John O'Brennan

O'Brennan graduated from the University of Limerick (UL) in 1997 and subsequently completed a PhD at UL in Political Science.{{citation needed|date=April 2024}} From 2000 to 2001, he was a lecturer in European and international politics at Varna University of Economics.{{Cite web |title=Dr. John O' Brennan | url=http://www.widereurope.ie/people/john_o%E2%80%99_brennan.html |access-date=2023-02-16 |website=widereurope.ie |language=en | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20110203015047/http://www.widereurope.ie/people/john_o%E2%80%99_brennan.html | archivedate = 3 February 2011 }} He was also a visiting researcher at the European Union Institute for Security Studies in Paris in 2005. From 2001 to 2007, O'Brennan worked as a lecturer in European Union Politics at the University of Limerick. In 2007, he was appointed as lecturer in European Politics and Society at Maynooth University.

O'Brennan is an authority on Brexit and was a member of the Brexit Stakeholder Group, which was convened by the Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs in September 2017.{{Cite web |url=https://www.dfa.ie/media/dfa/eu/brexit/stakeholderforum/Minute-for-1st-Brexit-Stakeholder-Forum---13-September-2017.pdf | title = Brexit Stakeholder Forum - Iveagh House - 13 September 2017 - Minutes }} He contributed to several radio and television discussions of Brexit after 2016.{{citation needed|date=April 2024}} His research centre at Maynooth, the Centre for European and Eurasian Studies, hosted a number of public events on Brexit, including an interview with commentator Fintan O'Toole of The Irish Times{{Cite web |title=Fintan O'Toole on his new book, "Heroic Failure: Brexit and the Politics of Pain" {{!}} Maynooth University |url=https://www.maynoothuniversity.ie/europe/events/fintan-o-toole-his-new-book-heroic-failure-brexit-and-politics-pain |access-date=2023-02-16 |website=www.maynoothuniversity.ie}} and discussions at different stages of the Brexit negotiations.{{Cite web |title=The Brexit Referendum: the existential choices facing the UK and its implications for Ireland and the EU {{!}} Maynooth University |url=https://www.maynoothuniversity.ie/news-events/brexit-referendum-existential-choices-facing-uk-and-its-implications-ireland-and-eu |access-date=2023-02-16 |website=www.maynoothuniversity.ie |archive-date=16 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230216115720/https://www.maynoothuniversity.ie/news-events/brexit-referendum-existential-choices-facing-uk-and-its-implications-ireland-and-eu |url-status=dead }}{{Cite web |title=Centre for European and Eurasian Studies hosts a panel discussion on Brexit and its implications for Ireland {{!}} Maynooth University |url=https://www.maynoothuniversity.ie/europe/events/centre-european-and-eurasian-studies-hosts-panel-discussion-brexit-and-its-implications-ireland |access-date=2023-02-16 |website=www.maynoothuniversity.ie}}

In 2021, O'Brennan hosted former BBC Newsnight anchor Gavin Esler in a discussion of his book, How Britain Ends - English Nationalism and the Re-birth of Four Nations, with responses to Esler's book from Professor Brigid Laffan (European University Institute) and Professor Colin Coulter (Maynooth University).{{Cite web |title=Launch of "How Britain Ends"with Gavin Esler {{!}} Maynooth University |url=https://www.maynoothuniversity.ie/news-events/launch-how-britain-endswith-gavin-esler |access-date=2023-02-16 |website=www.maynoothuniversity.ie}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=392X78Ky9dI|title=Launch of "How Britain Ends"with Gavin Esler|via=www.youtube.com}} O'Brennan was interviewed as part of a project devoted to explaining Brexit to school-goers in Ireland.{{Cite web |title=Pol-Soc Podcast: Pol Soc Podcast EP 6 - Brexit for Beginners on Apple Podcasts |url=https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/pol-soc-podcast-ep-6-brexit-for-beginners/id1312002555?i=1000429905426 |access-date=2023-02-16 |website=Apple Podcasts |language=en-GB}}

