Research Interests
Dr Morgan O'Brien is a Lecturer in the Department of Humanities at the SETU Carlow. He has previously worked as Research Project Coordinator in both the Mental Health and Social Research Unit (Maynooth University) and the Centre for Youth Research and Development (Maynooth University). Research interests in include evaluation research, youth studies & popular culture, and contemporary social change.
Engagement and Collaboration
Current Research Students
Karolyn McDonnell – co-supervised with Mr Damien Raftery
Past Research Students
Lorraine Caffrey (MA) Awarded November 2017
Peer Reviewed Journal Articles
Hickey, G., McGilloway, S., O’Brien, M. Leckey, Y., & Devlin, M. (2015) ‘A theory-based evaluation of a community-based funding scheme in a disadvantaged suburban city area’. Evaluation and Program Planning 52: 61-69.
O’Brien, M. (2009) ‘The Tactics of Mobile Phone Use in the School-Based Practices of Young People’. Anthropology in Action 16(2): 30-40.
Books and Book Chapters
O’Brien, M. & McGilloway, S. (2018) ‘Evaluating Complex Community Change Initiatives: Credible Evidence is What Counts’ in Guerin, S., Hayes, N. & McNally, S. (eds) Research and Evaluation in Community Settings: Experiences from Practice. London: Routledge.
Selected Conference Proceedings and Papers
‘Consuming Talk: Youth Culture & the Mobile Phone’, a presentation of my PhD thesis research and findings at the Department of Children and Youth Affairs (DCYA) Research Colloquium, Dublin, 1st February 2012
‘Thumb Tribes: The Role of the Mobile Phone in Young People’s Peer Relationships’ presented at the conference ‘All Change for Young People: Mobility, Markets, Media, Models of Practice’, NUI Maynooth, June 26th 2009
‘Negotiating Social Boundaries: Young People’s Use of the Mobile Phone in Family Life’ presented at Sociological Association of Ireland Annual Conference, Waterford Institute of Technology, May 8th 2009
‘Research on the Attitudes of Young People and Youth Workers to Development and Global Justice Issues’ Initial Findings of Department of Applied Social Studies, NUI Maynooth/NYCI Research Project co-presented with Hilary Tierney to Youth and Community Workers, NUI Maynooth, December 12th 2008
‘The Tactics of Mobile Phone Use in the Everyday Practices of Young People’ presented at The Educational Studies Association of Ireland Annual Conference, Cavan, March 2007
‘Young People and the Mobile Phone in Ireland’ presented at Sociological Association of Ireland Annual Conference, Nenagh, Tipperary, April 2005
O’Brien, M. (2003) ‘Textual Intercourse: The Role of the Text Message in the Social Life of Adolescents’ in Proceedings of NUI Maynooth Postgraduate Colloquium 2003.
Published Reports
Devlin, M., Connolly, N., O’Brien, M., & McGarry, K. (2014) Longitudinal Evaluation of Project FUTSAL. Dublin: Football Association of Ireland.
McGilloway, S., O’Brien, M., Ni Mhaille, G., Leckey, Y., Stern, E., Devlin, M. & Donnelly, M. (2013) A Process Evaluation of youngballymun. Dublin: Youngballymun.
Ni Mhaille, G., McGilloway, S., Leckey, Y., O’Brien, M., Devlin, M., Stern, E. & Donnelly, M. (2013) Process Evaluation of Literacivic. Dublin: Youngballymun.
Habib, J., Cox, G., McGilloway, S., O’Brien, M. & Bamber, J. (2012) Evaluating Complex Community Change Initiatives – balancing science, politics and stakeholder dynamics. Dublin: Centre for Effective Services (CES).
Ni Mhaille, G., McGilloway, S., Leckey, Y., O’Brien, M., Devlin, M., Donnelly, M. & Stern, E. (2011). A Process Evaluation of Literacivic (Interim report). Dublin: youngballymun.
McGilloway, S., O’Brien, M., Ni Mhaille, G., Leckey, Y., Devlin, M., Donnelly, M., & Stern, E. (2011). A Process evaluation of Youngballymun (Interim Report). Dublin: youngballymun.