Researcher Details |

Mary Phelan

Mary Phelan is Associate Professor in the School of Applied Language and Intercultural Studies (SALIS). She was the chairperson of the Association of Translators and Interpreters Ireland (atii.ie) from October 2013 to October 2025.

Dr Phelan's publications include a co-authored book Ethics in Public Service Interpreting (Routledge 2020), a monograph Irish Speakers, Interpreters and the Courts 1754-1921 (Four Courts Press 2019), a journal article 'Literary Portrayals of Court Interpreters and Irish Speakers in the long Nineteenth Century' in Translation Studies (2020), and a book chapter 'Consuls and other Interpreters in Cork Harbour, Ireland' in Translating in Town: Local Translation Policies during the European 19th Century (Bloomsbury 2020).
Dr Phelan's research is in the field of Translation Studies, particularly historical provision of court interpreters and contemporary provision of interpreters in courts, police stations, hospitals and other settings.

Book

	Year	Publication
	2020	Phelan, Mary; Rudvin, Mette; Skaaden, Hanne; Kermit, Patrick (2020) Ethics in Public Service Interpreting. London: Routledge.
	2019	Phelan, Mary (2019) Irish Speakers, Interpreters and the Courts 1754-1921. Dublin: Four Courts Press and Irish Legal History Society.
	2008	Phelan, Mary (2008) The Interpreter's Resource 口译实践指南. : Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press.
	2001	Phelan, Mary (2001) The Interpreter's Resource. : Multilingual Matters.

Peer Reviewed Journal

	Year	Publication
	2022	Phelan, Mary (2022) 'A Trifling Matter? Names in Irish on carts: the Dublin Castle files'. Studia Hibernica: Volume 46, Issue 1, 48 :104-126. https://doi.org/10.3828/sh.2022.issue-48
	2021	Puthoopparambil, Soorej, Phelan, Mary and MacFarlane, Anne (2021) 'Migrant health and language barriers: Uncovering macro level influences on the implementation of trained interpreters in healthcare settings'. Health Policy - Amsterdam, 125 (5):1-23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthpol.2021.05.018
	2020	Phelan, M. (2020) 'Literary portrayals of court interpreters and Irish speakers in the long nineteenth century'. Translation Studies, 13 . [Link] [DOI]
	2019	Courtney, J.; Phelan, M. (2019) 'Translators’ experiences of occupational stress and job satisfaction'. Translation and Interpreting, 11 . [Link] [DOI]
	2017	Phelan, Mary (2017) 'Analytical assessment of legal translation: a case study using the American Translators Association framework'. JOURNAL OF SPECIALISED TRANSLATION, (27).
	2012	Phelan, M. (2012) 'Medical interpreting and the law in the European union'. European Journal of Health Law, 19 . [Link] [DOI]
	2011	Phelan, Mary (2011) 'Legal Interpreters in the News in Ireland'. 3 :76-105.
	2010	Mary Phelan , Mayte Martin (2010) 'Interpreters and cultural mediators different but complementary roles'. TRANSLOCATIONS: THE IRISH MIGRATION, RACE AND SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION REVIEW, 6 .
	2009	Phelan, Mary (2009) 'Interpreter Provision in Healthcare in Ireland'. Medico-Legal Journal of Ireland, 15 :93-104.
	2022	Phelan, M. (2022) 'A trifling matter? Names in Irish on carts: the Dublin Castle files'. Studia Hibernica, 48 . [Link] [DOI]
	2021	Puthoopparambil, S.J.; Phelan, M.; MacFarlane, A. (2021) 'Migrant health and language barriers: Uncovering macro level influences on the implementation of trained interpreters in healthcare settings'. Health Policy, 125 . [Link] [DOI]

Book Chapter

	Year	Publication
	2020	Phelan, Mary (2020) 'Consuls and other interpreters in Cork Harbour, Ireland' In: Translating in Town Local Translation Policies during the European 19th Century. London : Bloomsbury.
	2019	Phelan, M. (2019) 'Codes of ethics' In: Ethics in Public Service Interpreting. [Link]
	2017	Phelan, M. (2017) 'Interpreter provision, medical training and ethics' In: Interpreting and the Politics of Recognition. [Link]
	2003	Phelan, Mary (2003) 'Traducción e interpretación en los servicios públicos en Irlanda' In: Valero-Garcés, Carmen(Eds.). Traducción e interpretación en los servicios públicos. Contextualización, actualidad y futuro. Granada, Spain : Editorial Comares.