He has lectured on the European Union, and in 2019 he undertook a lecture tour on Brexit which took in the University of Ljubljana (Slovenia), Rijeka University (Croatia), and the University of Trieste (Italy).{{Cite web |title=Professor John O' Brennan's recent lectures on EU politics in Central and Eastern Europe {{!}} Maynooth University |url=https://www.maynoothuniversity.ie/news-events/professor-john-o-brennans-recent-lectures-eu-politics-central-and-eastern-europe |access-date=2023-02-16 |website=www.maynoothuniversity.ie}} He also delivered a lecture on Ireland and Brexit at the Institute of European Studies at the University of California at Berkeley in May 2019.{{Cite web |title= Brexit and the Deterioration in UK - Irish Relations; A lecture by John O'Brennan (poster) |url=https://www.law.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/John-OBrennan-May-14-2.pdf}} In 2022-23, he delivered a series of lectures examining Ireland’s experience of 50 years of EU membership at Dublin City University’s EU Academy conference,{{Cite web |title=Many thanks to our speakers and all who took the time to join our launch event and 1st workshop today! What a great discussion! To be continued tomorrow with @petit_christy @niallm0ran @PatrickBijsmans @conorgalvin @JohnOBrennan2 and many more |url=https://mobile.twitter.com/euacademy_dcu/status/1602350374576349186 |access-date=2023-02-16 |website=Twitter |language=en}} the University of Bucharest,{{Cite web |title=John O'Brennan interviewed on Romanian TV during recent visit to Bucharest {{!}} Maynooth University |url=https://www.maynoothuniversity.ie/europe/news/john-obrennan-interviewed-romanian-tv-during-recent-visit-bucharest |access-date=2023-02-16 |website=www.maynoothuniversity.ie}}{{Cite web |title=John O'Brennan recent keynote lectures on Ireland and Europe {{!}} Maynooth University |url=https://www.maynoothuniversity.ie/europe/news/john-obrennan-recent-keynote-lectures-ireland-and-europe |access-date=2023-02-16 |website=www.maynoothuniversity.ie}} and the University of Georgia.{{Cite web |title=Lecture: John O'Brennan |url=https://calendar.uga.edu/event/lecture_john_obrennan,%20https://calendar.uga.edu/event/lecture_john_obrennan |access-date=2023-02-16 |website=UGA Calendar of Events |language=en }}{{Dead link|date=April 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

O’Brennan is perceived{{by whom|date=March 2024}} as a champion of European integration but has also been critical of the EU. For example, he has criticised the EU's approach to rule of law violations within the EU and the failures in EU policy towards the Western Balkan states.{{Citation |title=Professor John O'Brennan and Pat Kelly - What Next for EU Enlargement? |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je5zg2VgQ0M |language=en |access-date=2023-02-16}}{{Cite web |title=IIEA Publication: EU enlargement to the Western Balkans: towards 2025 & beyond {{!}} IIEA |url=https://www.iiea.com/publications/iiea-publication-eu-enlargement-to-the-western-balkans-towards-2025-beyond |access-date=2023-02-16 |website=www.iiea.com | first = John |last = O'Brennan }}{{Citation |title=Pașaport diplomatic. John O'Brennan: Putem privi ultimii 30 de ani dintre UE și Rusia ca o tragedie |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmH8Pt43lBA |language=en |access-date=2023-02-16}}

He was a participant in a conference, titled "Ireland and the EU at 50", which was hosted by the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin on 27 October 2022.{{Cite web |title="Ireland and the EU at 50" {{!}} Maynooth University |url=https://www.maynoothuniversity.ie/europe/news/ireland-and-eu-50 |access-date=2023-02-16 |website=www.maynoothuniversity.ie}} O'Brennan has also contributed to the McGill Summer School{{Cite web |title=List of Past Speakers (1981-2018) |url=https://www.macgillsummerschool.com/list-of-past-speakers-1981-2016/ |access-date=2023-02-16 |website=MacGill Summer School |language=en-US}} and events run by the Royal Irish Academy.{{citation needed|date=March 2024}} Internationally, he has spoken at the Goethe Institute in Nicosia in Cyprus,{{Cite web |url=https://cyprus.fes.de/fileadmin/user_upload/documents/PROGRAM_-_BREXIT_091118.pdf| title = BREXIT and its Implications for Cyprus | website = cyprus.fes.de }} and has lectured at Glasgow University, Reykjavik University, Leicester University, Leiden University and Marburg University.{{citation needed|date=April 2024}}

