Public engagement
Policy Briefings:
`Degrowth: is there any consensus on whether it might be a good idea?' Economics Observatory, 4 November 2024.
'Where is the wealth of nations in the 21st century?'. Economics Observatory. 12 July 2023.
'Currency Choice: what lessons from Ireland for an independent Scotland?' (with Séan Kenny) Economics Observatory. 16 March 2022.
'How have economists thought about the environment?' Economics Observatory. 9 December 2021.
'How have economists thought about climate change?' Economics Observatory. 28 October 2021.
`What were the economic consequences of Irish independence?' Economics Observatory. 27 April 2021.
`Does environmental damage increase the risk of pandemics?' (with Matthias Beck), Economics Observatory. 30 June 2020.
`Degrowth: is there any consensus on whether it might be a good idea?' Economics Observatory, 4 November 2024.
'Where is the wealth of nations in the 21st century?'. Economics Observatory. 12 July 2023.
'Currency Choice: what lessons from Ireland for an independent Scotland?' (with Séan Kenny) Economics Observatory. 16 March 2022.
'How have economists thought about the environment?' Economics Observatory. 9 December 2021.
'How have economists thought about climate change?' Economics Observatory. 28 October 2021.
`What were the economic consequences of Irish independence?' Economics Observatory. 27 April 2021.
`Does environmental damage increase the risk of pandemics?' (with Matthias Beck), Economics Observatory. 30 June 2020.
Essays and commentary:
Which Government Grew Britain the Fastest? Asking the Wrong Question About the British Economy, Substack, 10 June 2026.
Rediscovering Adam Smith: The Two-Book Smith, Substack, 26 June 2026
What History Teaches Us About a Super El Niño: Some lessons from Ireland in the nineteenth century (with Niall Whelehan), Substack, 19 June 2026
The Limits to Growth and the Return of Models of Doom: How a disputed computer model became one of the most influential ideas in modern environmentalism, Substack, 12 June 2026.
Growth, Degrowth, and Relative Decline: How competing definitions of growth are shaping contemporary economic debate (with Chris Colvin), Substack, 5 June 2026.
The Return of the Land Question in Modern Ireland: Ireland’s housing crisis in historical and international perspective, Substack, 29 May 2026
AI and Quality: Zen and the Art of AI (with George Marten), Substack, 22 May 2026.
A War on Two Fronts: Suez and the End of British Power, Substack, 15 May 2026.
Beyond GDP Without Wealth Accounting: Wealth vs Income: The Fight Over How We Measure Progress (with Cristian Ducoing), Substack, 8 May 2026
Adam Smith and the Sustainability of Nations: Justice, Capital, and Posterity, Substack, 1 May 2026.
Economic Growth and the AI Revolution: Whither AI? (with Mark Schaffer), Substack, 24 April 2026.
Adam Smith, Capital, and Existential Risk: Why is The Wealth of Nations important today, Substack, 21 April 2026.
When Helping the Poor Became a Tax Strategy: Social Enterprise and Poor Law in pre-Famine Ireland, Substack, 15 April 2026.
Some thoughts on The Wealth of Nations at 250, Substack, 10 April 2026.
Beyond GDP: Measuring and Valuing What Really Matters: Rethinking the UN’s “beyond GDP” agenda and the case for putting wealth at the centre, Substack, 3 April 2026.
The British Disease: Notes on Britain's Relative Decline, Substack, 31 March 2026.
Which Government Grew Britain the Fastest? Asking the Wrong Question About the British Economy, Substack, 10 June 2026.
Rediscovering Adam Smith: The Two-Book Smith, Substack, 26 June 2026
What History Teaches Us About a Super El Niño: Some lessons from Ireland in the nineteenth century (with Niall Whelehan), Substack, 19 June 2026
The Limits to Growth and the Return of Models of Doom: How a disputed computer model became one of the most influential ideas in modern environmentalism, Substack, 12 June 2026.
