Summary

Kieran is Associate Professor of Law, Families and Society.

His research mostly focuses on legal issues relating to family violence, including domestic abuse and child protection, using a range of empirical research methods. He is also interested in international aspects of family and child law, as well as theoretical approaches to these issues.

Kieran is happy to supervise research students in these areas, and also welcome media queries.

Biography

Kieran graduated from University College Cork with a BCL before attending King's Inns. He practiced as a barrister in Ireland for a number of years while holding a number of lecturing positions and working with the government-appointed Special Rapporteur on Child Protection.

He moved to Portsmouth in 2014, taking the position of Senior Lecturer. While at Portsmouth, he completed his PhD at the University of Nottingham on the development of the Irish child protection system. Since then, he has published regularly on aspects of family and child law in both Ireland and England and Wales.

Research interests

Kieran's research primarily focuses on family violence. He is particularly interested in the legal regulation and prevention of domestic abuse and child protection, and the international responses to these issues. He is also interested in the social and cultural issues that impact on the legal frameworks governing family life, especially changes in the structures of modernity and perceptions of risk.

He has written a monograph on the historical sociology of Irish child protection law; this was published by Routledge in 2020. He has also conducted an empirical analysis of the role that domestic abuse plays in decisions under section 8 of the Children Act 1989. His latest publication, a reference work on family law in Ireland, entitled Adult Relationships in Family Law, will be published by Clarus Press in 2026.

Kieran is happy to supervise research students in any area of the law governing family life.

Teaching responsibilities

Kieran currently lectures Family Law to undergraduate students, as well as International Family Law to postgraduate students. He also runs methodology workshops for research students. He previously lectured Public Law and Jurisprudence.

While working in Ireland, Kieran taught a range of subjects including Family and Child Law, Constitutional Law, Administrative Law and Jurisprudence. He has also taught aspects of international family law to trainee solicitors at the Law Society of Ireland.

Media availability

Kieran is happy to take calls and emails from media on my research and is aware of the need to respond to journalists in a timely manner. At present, it is best to contact him initially by email. 

Interested journalists can also contact the University's Media and Communications team for support and advice on all media engagement, including out of hours.