Edited Book

	Year	Publication
	2021	Phelan, Mary (Ed.). (2021) Translation Ireland. Dublin: Irish Translators' and Interpreters' Association, [Link]
	2010	Phelan, Mary and Zimanyi, Krisztina (Ed.). (2010) Translation Ireland Special Edition on Community Interpreting. Ireland: Irish Translators' and Interpreters' Association,

Published Report

	Year	Publication
	2016	Phelan, Mary (2016) Royal Irish Academy: Human Rights and Interpreting: The Irish Legal System. Royal Irish Academy, .
	2007	Phelan, Mary (2007) Advocacy Paper Number 5: Interpreting, Translation and Public Bodies in Ireland: the Need for Policy and Training . National Consultative Committee on Racism and Interculturalism, .

Online Database

	Year	Publication
	2019	Phelan, Mary (2019) Newspaper references to Irish language Court Interpreters 1796-1922. ONDB [Link]
	2019	Phelan, Mary (2019) Database of Irish language interpreters 1754-1921. ONDB [Link]

Other Journal

	Year	Publication
	2017	Phelan, Mary (2017) 'A Matter of Interpretation' :52-55. [Link]
	2017	Phelan, Mary (2017) 'Interpreter Provision at First Antenatal Appointments in Ireland' .
	2014	Phelan, Mary (2014) 'Three centuries on, Ireland none the wiser in interpreter provision' :21-21.
	2010	Phelan, Mary (2010) 'Interpreting in Northern Ireland' 18 :99-107.
	2006	Phelan, Mary (2006) 'Interpreting Services in Ireland: Setting Standards and Establishing Systems' :7-8.
	2006	Phelan, Mary (2006) 'Translation, Localisation and Interpreting Courses in Ireland' Volume 17 :219-224.
	2005	Phelan, Mary (2005) 'Lost in Translation when visiting the GP' Vol 22 No 45 :32-32.
	2005	Phelan, Mary (2005) 'Medical Translations' .
	2005	Phelan, Mary (2005) 'ICGP Guide to Interpretation Services and Cultural Competency is seriously flawed' .
	2001	Phelan, Mary (2001) 'Community Interpreting in Ireland' .
	2001	Phelan, Mary (2001) 'Medical Interpreting in Ireland' :-.

