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Dr. Damien Brennan

Associate Professor (School of Nursing & Midwifery)
DOLIER STREET - SCHOOL OF NURSING
      
Profile Photo

Dr. Damien Brennan

Associate Professor (School of Nursing & Midwifery)
DOLIER STREET - SCHOOL OF NURSING

 dbrennan@tcd.ie

 3531896 3114


Prof Damien Brennan is an Associate Professor in the School of Nursing & Midwifery at Trinity College Dublin, and elected Head of School since 2024. His academic career spans nursing and sociology, combining clinical expertise with sociological analysis to explore how societies organise, experience and reform systems of care. His research has made a significant contribution to unpacking Ireland"s historical reliance on institutional confinement, while advancing contemporary debates on care capacity within families and communities in post-institutional society. Prof Brennan"s research has attracted funding from major national organisations and has influenced academic, public and policy discourse on care provision in Ireland. With an emphasis on real world impact, Prof Brennan is a Principal Investigator on family care provision, within the longitudinal study on ageing and intellectual disabilities (IDS-Tilda https://www.tcd.ie/tcaid/research/idstilda.php). He communicates his research through media, public lectures, and policy engagement, ensuring that scholarship meaningfully shapes societal understanding and reform of care systems. Prior to entering academia, Prof Brennan practised as a psychiatric nurse and nurse tutor, gaining extensive experience across mental health and social care services both in Ireland and developing countries. Today, he leads the top nursing school in Ireland and the European Union, comprised of a multidisciplinary academic community of over 140 staff and 1,700 students. In this progressive leadership role, Prof Brennan fosters collaboration across healthcare research, education, and practice at local, national, and international levels. Prof Brennan is committed to a clear purpose - ensuring that nursing education, research and practice positively impact on people's lived experiences of birth, illness, disability, and end-of-life care.
  Aetiology of mental illness   Ageing   Ageing & Intellectual Disability Issues   Development studies   Development, prevention and treatment of mental disease or disorder   Family Centred Care   Gender issues, gender studies   Health and Social Care Legislation and Policy   Health Care Policy   Health Disparities   Health status and inequalities   Informal Carers   Intellectual Disability   Leadership in nursing   Mental health nursing   Mental health promotion   Nursing Education   OLDER PERSONS   Patterns of health   Psychiatry   Psychology of Aging   Social Theory   Sociological influences on health   Sociology of illness and health
Project Title
 IDS-TILDA Longitudinal Study on Ageing and Intellectual Disabilities
From
2025
To
2028
Summary
Co-applicant to the IDS-TILDA (Wave 6). This is a longitudinal study researching ageing in Ireland among people with an intellectual disability aged 40 and over.
Funding Agency
Health Research Board & Department of Health
Programme
IDS-TILDA (Family Care)
Project Type
Longitudinal
Person Months
36
Project Title
 IDS-TILDA Longitudinal Study on Ageing and Intellectual Disabilities
From
2021
To
2025
Summary
Co-applicant to the IDS-TILDA (Wave 5). This is a longitudinal study researching ageing in Ireland among people with an intellectual disability aged 40 and over.
Funding Agency
Health Research Board & Department of Health
Programme
IDS-TILDA (Family Care)
Project Type
Longitudinal Study
Person Months
36
Project Title
 Study to Inform a Competency Framework for Designated Officers in Adult Safeguarding
From
1 Dec 2025
To
31 Jul 2026
Summary
The overall aim is to co-produce an evidence-informed competency framework for Designated Officers in adult safeguarding that enhances role clarity, strengthens consistency of practice, and supports the implementation of HSE safeguarding reform.
Funding Agency
Health Service Executive
Programme
HSE National Safeguarding Office
Project Type
Educational
Person Months
9
Project Title
 New Horizons in Learning: Co-Design of Undergraduate Nursing and Midwifery Curricula Project
From
2025
To
2026
Summary
The motivation for this project stems from the rapidly evolving healthcare landscape, which requires nursing and midwifery graduates to be equipped with advanced interpersonal, clinical, and critical thinking skills. Evolving skills, such as digital literacy and sustainability competencies, are also paramount for new graduates. With the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI) updating its standards (2025), there is a pressing need to develop a curriculum that is not only aligned with these requirements but also inclusive and responsive to the diverse needs of learners. Additionally, the integration of innovative teaching and assessment methodologies is crucial to ensure academic integrity and prepare graduates for the complexities of modern healthcare. This project aims to create a forward-thinking, student-centred curriculum that fosters professional readiness, inclusivity, and adaptability, ensuring that graduates are well-prepared to meet the future needs of society and healthcare systems.
Funding Agency
TCD Learning Innovation Fund 2025
Programme
Research Hub for Learning Innovation (ReLI)
Project Title
 Development of integrated AV materials addressing people-, person-, and patient-centred (PCC) healthcare in an interprofessional context
From
To
Summary
Funding Agency
Dean's Award for Innovation in Teaching
Programme
TCD Faculty of Health Sciences
Person Months
12

