Short Biography
Professor William O'Brien is a graduate of University College Cork where he completed doctoral research in 1987 on the subject of prehistoric copper mining. Prior to his appointment to the Cork chair in 2006, he lectured for 16 years in the Department of Archaeology, NUI Galway. His research interests include the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age in Ireland, early mining and metallurgy in Atlantic Europe, and prehistoric landscape archaeology. He has a particular interest in the prehistory of south-west Ireland, where he has conducted numerous research excavations. He has published widely on these topics, including a recent book on his discovery of the Beaker copper mine at Ross Island, Co. Kerry.
Current Research
Current research projects include a study of early settlement landscapes in the Beara Peninsula, Co. Cork. This project is nearing completion and involved several seasons of studying pre-bog archaeology in the upland valleys of the peninsula. Professor O’Brien is also working on an investigation of late prehistoric settlement in the mid-Cork region, which includes his recent study of Cashel hillfort and its wider cultural landscape. Other projects include a study of Bronze Age fulachtai fia in the Cork region, the investigation of early cave settlement in Killarney National Park, and a study of prehistoric barrows in south-west Ireland.