O'Brennan was a critic of the Trump administration and did a number of radio and television shows criticising the community in Doonbeg, County Clare, (where the Trump organisation owns a golf course) for welcoming the Trump family.{{Cite web |title=President Trump In Doonbeg, Co. Clare |url=https://www.rte.ie/radio/radio1/clips/21565450/ |access-date=2023-02-16 |website=RTE Radio |date=6 June 2019 |language=en}}{{Cite news |title=Miriam Lord: Self-confessed germaphobe Trump avoided the crowded bars |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/miriam-lord-self-confessed-germaphobe-trump-avoided-the-crowded-bars-1.3918710 |access-date=2023-02-16 |newspaper=The Irish Times |language=en}} There was subsequent criticism of O'Brennan within the Doonbeg community.{{Cite web |date=2019-06-07 |title=Professor John Brennan Spoke about the Trumps arrival in Doonbeg |url=https://www.clare.fm/podcasts/professor-john-brennan-spoke-trumps-arrival-doonbeg/ |access-date=2023-02-16 |website=Clare FM |language=en-GB}}

O'Brennan was involved in the debates surrounding ratification of the Nice and Lisbon treaties in Ireland (2001-2002 and 2008-2009),{{Cite web |last=O'Brennan |first=John |date=2008-12-05 |title=The Irish Think Again About the Lisbon Treaty |url=https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/the-irish-think-again-about-the-lisbon-treaty |access-date=2023-02-16 |website=Project Syndicate |language=en}} as well as the 2012 Fiscal Treaty, contributing opinion pieces,{{Cite news |title=Treaty threatens to widen democratic deficit in EU |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/treaty-threatens-to-widen-democratic-deficit-in-eu-1.522941 |access-date=2023-02-16 |newspaper=The Irish Times |language=en |first = John | last = O'Brennan }} journal articles and think tank policy papers to these discussions.{{citation needed|date=March 2024}}

O'Brennan is a member and participant in events hosted by the University Association for Contemporary European Studies (UACES), the European Union Studies Association (EUSA), and the American Conference for Irish Studies (ACIS).{{citation needed|date=March 2024}} He is vice-president of the Irish Association for Contemporary European Studies (IACES),{{cite web|url = https://www.iaces.ie/committee | publisher = Irish Association for Contemporary European Studies | website = iaces.ie | title = Committee | quote = John O'Brennan holds the Jean Monnet Chair of European Integration and is Director of the Maynooth Centre for European and Eurasian Studies at Maynooth University, and Vice-President of the Irish Association for Contemporary European Studies (IACES) | accessdate = 24 March 2024 }} and was formerly secretary and a board member of the Political Studies Association of Ireland (PSAI).{{citation needed|date=June 2024}}

On several occasions, O'Brennan has been a witness before parliamentary committees on issues connected to Brexit, European integration and international relations.{{Cite web |date=2014-02-03 |title=Ireland's future influence on European policymaking to be considered – 3 Feb 2014, 12:25 – Houses of the Oireachtas |url=https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/press-centre/press-releases/20140203-ireland-s-future-influence-on-european-policymaking-to-be-considered |access-date=2023-02-16 |website=www.oireachtas.ie |language=en-ie}}{{Cite web |url=https://webarchive.oireachtas.ie/parliament/media/committees/euaffairs/subcommittee-report_10-may-2012.pdf | website = webarchive.oireachtas.ie | title = Committees - EU Affairs Subcommittee report 10 May 2012 }}{{dead link|date=March 2024}}{{Cite web |title=Committee hears experts on Fiscal Treaty |url=http://www.rte.ie/news/2012/0404/committee-hears-experts-on-fiscal-treaty.html |access-date=2023-02-16 |website=rte.ie | date=4 April 2012 }} On 7 December 2022 he testified before the Oireachtas European Affairs Committee on how to help with recruitment of Irish people to the EU institutions and better communicate what the European Union does in Ireland.{{Cite web |date=2022-12-07 |title=Joint Committee on European Union Affairs debate - Wednesday, 7 Dec 2022 |url=https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/joint_committee_on_european_union_affairs/2022-12-07/2 |access-date=2023-02-16 |website=www.oireachtas.ie |language=en-ie}} He has also been a witness before the UK House of Lords Committees.{{Cite web |title=Select Committee on the European Union|url=http://data.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/committeeevidence.svc/evidencedocument/european-union-committee/brexit-ukirish-relations/oral/42016.html |access-date=2023-02-16 |website=data.parliament.uk}}