Conference Contribution

	Year	Publication
	2026	Pintado Gutiérrez, L.; Phelan, M.; Bosco Conama, J.; O’Connell, N. (2026) TRANSLATION, ACCESS AND MULTILINGUAL FUTURES: PERSPECTIVES FROM IRELAND, EMT Panel discussion: Access and language rights UCC, 19/05/2026-20/05/2026.
	2025	Ralph Hurley O'Dwyer, Mary Phelan, Lisa Cordos, Ashwin DelmonteSen (2025) Irish Street Medicine Symposium Linguistic Barriers in Healthcare: Risks, Realities, and Reform TCD, 23/05/2025-23/05/2025.
	2025	Anne Cronin and Mary Phelan (2025) Translation Studies Network of Ireland 5 Interpreted GP consultations for people from Ukraine – A case study of Irish policy in action Dublin City University, 08/05/2025-08/05/2025.
	2024	(2024) EULITA conference Legal translators and interpreters in 21st century Ireland Athens, Greece, 19/04/2024-19/04/2024.
	2022	Phelan, Mary (2022) Oslo Met International Translation Day Interpreting and Sustainability Online, 28/09/2022-28/09/2022.
	2022	Phelan, Mary (2022) 8th Annual Irish Criminal Justice Agencies (ICJA) Conference Spoken Language Interpreting: The Need for Regulation Printworks, Dublin Castle, 22/06/2022-22/06/2022.
	2021	Phelan, Mary (2021) AILA World Congress The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and Public Service Interpreting and Translation University of Groningen, Netherlands, 18/01/2021-18/01/2021.
	2021	Phelan, Mary (2021) Together 2021 Ethics and the Translation Industry Online, 24/02/2021-26/02/2021.
	2021	Phelan, Mary (2021) Plus ça change - access to justice for Irish speakers Irish language and the law Online, 30/04/2021-30/04/2021.
	2020	Phelan, Mary (2020) Fiontar & Scoil na Gaeilge Research Seminar Irish Language Court Interpreting in the Nineteenth Century - Who were the interpreters? Zoom, 04/11/2020-04/11/2020.
	2020	Phelan, Mary (2020) Teaching Interpreting Remotely (APTIS) Teaching community interpreting remotely online, 08/06/2020-08/06/2020.
	2019	Phelan, Mary (2019) 8th Community Interpreting Conference Community Translation NUIG, 31/05/2019-31/05/2019.
	2019	Phelan, Mary (2019) Critical Link 9 AI, Community Interpreting and Ethical Issues Tokyo, Japan, 14/06/2019-16/06/2019.
	2019	Phelan, Mary (2019) 15th IPCITI conference Exploring the benefits of a multidsciplinary approach in T&I studies Workshop on Ethics in Public Service Interpreting DCU All Hallows campus, 23/11/2019-23/11/2019.
	2019	Phelan, Mary (2019) DCU School of History and Geography Research Seminar Irish language court interpreting: the role of the grand juries DCU St Pat's Campus, 11/12/2019-11/12/2019.
	2018	Phelan, Mary (2018) Victims' Directive Conference Victims' Right to an Interpreter and to Translation Distillery Building, Dublin, 09/04/2018-09/04/2018.
	2018	Phelan, Mary (2018) Smyth Advisory Committee on Interviewing of Suspects in Garda Custody Interpreter Provision in Garda Stations Department of Justice, Stephen's Green, Dublin 1, 29/05/2018-29/05/2018.
	2018	Phelan, Mary S Puthoopparambil M Roura P Boyle M de Almeida Silva C Gleeson J Grogan M Kenny D Nurse T Quilty A MacFarlane (2018) 7th Community Interpreting Conference HSE Working Group to develop a model for the implementation of trained interpreters in the Irish healthcare system Dublin City University, 15/06/2018-15/06/2018.
	2017	Phelan, Mary (2017) The Right to Legal Assistance in Police Interviews (SUPRALAT) Interpreter Provision at Garda Station Interviews Law Society of Ireland, 22/09/2017-22/09/2017.
	2017	Phelan, Mary (2017) Sixth Community Interpreting Conference No training, no testing, no problem? Trinity College Dublin, 08/06/2017-08/06/2017.
	2017	Phelan, Mary (2017) Diversity in Practice IASW Irish Association of Social Workers - Social Work & Migration special interest group University College Cork, 13/10/2017-13/10/2017.
	2017	Phelan Mary (2017) The Translator made Corporeal conference on the history of translation and interpreting British Library, London, 08/05/2017-08/05/2017.
	2017	Phelan, Mary (2017) Heriot-Watt and University of Edinburgh Research Seminar Research seminar Edinburgh, Scotland, 01/11/2017-01/11/2017.
	2017	Phelan, Mary (2017) Book History Meets Translation: Intersections Language and Power in Nineteenth Century Courts in Ireland NUI Galway, 25/05/2017-26/05/2017.
	2016	Phelan, Mary (2016) Fifth Community Interpreting Conference Impartiality and Irish language court interpreters in the nineteenth century University of Limerick, 20/05/2016-20/05/2016.
	2016	Phelan, Mary (2016) SALIS Research Seminar Codes of Ethics for Public Service Interpreters DCU, .
	2016	Mary Phelan, Mette Rudvin, Hanne Skaaden (2016) Critical Link 8 Ethics and Public Service Interpreting Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, 28/06/2016-01/07/2016.
	2016	Mary Phelan and Lorraine Leeson (2016) District Court Judges Annual Conference Interpreters and Intermediaries in the wake of Directive 2010/64/EU and SI No. 565/2013 Tullow, Co Carlow, 13/05/2016-13/05/2016.
	2015	Phelan, Mary (2015) Research Seminar Historical Research on Court Interpreting in Ireland Queen's University Belfast, 02/02/2015-02/02/2015.
	2015	Phelan, Mary (2015) Word-Bridges Conference Court interpreters for foreign languages in Ireland 1810-1900 NUI Galway, 20/02/2015-20/02/2015.
	2015	Phelan, Mary (2015) Human Rights and Interpreting: the Irish Legal System Legal Interpreter Provision Royal Irish Academy, 30/09/2015-30/09/2015.
	2015	Phelan, Mary (2015) JustiSigns Foreign language interpreters: ethical issues 1800-1922 Trinity College Dublin, 30/09/2015-30/09/2015.
	2014	Phelan, Mary (2014) 4th Community Interpreting Conference Communication at First Bookings in Maternity Hospitals in Ireland Dublin City University, 27/06/2014-27/06/2014.
	2014	Phelan, Mary, Vigier Moreno, Francisco, Valero Garces, Carmen (2014) Qualetra Holistic and Analytical Assessment KU Leuven, Antwerp, 17/10/2014-17/10/2014.
	2011	Phelan, Mary (2011) Third Community Interpreting Conference Legal Interpreters in the News in Ireland 2010-2011 Trinity College Dublin, 11/02/2011-12/02/2011.
	2011	Phelan, Mary (2011) Language, Migration and Diaspora The Translation of an Asylum Questionnaire: A Case Study (peer reviewed conference paper) DIT Kevin Street, 02/12/2011-03/12/2011.
	2011	Phelan, Mary (2011) FIT Committee for Legal Translation and Court Interpreting 10th International Forum on Ethics and Good Practices Will the new EU directive on legal interpreting and translation make a difference? Paris, France, 19/05/2011-21/05/2011.
	2010	Phelan, Mary (2010) Critical Link 6 Are Ethics just for Interpreters? Aston University, Birmingham, 26/07/2010-30/07/2010.
	2010	Phelan, Mary (2010) Second Community Interpreting Conference in Ireland Training for Medical Interpreters NUI Galway, 10/06/2010-11/06/2010.
	2010	Phelan, Mary (2010) Critical Link 6 Multilingualism and the European Union Aston University, Birmingham, 26/07/2010-30/07/2010.
	2010	Phelan, Mary (2010) Starting out as a Translator or Interpreter Getting Started as an Interpreter Irish Translators' and Interpreters' Association, Dublin, 22/05/2010-22/05/2010.