Page 1 of 4
Details Date
Irish Universities Alliance (IUA) Representative | National Integrated Professional Collaborative Network of Nursing and Midwifery Leaders Group 2025
Project Lead | Collaborative project with Family Carers Ireland, funded by the IRC 2021-2022
Board Member | Greystones Family Resource Centre 2019-2021
Presenter & Contributor | Round Table for HSE National Clinical Programme for People with Disability & TCAID 26th January 2022
Member | Delegation to Present to Oireachtas Sub Committee on Ageing and ID 2015
Member | International Election Observer Register (European Commission Election Observation Mission) 2000 - 2022
Member | Observer of Albanian General Elections (2001) | Selected as Observer for Pakistani Elections Mission (Election monitoring mission withdrawn prior to deployment) | International Election Observer Register (European Commission Election Observation Mission) 2001
Member | Numerous External Interview Panels 2002-To Date
Peer Reviewer | Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine 2012-2022
Peer Reviewer | Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities 2014-2022
Peer Reviewer | Journal of Nurse Management 2005-2022
External Examiner | BSc (Hons) Nursing, Dundalk Institute of Technology 2009-2012
External Examiner | BSc (Hons) Nursing, Athlone Institute of Technology 2002-2006
Subject Lead (Sociology) | Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (Contributor to new NMBI Standards and Requirements for Nurse Registration Programmes) 2016
Executive Committee Member | Sociological Association of Ireland 2005 - 2011
Invited Contributor | Mary Raftery Journalism Fund (Screening of Behind the Walls Documentary) Seminar | Are you sitting Comfortably? Irish Film Institute * Broadcasting Authority of Ireland * RTE 2015
Invited Contributor | Mary Raftery Journalism Fund (Screening of Behind the Walls Documentary) Roundtable on Documentary Film Making Ethics | Irish Film Institute * Broadcasting Authority of Ireland * RTE 2015
Invited Speaker | Law Society of Ireland (Are our prisons becoming twenty-first Century asylums for the mentally ill) 17th November 2010
Invited Speaker | The Association of Irish Mental Health Nurse Managers 8th April 2006
Details Date From Date To
Nursing and Midwifery Board Ireland (Bord Altranais agus Cnáimhseachais na hÉireann): REGISTERED PSYCHIATRIC NURSE 1992 To Date
Nursing and Midwifery Board Ireland (Bord Altranais agus Cnáimhseachais na hÉireann: REGISTERED NURSE TUTOR 2000 To Date
International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (UK): MEMBER 2016 To Date
Sociological Association of Ireland (SAI): MEMBER 2003 To Date
European Sociological Association (Paris): MEMBER 2010 To Date
Damien Brennan, Who Cares? Negotiating & Renegotiating Care for Adults with Intellectual Disabilities - an Evaluation of Irish Disability Policy, THE CONF 2026 (Trinity Health and Education International Research Conference), Ireland, 4-5 March 2026, 2026, Conference Paper, PUBLISHED  URL
Brennan Damien, D'Eath Maureen, McCarron Mary, McCallion Philip, Henderson Ciara, Trinity College Dublin, 'A Question of Choice? The Provision of Care for Adults with Intellectual Disabilities', 2026, -, Notes: [Life expectancy of people with intellectual disabilities (ID) has steadily improved, and with this progression in longevity, there is an increased need for health and social resources. This presents a specific challenge for policymakers seeking to provide life-long care for adults with ID. Researchers at Trinity College Dublin (TCD) have documented the changing health, social, and care needs of this vulnerable population highlighting the importance of planning for diverse living arrangements across the lifespan (McCarron et al., 2011; Brennan et al., 2018, 2025; McCausland et al., 2021; Sheerin et al., 2022; Burke et al., 2023). The evidence supports individualised solutions oriented around choice for both adults with ID and the families who care for them.], Digital research resource production, PUBLISHED  URL
Brennan, D., McCallion, P., McCarron, M. and D'Eath, M, Keeping It in the Family: The Proposed and Rejected Irish Constitutional Amendment on Family Caregiving - Insights From the IDS-TILDA Carer Study, British Journal of Learning Disabilities., 2025, Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
Brennan, D., McCallion, P., McCarron, M., & D"Eath, M., Keeping it in the Family: The proposed and rejected Irish Constitutional amendment on family caregiving - Insights from the IDS-TILDA Carers Study (TARA Database), British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 2025, Journal Article, PUBLISHED  TARA - Full Text  DOI
Brennan, D., McCallion, P., McCarron, M., & D"Eath, M, Keeping it in the Family: The proposed and rejected Irish Constitutional amendment on family caregiving - Insights from the IDS-TILDA Carers Study., Transforming Care Conference, Helsinki, Finland, June 25-27th 2025, 2025, Oral Presentation, PUBLISHED  URL
Brennan, D., McIlgorm, M., Kenna, R., Reflections of the Role of Senior Leadership, THE CONF 2025 (Trinity Health and Education International Research Conference), School of Nursing & Midwifery, 24 D'Olier Street, Dublin 2, 5 - 6 March 2025, 2025, Oral Presentation, PUBLISHED  URL
Brennan, D, Long-Term Family Caregiving Sustainability with Ireland: Learning from the IDS-TILDA Carers Study. Healthcare in times of crisis: adaptive responses and global innovations., THE CONF 2025 (Trinity Health and Education International Research Conference), Trinity College Dublin, 5-6 March 2025, 2025, Notes: [Oral Presentation], Oral Presentation, PUBLISHED  URL
Brennan, D., McCarron, M., McCallion, P. & D'eath, M., Keeping it in the Family: The rejection of Irish Constitutional amendment on familycaregiving - Insights from a Carers Study, Trinity Health and Education International Research Conference (THEconf2025)- Healthcare in times of crisis: resilience at home and abroad, Trinity College Dublin, 4th - 6th March, 2025, Oral Presentation, PUBLISHED  URL
Breslin, N., Brennan, D., Hollywood, E., Comiskey, C. and Sheerin, F., The role of Path Dependency Theory in the reproduced structures, systems and practices of the Irish Mental Health System over the last 200 years., New Horizons in Healthcare: Global Impact, Local Relevance, THE CONF 2024 (Trinity Health and Education International Research Conference), School of Nursing and Midwifery, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland, 5-7 March 2024, 2024, Notes: [New Horizons in Healthcare: Global Impact, Local Relevance], Conference Paper, PUBLISHED
Timmins, F., McCausland, D., Brennan, D., Sheerin, F., Luus, R., McCallion, P., & McCarron, M., A national cohort study of spiritual and religious practices of older people with intellectual disability, Journal of Intellectual Disabilities, 28, (2), 2024, p533 - 548, Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
  