He is also a past chairman of the "Political Science" section of the Global Undergraduate Awards.{{citation needed|date=March 2024}}

Some of O'Brennan's scholarly works engage with EU Enlargement policy. He is the author of The Eastern Enlargement of the European Union (Routledge, 2006, 2009){{Cite web |title=The Eastern Enlargement of the European Union |url=https://www.routledge.com/The-Eastern-Enlargement-of-the-European-Union/OBrennan/p/book/9780415543354 |access-date=2023-02-16 |website=Routledge & CRC Press | first = John |last = O'Brennan |language=en}} and National Parliaments within the Enlarged European Union: from 'victims' of integration to competitive actors? (Routledge, with Tapio Raunio, 2007).{{Cite web |title=National Parliaments within the Enlarged European Union: From 'Victims' of Integration to Competitive Actors? | first = John |last = O'Brennan | url=https://www.routledge.com/National-Parliaments-within-the-Enlarged-European-Union-From-Victims/OBrennan-Raunio/p/book/9780415543415 |access-date=2023-02-16 |website=Routledge & CRC Press |language=en}}

Other published works by O'Brennan focus on Ireland's relationship with the EU. O'Brennan has published numerous journal articles on this theme and is the editor of two special issues of Irish Political Studies (with Mary C. Murphy, UCC){{Cite journal |last2=Murphy |first2=Mary C. |last1=O'Brennan |first1=John |date=2019-10-02 |title=Ireland and crisis governance: continuity and change in the shadow of the financial crisis and Brexit |journal=Irish Political Studies |volume=34 |issue=4 |pages=471–489 |doi=10.1080/07907184.2019.1687621 |issn=0790-7184|doi-access=free |url=https://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/14905/1/JO-Crisis-governance-2019.pdf }} and Administration on Ireland and European integration. An earlier essay focused on Ireland’s struggle to be accepted as a member of the EU in the 1960s and early 1970s.{{Cite web |title=In From the Cold |url=https://drb.ie/articles/in-from-the-cold/ |access-date=2023-02-16 |website=DRB |language=en-US | first = John |last = O'Brennan }} Murphy and O'Brennan frequently collaborate on opinion pieces about Ireland and the EU. In advance of the 2016 Brexit referendum in the United Kingdom they argued that the UK could learn a lot from the Irish experience of holding regular referendums on EU constitutional issues.{{Cite web |last=O’Brennan |first=Mary C. Murphy and John |date=2016-05-02 |title=UK Remain campaign can learn from Ireland's EU referenda |url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/business/arid-20396047.html |access-date=2023-02-16 |website=Irish Examiner |language=en}} They contributed to an episode of Talking History on Newstalk FM in late 2022 which focused on Ireland’s five decades of membership of the EU.{{Cite web |title=Ireland's 50-Year Membership of the EU |url=https://www.newstalk.com/podcasts/highlights-from-talking-history/irelands-50-year-membership-of-the-eu |access-date=2023-02-16 |website=Newstalk |language=en}}{{Cite web |last1=O'Brennan |first1=John | first2 = Mary C. |last2 = Murphy |date=2013-11-28 |title=Fiscal and economic crisis a crisis of politics and engagement |url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/commentanalysis/arid-20250923.html |access-date=2023-02-16 |website=Irish Examiner |language=en}}{{Cite web |last1=O'Brennan |first1 = John |first2=Mary C. |last2 = Murphy |date=2022-12-30 |title=Irish education system must take 'Europe' and languages seriously |url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/commentanalysis/arid-41037701.html |access-date=2023-02-16 |website=Irish Examiner |language=en}} O'Brennan has been a critic of how some in Ireland’s political class deal with European Union issues.{{Cite web |title=John O'Brennan: 'Kerry deputy's committee role proves we don't take European affairs half as seriously as we should' |url=https://www.independent.ie/opinion/comment/john-obrennan-kerry-deputys-committee-role-proves-we-dont-take-european-affairs-half-as-seriously-as-we-should-38661870.html |access-date=2023-02-16 |website=independent |date=5 November 2019 | first = John | last = O'Brennan |language=en}}

