Staff Profiles

Dr Maggie O'Neill is a researcher in the J.E. Cairnes School of Business and Economics at the University of Galway. She plays a dual role as both a researcher and coordinator for the University's Tax Clinic, while also researching decent work and future trends.
Her unique research trajectory spans literature and social policy, developing into in her current focus on tax literacy and social citizenship, and the intersections of ageing and employment.
Maggie holds a PhD in English from Maynooth University, complemented by a Master's degree in English, Theology & Sociology, and a Bachelor's degree in English & Sociology from University College Dublin. She further enhanced her educational qualifications with a Specialist Diploma in Teaching, Learning & Scholarship in Higher Education from the University of Limerick.
Her research journey began with a focus on literature and cultural studies, as evidenced by her early publications on Irish writers and representations of ageing in literature. This foundation in critical analysis and cultural studies has informed her approach to social research.
Maggie's professional experience reflects a progression from teaching to interdisciplinary research. After teaching English at the secondary and tertiary levels, she transitioned to roles that bridged humanities and social sciences. As a Project Fellow in Digital Arts & Humanities in Maynooth University and later as the Gender Arc Project Coordinator at the University of Limerick, she developed her skills in interdisciplinary collaboration and research coordination.
Maggie's research experience spans multiple interdisciplinary projects. In the Irish Centre for Social Gerontology, as part of the Virtual EngAge project, she lead qualitative research on digital engagement for older people. Her work on the SILE (Service Involvement and Lived Experience in Health and Social Care Services) project contributed to advancing knowledge on service involvement strategies for marginalised groups. These experiences, along with her involvement in the DAISIE (Dynamics of Accumulated Inequalities in Employment), Restoring Ageing, and MascAge projects (exploring representations of gendered ageing), provided valuable insights into ageing, employment and social policy, laying the groundwork for her current research interests.

Since 2020, Maggie has played a key role in the launch and coordination of the University of Galway Tax Clinic, the first of its kind in Ireland. This role combines her research skills with practical application, as she investigates the intersections of tax literacy, social citizenship, and empowerment. Her recent and forthcoming publications on tax clinics and social citizenship reflect this new direction in her research. Currently, Maggie is also expanding her research into the area of decent work and future workplace trends. This allows her to explore emerging issues in labour markets, including new inequalities, precarious work, and the impact of technology.
Maggie's diverse academic background and research experience position her uniquely to address complex social issues through an interdisciplinary lens, combining insights from literature, sociology, and public policy to inform her work.