coexistence: 'Strategic multiculturalism' in Irish advertising' DIT Dublin, 06/06/2006-08/06/2006.
	2006	O'Boyle N. (2006) British Sociological Association Annual Conference 'Consensual creativity and conformist identities in Irish advertising' Harrogate International Centre, UK, 21/04/2006-23/04/2006.

Published Report

	Year	Publication
	2023	O'Boyle, N. et al. (2023) Coaches’ and participants’ experiences of bullying in sports Findings from the Before survey. DCU Anti-Bullying Centre (ABC), .
	2022	O’Boyle, N. et al. (2022) The Time is Now. A call to collaborate on an evidence informed bullying prevention and intervention programme for spo¬rts coaches: A Grey Literature Review Report. DCU Anti-Bullying Centre (ABC), .
	2013	Fanning, O'Boyle and Di Bucchianico (2013) ‘Inclusive Politics for a Diverse Republic'. A report on behalf of Forum Polonia. Forum Polonia, .
	2011	O'Boyle, N., Fehr, F. and Preston, P. (2011) MEDIVA Diversity Training Report. European Universities Institute, .
	2009	Fanning, B, O'Boyle, N. and Shaw, J. (2009) 'New Irish politics: Political parties and immigrants in 2009'. Migration and Citizenship Research Initiative (MCRI), .
	2008	Fanning B, O'Boyle N (2008) 'Immigration and integration: The Irish knowledge gap'. Migration and Citizenship Research Initiative (MRCI), .

Research Paper

	Year	Publication
	2019	O'Boyle, N. (2019) Mourinho at Manchester: a study of power at the world’s most valuable football club. RP [Link]

Online Article

	Year	Publication
	2013	O'Boyle, N. (2013) 'Obstinacy in innovation: The cultural discourse of advertising'. ELEA http://www.trentu.ca/globalpolitics/documents/OBoyle124.pdf

Professional Associations

Association	Function	From / To
DCU Anti-Bullying Centre	Research fellow	01/04/2022 -
European Communication Research and Education Association (ECREA).	Academic member	01/02/2010 -
Sport and Society Research Network	Network member	01/01/2016 -
Branded Content Research Network	Network member	01/06/2016 -
ECREA Advertising TWG	Group member	01/12/2016 -
International Association of Media and Communications Research (IAMCR)	Academic member	01/02/2010 -

Honors and Awards

Date	Title	Awarding Body
01/01/2025	Irish Research Council Research Ally Prize 2024	Irish Research Council
01/11/2023	Irish Research Council Research Ally Prize 2023	Irish Research Council
01/11/2022	Irish Research Council Research Ally Prize 2022	Irish Research Council
01/01/2020	Nominee for President’s Excellence in Teaching Award ten times	DCU
01/06/2023	Best Paper Sport and Discrimination Conference 2023	Sport and Discrimination Conference

Committees

	Committee	Function	From / To
	Quality Promotions Committee		-

Enterprise Engagement

Year	Engagement Type	Client	Description
2023	Consultancy	Olympic Federation of Ireland + Sport Ireland	Neil is one of six Irish academics who led the design of the ‘F-air Play’ Workshop on Gender, Media, and Sport in late 2023. This initiative of the Olympic Federation of Ireland (OFI) Gender Equality Commission, supported by the Sport Ireland Women in Sport programme, will commence rollout in 2024.
2023	Invited talk/presentation	Institute of Social Communication and Media Studies Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin and Wroclaw Academic Centre in partnership with Academia Europaea Wroclaw Knowledge Hub.	Expert workshop on mediatization 27 November 2023. ‘Towards development of mediatization research VII: Mediatization of Sport, Physical Activity and Recreation’.
2023	Invited talk/presentation	University of Galway.	Invited contributor to 'Sport Research Series', Huston School of Film & Digital Media Sport & Exercise Research Group, University of Galway.

Research Interests

Neil welcomes enquiries from students who wish to undertake masters or doctoral work in the following research areas:

- Sport, media, and communication

- The sociology of sport

- Popular and participatory culture

- Communication theory

- The media industries

He is currently supervising the following PhD students:

- Madeline Boughton (‘Re-Imagining Ireland: the birth of a nation brand and the leading role of Irish arts and culture in its ideation and enactment’).
- Aaron Gallagher (‘Teamwork: Examining the working relationships between sporting organisations, athletes and the media in Ireland’).

- Chloe Mullins (‘Pay-Per-View: An Ethnographic Study Exploring Athlete Branding and Media in Combat Sports’).

- Jessica Braganza - co-supervised with Dr Roddy Flynn (‘Media Power and Influencers’).

Modules Coordinated

Term	Title	Subject
2024/25	Applying Communication Theory	MCO1035
2024/25	Sport, Media, and Society	MCO1024
2024/25	Introduction to Communication Studies	MCO1020
2024/25	Analysing Advertising	MAD1032
2024/25	Social Class and the Media	MCO1025
2024/25	Psychology, Media, and Creativity	SBS1000