Page 1 of 9
Breslin, Niall; Brennan, Damien (contributor), 'All That Remains with Niall Breslin', Ireland, RTÉ One (National TV), 2026, -, Notes: [Niall sets out to remember more than 1,300 people buried in unmarked graves in the grounds of the former St Loman's psychiatric hospital in his native Mullingar], Broadcast, PUBLISHED
Damien Brennan, Gender and the Asylum: Mental Hospital Confinement in Ireland 1800 - 2025, DU History and TCD Women's Health Society, TCD, 23 October 2025, 2025, Invited Talk, PUBLISHED
McCarron, M., Mc Causland D., Wormald, A., McGlinchey, E., MacGiolla Phadraig, C., Brennan, D., and Burke, EA, Longitudinal Dynamics in the Ageing of People with an Intellectual Disability: Evidence from IDS-TILDA, Data and Knowledge Sharing and Dissemination (Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth), Dublin, 8 December 2023, 2023, IDS-TILDA and Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Invited Talk, PUBLISHED
, People with intellectual disability in limbo as families shun talks on future Irish, 2017, -, Miscellaneous, PUBLISHED
Damien Brennan, Mental Health and Happiness in Ireland, Trinity Week Symposium, Trinity College, 9th April, 2014, Trinity College, Invited Talk, PRESENTED
Damien Brennan, Time for Those Damaged by the Asylum System to Tell Their Stories, 2014, -, Miscellaneous, PUBLISHED
Brennan, Damien, 'The Right Hook', NewsTalk Radio, 2013, -, Broadcast, PUBLISHED
Marian Finucane; Damien Brennan, 'Marian Finucane Radio Show', Sunday Morning Radio, Ireland, RTE, 2013, -, Broadcast, PUBLISHED
Brennan D., Irish Insanity: The excessive use of Mental Hospitals in Ireland, Trinity College, 24th October, 2013, School of Nursing and Midwifery "Tell me about public lecture series", Notes: [public lecture], Invited Talk, PRESENTED
Fintan O'Toole, Time for State to acknowledge great wrong of Irish mental hospital system, 2013, -, Miscellaneous, PUBLISHED

