Crime and justice explored at North South Irish Criminology Conference

17 Jul 2026

• Criminology conference explored challenges in crime, justice and social harm, from drug policy and prison education to political extremism and youth justice.
• 150 researchers, practitioners and students convened at event hosted at University College Cork.

Gendered harm and violence, addiction and drug policy and victim’s rights were among the topics explored at the 17th North South Irish Criminology Conference which took place at University College Cork (UCC).

Over 150 criminology researchers, policymakers and practitioners convened at the two-day event, hosted by UCC Department of Sociology and Criminology and the ISS21 Crime and Social Harm Research Cluster.

The conference programme examined a wide range of contemporary criminology issues, including women's experiences of addiction services, victims' rights and access to justice, hate and political extremism, and political violence and violent narratives. Bringing together diverse disciplinary perspectives, the discussions highlighted the role of research in informing policy, practice and public debate on some of society's most pressing challenges.

The conference featured a keynote presentation by Professor Alex Stevens, University of Sheffield, who presented research on Drug Policy Constellations: The role of power and morality in the making of drug policy in the UK. John Mooney, Security Correspondent with The Irish Times, was interviewed by Kevin Sweeney on the evolving security challenges facing Ireland; and Daniel Sexton of Cork ETB, who showcased artwork created by students participating in the BA Criminology/Cork Prison Inside-Out module.

The event also celebrated the North South Together Toolkit, Ireland’s first all-island prison education toolkit, which was recently launched by UCC in partnership with Cork ETB Education Unit in Cork Prison, and Queen’s University Belfast, in partnership with Hydebank Wood Secure College.

A highlight of the conference was the presentation of the Vicky Conway Award for Best Postgraduate Paper to Áine Bernadette Mannion, PhD researcher in UCC School of Law, for her paper, Discretion Before Design: The Development of Child Cautioning and Diversion Policy in Ireland, 1953–1963.

Professor Orla Lynch, Professor in Criminology at UCC and a member of the conference organising committee, said: “The North South conference is a wonderful event that brings together researchers from across the Island of Ireland and beyond. This was the 17th year of the conference, and the richness of research and activism demonstrated at the event was outstanding.”

How to improve addiction services for women in Ireland by Dr James Windle, Lecturer in Criminology and Director of the BA Criminology degree at UCC, and Dr Joan Cronin, Lecturer in Criminology and Sociology at UCC, is published on RTÉ Brainstorm.

The conference was supported by UCC Collective Social Futures Major Events Fund.

Studying Sociology and Criminology at UCC

The Department of Sociology and Criminology at University College Cork is a leading centre for teaching and research on society, crime and justice.

It offers undergraduate degrees BA in Criminology and BA Sociology; postgraduate programmes Criminology MA, Sociology MA, and Sociology of Sustainability and Global Challenges MA; and PhD opportunities across a broad range of research areas.