Online Article

	Year	Publication
	2021	Phelan, Mary (2021) Poor interpreting having impact on patients, victims of crime and those seeking asylum. ELEA [Link]

Book Review

	Year	Publication
	2020	Phelan, Mary (2020) Law and Revolution edited by Coleman A. Dennehy. BREV

Other Publication

	Year	Publication
	2025	Cronin, Anne; Phelan, Mary; O'Donnell, Patrick; Markey, Kathleen; Hassan, Ahmed; Myles, Tonya; Kitching, Aileen; Kachurets, Katya; Rapley, Tim; MacFarlane, Anne (2025) Ukrainian refugee interpreters working in bespoke primary care clinics - a case study of Irish policy in action. [DOI]
	2017	Phelan, M. (2017) Analytical assessment of legal translation: A case study using the American Translators Association framework. [Link]
	2015	Mary Phelan (2015) ITIA Submission to the Working Group to report to Government on improvements to the protection process, including Direct Provision and supports to asylum seekers.
	2013	Mary Phelan (2013) Irish Language Court Interpreting 1801-1922. Dublin City University:
	2013	Phelan, Mary (2013) Washbourne, Kelly, Manual of Spanish-English Translation Boston: Prentice Hall, 2009.
	2013	Phelan, Mary (2013) The Courts Service Interpreting Tender.
	2010	Mary Phelan (2010) Submission of the Irish Translators’ and Interpreters’ Association to the Joint Committee on Justice, ITIA Equality, Defence and Women’s Rights concerning the proposed EU directive on the right to interpretation and to translation in criminal proceedings.
	2009	Phelan, Mary (2009) Community Interpreting.
	2009	Mary Phelan (2009) Submission of the Irish Translators’ and Interpreters’ Association to the Irish Pharmaceutical Society.
	2009	Mary Phelan (2009) Submission of the Irish Translators’ and Interpreters’ Association to the End-of-Life Forum Irish Hospice Foundation.
	2009	Phelan, Mary (2009) Community Interpreting (Research and Practice in Applied Linguistics Series). Sandra Hale. Basingstoke & New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2007.
	2009	Mary Phelan (2009) Submission of the Irish Translators’ and Interpreters’ Association to the Law Reform Commission on the Consultation Paper on Expert Evidence.
	2008	Mary Phelan (2008) Irish Translators’ and Interpreters’ Association Submission on the Courts Service Statement of Strategy 2008-2011.
	2008	Mary Phelan (2008) ITIA Bulletin HSE National Intercultural Health Strategy 2007-2012.
	2008	Mary Phelan (2008) ITIA Bulletin Some Thoughts on the Garda Tender Process for Translation and Interpreting.
	2008	Mary Phelan (2008) Submission to Joint Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women’s Rights on the Immigration, Residence and Protection Bill 2008 .
	2007	Mary Phelan (2007) ITIA Bulletin ITIA Community Interpreting Sub Committee Report.
	2007	Mary Phelan (2007) ITIA Bulletin Court Interpreting in the News (for the wrong reasons) .
	2007	Mary Phelan (2007) ITIA Submission on the Garda Síochána Policing Plan 2008.
	2007	Mary Phelan (2007) ITIA Submission to the Medical Council in response to invitation for public consultation on the review of A Guide to Ethical Conduct and Behaviour.
	2006	Mary Phelan (2006) Irish Translators’ and Interpreters’ Association Submission on the Garda Síochána Corporate Strategy 2007-2009.
	2005	Mary Phelan (2005) ITIA Bulletin What's New in Community Interpreting?.
	2003	Mary Phelan (2003) ITIA submission to Expert Group on Mental Health Policy.
	2002	Mary Phelan (2002) Irish Translators' and Interpreters' Association submission to Working Group on the Jurisdiction of the Courts.