O'Brennan is the co-author (with Dr. Barry Colfer, IIEA) of the Ireland report in the Bertelsman Stiftung's annual analysis of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs){{Cite web |title= 2022 Ireland Country Report - SGI Sustainable Governance Indicators |url=https://www.sgi-network.org/docs/2022/country/SGI2022_Ireland.pdf}} and the 2021 report on Ireland’s management of the Covid-19 crisis.{{Cite web |title=Ireland Report |url=https://www.bertelsmann-stiftung.de/de/publikationen/publikation/did/ireland-report-en |access-date=2023-02-16 |website=www.bertelsmann-stiftung.de |language=de}}

O'Brennan has spent several periods living and working in Bulgaria and has written a number of pieces of commentary on Bulgaria's political landscape and relationship with the EU.{{Cite news |title=Desperate state of Bulgaria reflects poorly on EU principles |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/desperate-state-of-bulgaria-reflects-poorly-on-eu-principles-1.4328680 |access-date=2023-02-16 |newspaper=The Irish Times |first = John | last = O'Brennan |language=en}}{{Cite news |title=Corruption still dominates political landscape as Bulgarians go to the polls |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/europe/corruption-still-dominates-political-landscape-as-bulgarians-go-to-the-polls-1.1950754 |access-date=2023-02-16 |newspaper=The Irish Times |first = John | last = O'Brennan |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=O'Brennan |first=John |date=2022-08-17 |title=Extradition and Election Pose Test of Bulgaria's EU Commitment |url=https://balkaninsight.com/2022/08/17/extradition-and-election-pose-test-of-bulgarias-eu-commitment/ |access-date=2023-02-16 |website=Balkan Insight |language=en-US}}{{Cite news |last=O'Brennan |first=John |date=2013-06-25 |title=The spirit of protest in Brazil and Turkey has now swept into Bulgaria |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/jun/25/turkey-brazil-bulgaria-protest |access-date=2023-02-16 |issn=0261-3077}} He was a critic of the obstruction of free movement for Bulgarian and Romanian citizens within the EU.{{Cite news |last=O'Brennan |first=John |date=2013-01-19 |title=The success of the eastern EU enlargement debunks current fears |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/jan/19/success-eastern-eu-enlargement-debunks-fears |access-date=2023-02-16 |issn=0261-3077}}

He has been a contributor to Carnegie Europe's "Judy Asks" series, which invites comment on contemporary issues.{{Cite web |title= Judy Asks: Is European Support for Ukraine Dependent on the United States |url=https://carnegieeurope.eu/strategiceurope/88273}}{{Cite web |title= Judy Asks: Will Distrust Among EU Leaders Fail Ukraine? |url=https://carnegieeurope.eu/strategiceurope/87342}}

In 2022, he published a critique of Vladimir Putin in the Dublin Review of Books.{{Cite web |title=This Is Who He Is |url=https://drb.ie/articles/this-is-who-he-is/ |access-date=2023-02-16 |website=DRB |language=en-US | first = John |last = O'Brennan }}

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Category:Irish political scientists

Category:Academics of Maynooth University

Category:Alumni of the University of Limerick