  


Page 1 of 2
Award Date
Masters in Arts (j.o.), Trinity College November 2006
Dean of Health Sciences Innovation in Teaching Award 2024/2025 2025
Prof Brennan"s research agenda has attracted funding from bodies such as the Irish Research Council, the National Disability Authority, the Irish Penal Reform Trust and the Department of Health and Children. Prof Brennan held roles of PI, Co-Researcher and project manager to these funded research initiatives, which has resulted in quality outputs in academic journals, book chapters and a sole authored book. Prof Brennan also acts as a 'public intellectual', disseminating research through TV Documentaries, National Radio, Print Media, Key Note Addresses and Public Lectures. His work is an established point of reference which both informs and shapes national discourse concerning 'Contexts of Care Provision in Ireland'. Prof Brennan"s research publications and outputs address some uncomfortable aspects of Ireland"s past use of institutional care settings, while also impacting the capacity for care provision within contemporary Irish society. In the course of addressing these substantive societal issues, he has mapped an institutional social process spanning some two-hundred years, illustrating that Ireland had the highest level of mental hospital residency internationally. This was prolonged, detailed, hard-won, and at times `unpopular" research, culminating in his sole authored book Irish Insanity 1800-2000 (2014). He has contributed widely as a public intellectual, placing his findings firmly within the public and political domains, for example working with the late Mary Raftery on the RTE investigative documentary Behind the Walls. The impact of Prof Brennan"s book Irish Insanity 1800-2000 and subsequent media traction, had the effect of opening up new academic challenges within the `post-institutional landscape", specifically, regarding the capacity of contemporary society to provide care within the home/domestic setting, in fields such as mental health, intellectual disability and ageing. Tangible examples of his sustained impact in defining and progressing this field include; his role as Co-applicant and Core Team Member of the HRB funded longitudinal study IDS-TILDA (2010-To Date); his research report Understanding Family Strategies that enable Long Term and Sustainable Home Environments for Older People with Intellectual Disability (2016), funded by the NDA; and his subsequent (2018) IRC funded research A participatory action research study to enhance long term care planning for older people with an Intellectual Disability in Ireland and their families. Building on this research agenda, new research objectives are formulated, for example his current leadership of an IRC funded research collaboration with the Family Careers Ireland which is examining the Social Contract for Care Provision in Ireland (2020-2022).