Professional Associations

	Association	Function	From / To
	Association of Translators and Interpreters Ireland	Chairperson October 2013-October 2025	-

Committees

Committee	Function	From / To
EU Strategic Litigation Project (Fair Trials)		26/11/2020 -
HSE West /UL Equality Action Plan		01/11/2020 -
Centre for Translation and Textual Studies		01/09/2020 -
HSE Working Group on Development of a Model around Interpreting Provision		14/12/2016 - 01/12/2017
Project Steering Committee based at NUI Galway	This is a two year participatory learning and action research project that aims to produce guidelines for effective communication in cross cultural general practice consultations.	06/04/2009 - 06/04/2011
Health Service Executive advisory group on NUIG research into the low uptake of interpreters by GPs in the former Eastern Regional Health Authority.	I was asked to join this group to provide feedback on the research and because of my background in training interpreters.	01/01/2008 - 01/10/2008
National Intercultural Hospitals Initiative (NIHI)	Connolly Hospital was involved in the European Migrant Friendly Hospital Project. When that came to an end, Connolly became the lead partner in the National Intercultural Hospitals Initiative which among other issue has considered the translation of documents and improving access to interpreters.	01/06/2007 - 31/12/2009
Migration Committee, National Consultative Committee on Racism and Interculturalism (NCCRI)	The Migration Committee brings together people from NGOs, ESRI and other groups which work with migrants or are interested in immigration.	01/11/2005 - 01/04/2008
Northern Ireland Race Forum Thematic Group on Language		01/06/2005 - 31/12/2007
Dept. of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth Interpretation and Translation Working Group for the implementation of the White Paper on ending Direct Provision		15/09/2021 -

Media

Title	Year	Type	Authors
First Conviction	2025	Podcast	RTÉ Documentary on One
Experts call for improvements around system for interpreters in court cases	2025	Other	Lorna Siggins
RTÉ Investigates - First Conviction	2025	Documentary	RTÉ Investigates
Lost in Translation?	2019	Newspaper article (Print)	Sarah Gallagher
Hundreds of Garda interpreters have no qualification	2010	Newspaper article (Print)	Carl O'Brien
Lost in translation: ‘You can be shocked by the bad news you have to interpret’	2021	Newspaper article (online)	Pollak, Sorcha

Research Interests

Mary Phelan's research is in the field of Translation Studies, particularly historical provision of court interpreters and contemporary provision of interpreters in courts, police stations, hospitals and other settings. She is interested in the history of interpreting, current interpreter provision, standards, ethical issues. Other interests are translation and interpreting policy, translators’ status and working conditions.

External Collaborators

Type	Name	Company	Role
External	Hanne Skaaden	Oslo Metropolitan University	Academic
External	Patrick Stefan Kermit		Academic
External	Soorej Jose Puthoopparambil	Uppsala University	Academic
External	Anne MacFarlane	University of Limerick	Academic
External	Mette Rudvin	University of Bologna	Academic