Professor of Political Science and Sociology and Director of the MA Public Policy, University of Galway. He has published extensively on the Northern Ireland conflict and on peace negotiations. Books include ‘Civil Rights to Armalites: Derry and the birth of the Irish Troubles’ and ‘Dynamics of Political Change in Ireland: Making and Breaking a Divided Island’ (co-edited with Katy Hayward and Elizabeth Meehan). His most recent book, ‘Deniable Contact: Back-channel Negotiation in Northern Ireland’ (OUP 2021) was awarded the Brian Farrell book prize of the Political Studies Association of Ireland and was shortlisted for the 27th Christopher Ewart-Biggs Literary Prize.