About Me
Economist and historian
I work at Queen's University Belfast, where I am a Reader in Economic History in the Department of Economics and Co-Director of the university's Centre for Economic History.
I also serve as Associate Director for Outreach and Engagement at the Centre for Economics, Policy and History, a Government of Ireland-funded Centre of Excellence linking Queen's with Trinity College Dublin.
I combine economics and history to better understand the performance of firms, industries, economies and societies. I am particularly interested in learning from historical policy mistakes.
I also conduct pedagogical research on ways to integrate economic history into the economics curriculum. My book, An Economist's Guide to Economic History (co-edited with Matthias Blum), is available in paperback or eBook.
I also serve as Associate Director for Outreach and Engagement at the Centre for Economics, Policy and History, a Government of Ireland-funded Centre of Excellence linking Queen's with Trinity College Dublin.
I combine economics and history to better understand the performance of firms, industries, economies and societies. I am particularly interested in learning from historical policy mistakes.
I also conduct pedagogical research on ways to integrate economic history into the economics curriculum. My book, An Economist's Guide to Economic History (co-edited with Matthias Blum), is available in paperback or eBook.
News & Outreach
Age Heaping
You can read my new article (with Stuart Henderson and Eoin McLaughlin) published in the European Review of Economic History on age heaping as an indicator of human capital. We have also written a commentary on the EHES blog, which is meant to spark debate on the future of age heaping in economic history.
You can read my new article (with Stuart Henderson and Eoin McLaughlin) published in the European Review of Economic History on age heaping as an indicator of human capital. We have also written a commentary on the EHES blog, which is meant to spark debate on the future of age heaping in economic history.
Business History
I have recently joined the editorial team of Business History, where I am now principally responsible for submissions that employ quantitative methodologies. You can read lengthy editorials about publishing in our journal, and about our peer review process.
I have recently joined the editorial team of Business History, where I am now principally responsible for submissions that employ quantitative methodologies. You can read lengthy editorials about publishing in our journal, and about our peer review process.
Mind Your Language!
Why did Irish, the indigenous language of Ireland, fall into disuse in the nineteenth century? In a QUCEH working paper co-authored with Alan Fernihough and Eoin McLaughin, we use the 1901 census to uncover that it is all about schooling. But not centrally-planned state-directed education policy. Read the working paper here.
Why did Irish, the indigenous language of Ireland, fall into disuse in the nineteenth century? In a QUCEH working paper co-authored with Alan Fernihough and Eoin McLaughin, we use the 1901 census to uncover that it is all about schooling. But not centrally-planned state-directed education policy. Read the working paper here.
Economic History at the Pub
As part of the Centre for Economics, Policy and History, I have been part of a team to take economic history into the pub. Watch our latest gig here:
As part of the Centre for Economics, Policy and History, I have been part of a team to take economic history into the pub. Watch our latest gig here:
Historical Lessons for Ukraine
I have written an op-ed together with Eoin McLaughlin and Matthias Blum on the lessons from past experiences of famine (including in Ukraine) for policymakers today. It is published in The Conversation. We wrote a follow-up piece for RTÉ Brainstorm focusing on the growing food security crisis.
Policy Lessons from Ireland's Past
A series of policy briefings published by the Economics Observatory explore policy lessons from Ireland's past. They were commissioned to coincide with Northern Ireland's centenary.
Demography and Influenza-18
Eoin McLaughlin and I have a pre-print working paper on the demographic impact of the Spanish flu in Ireland.
I have written an op-ed together with Eoin McLaughlin and Matthias Blum on the lessons from past experiences of famine (including in Ukraine) for policymakers today. It is published in The Conversation. We wrote a follow-up piece for RTÉ Brainstorm focusing on the growing food security crisis.
Policy Lessons from Ireland's Past
A series of policy briefings published by the Economics Observatory explore policy lessons from Ireland's past. They were commissioned to coincide with Northern Ireland's centenary.
- John Turner introduces and links the series of five articles
- Together with Áine Doran and Alan Fernihough, I wrote a piece on lessons from the Great Irish Famine
Demography and Influenza-18
Eoin McLaughlin and I have a pre-print working paper on the demographic impact of the Spanish flu in Ireland.
- Death, Demography and the Denominator: Age-Adjusted Influenza-18 Mortality in Ireland (Medrxiv preprint, January 2021)