Growth, Degrowth, and Relative Decline: How competing definitions of growth are shaping contemporary economic debate (with Chris Colvin), Substack, 5 June 2026.
The Return of the Land Question in Modern Ireland: Ireland’s housing crisis in historical and international perspective, Substack, 29 May 2026
AI and Quality: Zen and the Art of AI (with George Marten), Substack, 22 May 2026.
A War on Two Fronts: Suez and the End of British Power, Substack, 15 May 2026.
Beyond GDP Without Wealth Accounting: Wealth vs Income: The Fight Over How We Measure Progress (with Cristian Ducoing), Substack, 8 May 2026
Adam Smith and the Sustainability of Nations: Justice, Capital, and Posterity, Substack, 1 May 2026.
Economic Growth and the AI Revolution: Whither AI? (with Mark Schaffer), Substack, 24 April 2026.
Adam Smith, Capital, and Existential Risk: Why is The Wealth of Nations important today, Substack, 21 April 2026.
When Helping the Poor Became a Tax Strategy: Social Enterprise and Poor Law in pre-Famine Ireland, Substack, 15 April 2026.
Some thoughts on The Wealth of Nations at 250, Substack, 10 April 2026.
Beyond GDP: Measuring and Valuing What Really Matters: Rethinking the UN’s “beyond GDP” agenda and the case for putting wealth at the centre, Substack, 3 April 2026.
The British Disease: Notes on Britain's Relative Decline, Substack, 31 March 2026.
Op-Ed articles:
'The history of loan funds & microfinance in 19th century Ireland'. RTE Brainstorm. 26 June 2026.
'Why eviction endures as a feature of Irish life' (With Richard McMahon). Irish Times, 28 May 2026 (online version).
'We're seeing eviction rates not seen in Ireland since the 1850s' (With Richard McMahon). RTE Brainstorm. 9 February 2026.
'Whether it’s a ‘productivity puzzle’ or the ‘British disease’, the UK economy has been underperforming for decades'. The Conversation. 24 December 2025.
`How changes in height show health effects of the Famine' (with Chris Colvin). RTE Brainstorm. 7 August 2025.
`The age-heaping mystery: why so many people forgot their real age' (with Chris Colvin and Stuart Henderson). RTE Brainstorm. 21 October 2024.
`The leading alternative to GDP is languishing over a technical disagreement – with grave potential consequences '. (with Nick Hanley and Cristian Ducoing) The Conversation, 27 August, 2024.
`Whither AI? UK productivity growth, a longer-run perspective'. (with Mark Schaffer) Royal Society of Edinburgh. 8 July 2024.
`If you follow the degrowth agenda, it leads to an economy that looks a lot like the sickly UK'. The Conversation. 5 March 2024.
`Financing Ireland's Social Revolution through land bonds'. Irish Independent, 8 August 2023.
`Scottish Independence: What lessons can be learned from across the Irish Sea'. The Scotsman. 23 October 2023.
`What will inflation mean for Irish energy and climate policies' (With Aisling Finucane and Fergal O'Connor). RTE Brainstorm. 23 September 2022.
`Why it's not anti-environmental to be in favour of economic growth'. (With Cristian Ducoing and Les Oxley). The Conversation. 14 September 2022.
'What lessons can history teach us about food security?'. (with Chris Colvin and Matthias Blum). RTE Brainstorm. 9 June 2022.
`What can Scotland learn from Irish independence?' (with Seán Kenny). The Conversation. 20 May 2022.
`Famines: what 20th century food crises tell us about how to cope with the Ukraine fallout' (with Chris Colvin and Matthias Blum). The Conversation. 31 March 2022.
`Could a 19th century economist unlock the Irish rental crisis' (with Niall Whelehan). RTE Brainstorm 26 October 2021
`Demographics and Pandemics: The Case of Two Irelands' (with Chris Colvin). Irish Times, 15 September 2020, online 16 September 2020.
