Dr Eileen Doyle-Walsh

Psychology lecturer in social care and early childhood education and associated social science masters from 2006 to 2017.

Research Interests

I completed a bachelors degree, research masters and a PhD in psychology. These pieces of research focused on children’s ability to be reliable witnesses in Court. The research also used child-centred methods of exploring children’s perceptions and experiences of the court system. My research interests include qualitative research methods, child psychology, youth offending, social care policy and practice, mental health and more recently dog training, dog psychology and animal welfare considerations of assistance dogs. I have lectured psychology, mental health, and research methods on undergraduate programmes such as the Early Childhood Education and Care, Social Care and Youth Work. I was programme director of the MA in Child, Youth and Family Studies and have extensive experience of thesis supervision at undergraduate and postgraduate level. I’m a member of SocialCORE, the  research centre for Social Care, Youth Work and Early Childhood Education and Care. The aim of SocialCORE is to develop research which enhances professional practice and promotes the rights and wellbeing of diverse social groups. I am a member of the Psychological Society of Ireland.

A number of colleagues and I have successfully secured funding from the SETU Carlow EDI fund to complete a research project to understand the impact of the menstrual cycle on staff and students experience of their work/university environment. A unique feature of the proposed project is the inclusion of a student perspective in the development and implementation stages of the project ensuring the project structure is relevant to the diverse student population. The funding has supported a qualitative exploratory study with students and staff who experience menstrual cycles across all campuses of SETU, create an awareness of the impacts, supports and resources available to those who experience periods through a panel discussion with experts in the field and compile a framework of supports and initiatives for SETU’s consideration in relation to the development and implementation of a Menstrual Health Awareness and Support Policy.

Engagement and Collaboration

Industry support, consultancy, collaborations, entrepreneurial, community or other socio-economic focused research that I have been involved in;

Named Young Irish Psychologist and researchers of the year in 2000 by the Psychological Society of Ireland for my undergraduate research project.

Identified as a Teaching Hero in 2014 by the National Teaching Forum.

Nominated by the SETU President to represent SETU as part of Carlow County Council Enterprise Week, International Women's Day event discussing the role of women in business and the challenges and opportunities that arise. 

I received a research scholarship from the Irish Research Council for Humanities and Social Sciences for my PhD research.

I collaborated with Mary Immaculate College, Limerick on two projects.  The first piece of research explored counterfactual thinking and college students’ perceptions of rape and the depiction of rape in the media. The second project examined hate crimes against the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transsexual community and the barriers to participation in the legal system among these groups.

I conducted research funded under SIF2 “Repositioning Assessment for Learning" project research grants 2009. The aim of this research was to adopt more interactive teaching techniques and assessment in large groups of students.

Past Research Students

Student Name

Title of Project

Zsuzsanna Kiss

The use of assistance/service dogs from a human rights and animal welfare perspective.

Title of Project

Student Name

Year of Award

Experiences of Vicarious Trauma in Social Care Practice

Antonia Brocklebank

Submitted for examination

Identify and analyse the impact of the Universal Preschool Year (ECCE Scheme) on Early Childhood practice in Carlow, with particular reference to the implementation of Sí­olta, the National Quality Framework.

Evelyn Reilly

2016

Use of Social Media in Social Care: Changing the way we Provide Care

Angela Mahon

2017

Young People’s Use of Social Networking Sites in Ireland “Socially Anti-Social"

Lorraine Caffey

2017

Emotional Intelligence in Third Level Students

John Sheehy

2011

Areas of interest as a supervisor include

• Social Care policy and practice
• Psychology
• Child psychology
• Youth offending
• Mental health
• Assistance dogs
• Animal welfare
• Child-centred research
• Qualitative research approaches.

Conference Proceedings and Papers

Oral Presentations

Doyle, E. & O Connell, M. (2000).  Urban Size Differences in Altruistic Behaviour & Attitudes to Schizophrenia using the Lost-Letter Technique.  Paper presented at the 21st Annual Congress of Psychology Students in Ireland, University College Dublin, Ireland. 

Doyle, E. & O Connell, M. (2000).  Urban Size Differences in Altruistic Behaviour & Attitudes to Schizophrenia using the Lost-Letter Technique.  Paper presented at the 31st Annual Psychological Society of Ireland Conference, Galway, Ireland.

Doyle, E., Hennessy, E. & O Connell, M. (2004).  Children’s Understanding, Perceptions & Evaluation of the Irish Legal System.  Paper presented at the 35th Annual Psychological Society of Ireland Conference, Cork, Ireland.

Doyle, E., Hennessy, E. & O Connell, M. (2005).  Children’s Understanding, Perceptions & Evaluation of the Irish Legal System.  Paper presented at the 27th Annual Congress of Psychology Students in Ireland, Queens University Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Doyle, E., Hennessy, E. & O Connell, M. (2005).  Children’s Understanding, Perceptions & Evaluation of the Irish Legal System.  Paper presented at the 36th Annual Psychological Society of Ireland Conference, Derry, Northern Ireland.

Doyle E. (2023). Period Power: Feeling Empowered During Your Menstrual Cycle. EDI Conference, SETU.

Poster Presentations

Doyle, E. & O Connell, M. (2002).  Factors Influencing Children’s Suggestibility: Implications for their Eyewitness Reports.  Poster presented at the 33rd Annual Psychological Society of Ireland Conference, Waterford, Ireland.

Published Reports

Sarma, K., Doyle, E., & Mc.Mahon, M. (2007). Attitudes towards Justice and Equality in Ireland. Unpublished report commissioned by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Dublin.

Other Research Outputs

Doyle, E. & O’Connell, M. (2000).  Urban Size Differences in Altruistic Behaviour & Attitudes to Schizophrenia using the Lost-Letter Technique.  The Irish Psychologist, 26(8), 108.

Doyle, E. & O’Connell, M. (2000).  Urban Size Differences in Altruistic Behaviour & Attitudes to Schizophrenia using the Lost-Letter Technique.  The Irish Psychologist, 27(4), 54.

Doyle, E. & O’Connell, M. (2002).  Factors Influencing Children’s Suggestibility: Implications for their Eyewitness Reports.  The Irish Psychologist, 29(4), 62.

Doyle, E., Hennessy, E. & O’Connell, M. (2004).  Children’s Understanding, Perceptions & Evaluation of the Irish legal System.  The Irish Psychologist, 31(4) 122.

Doyle, E., Hennessy, E. & O’Connell, M. (2005).  Children’s Understanding, Perceptions & Evaluation of the Irish legal System.  The Irish Psychologist, 31(9), 258.