Dr. Elaine Byrne is a weekly Irish Times columnist. She writes on political reform, corruption, citizenship and Irish history. Her first book: Political Corruption in Ireland will be published by Manchester University Press in 2010.
Elaine was awarded her PhD from the University of Limerick on the history of Irish political corruption 1800-2000. She is a consultant and has worked for the United Nations and the World Bank on governance and media issues. She is the Trinity College nominated member of the Dublin City Council Finance Strategic Policy Committee.
Elaine is an adjutant lecturer at the Department of Political Science at Trinity College, University of Dublin and teaches Irish Politics. She is a co-editor of www.politicalreform.ie established under the aegis of the Political Studies Association of Ireland (PSAI).
The eldest of seven, Elaine worked in the family pub and undertaking business. She plays Gaelic football and is from the contentious Wicklow - Carlow border. Elaine was born in 1978 and lives in Dublin.
PUBLICATIONS
Elaine Byrne, Political Corruption in Ireland, Manchester University Press, forthcoming, 2010.
Elaine Byrne, Anne-Katrin Arnold and Fumiko Nagano, Building Public Support for Anti-Corruption Efforts: Why Anti-Corruption Agencies Need to Communicate and How, The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank Communication for Governance & Accountability Program (CommGAP) 2010, pp1-74.
Elaine Byrne, John Devitt, National Integrity System Country Study Ireland, Transparency International Ireland, 2009, pp.1-190.
Elaine Byrne, Ireland: Global Corruption Report in, editor(s) Jana Kotalik, Diana Rodriquez , Transparency International Global Corruption Report 2006, Pluto Press, 2007, pp174-177.
Elaine Byrne, Irish political party financing in, editor(s) Ian Hughes, P. Clancy, C. Harris, and D. Beetham, Power to the People? Accessing Democracy in Ireland, TASC, New Island, 2007.
OTHER
Consultant: Technical Guide for the Implementation of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime; United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute, 2009.
Election observer: Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Belarus, 2006 and Albania, 2009.
Research papers submissions: Council of Europe Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) Ireland Evaluation 2009 and Green paper on Local Government Reform (2007).
European Youth Forum, Steering Group: European Youth Manifesto against tobacco, 2006 (”Help” campaign).
Many times man lives and dies
Between his two eternities,
That of race and that of soul,
And ancient Ireland knew it all.
Whether man die in his bed
Or the rifle knocks him dead,
A brief parting from those dear
Is the worst man has to fear.
Though grave-digger’s toil is long,
Sharp their spades, their muscles strong,
They but thrust their buried men
Back in the human mind again.
William Butler Yeats, Under Ben Bulben