`How to measure the demographic impact of a pandemic' (with Chris Colvin) . RTE Brainstorm, 22 June 2020
`How governments can make politically correct investments' (with Fergal O'Connor). RTE Brainstorm, 20 May 2020
`Coronavirus and Spanish: economic lessons to learn from the last truly global pandemic' (with Chris Colvin). The Conversation, 11 March 2020.
`Black Thursday: When two Cork city banks failed'. Holly Bough 2019.
'The history of loan funds & microfinance in 19th century Ireland'. RTE Brainstorm. 26 June 2026.
'Why eviction endures as a feature of Irish life' (With Richard McMahon). Irish Times, 28 May 2026 (online version).
'We're seeing eviction rates not seen in Ireland since the 1850s' (With Richard McMahon). RTE Brainstorm. 9 February 2026.
'Whether it’s a ‘productivity puzzle’ or the ‘British disease’, the UK economy has been underperforming for decades'. The Conversation. 24 December 2025.
`How changes in height show health effects of the Famine' (with Chris Colvin). RTE Brainstorm. 7 August 2025.
`The age-heaping mystery: why so many people forgot their real age' (with Chris Colvin and Stuart Henderson). RTE Brainstorm. 21 October 2024.
`The leading alternative to GDP is languishing over a technical disagreement – with grave potential consequences '. (with Nick Hanley and Cristian Ducoing) The Conversation, 27 August, 2024.
`Whither AI? UK productivity growth, a longer-run perspective'. (with Mark Schaffer) Royal Society of Edinburgh. 8 July 2024.
`If you follow the degrowth agenda, it leads to an economy that looks a lot like the sickly UK'. The Conversation. 5 March 2024.
`Financing Ireland's Social Revolution through land bonds'. Irish Independent, 8 August 2023.
`Scottish Independence: What lessons can be learned from across the Irish Sea'. The Scotsman. 23 October 2023.
`What will inflation mean for Irish energy and climate policies' (With Aisling Finucane and Fergal O'Connor). RTE Brainstorm. 23 September 2022.
`Why it's not anti-environmental to be in favour of economic growth'. (With Cristian Ducoing and Les Oxley). The Conversation. 14 September 2022.
'What lessons can history teach us about food security?'. (with Chris Colvin and Matthias Blum). RTE Brainstorm. 9 June 2022.
`What can Scotland learn from Irish independence?' (with Seán Kenny). The Conversation. 20 May 2022.
`Famines: what 20th century food crises tell us about how to cope with the Ukraine fallout' (with Chris Colvin and Matthias Blum). The Conversation. 31 March 2022.
`Could a 19th century economist unlock the Irish rental crisis' (with Niall Whelehan). RTE Brainstorm 26 October 2021
`Demographics and Pandemics: The Case of Two Irelands' (with Chris Colvin). Irish Times, 15 September 2020, online 16 September 2020.
`How to measure the demographic impact of a pandemic' (with Chris Colvin) . RTE Brainstorm, 22 June 2020
`How governments can make politically correct investments' (with Fergal O'Connor). RTE Brainstorm, 20 May 2020
`Coronavirus and Spanish: economic lessons to learn from the last truly global pandemic' (with Chris Colvin). The Conversation, 11 March 2020.
`Black Thursday: When two Cork city banks failed'. Holly Bough 2019.
Public Talks:
HEDG Hosts
'Why it's not anti-environmental to be in favour of economic growth' [25 May 2023]
HEDG Hosts
'Why it's not anti-environmental to be in favour of economic growth' [25 May 2023]
Political Economy of Secession: Lessons from the Early Years of the Irish Free State
Presented at the The Political Economy of Devolution in, and Secession from, the UK [19 November 2021]
Presented at the The Political Economy of Devolution in, and Secession from, the UK [19 November 2021]
Radio and podcasts:
RTE The Business, Previous Pandemics, 12 September 2020
At The Margin, 1 September 2020