Dr Megan Coghlan

    Law

    Assistant Professor

    Biography

    Dr Megan Coghlan is an Assistant Professor in Criminology at the School of Law and Criminology at Maynooth University.

    Megan was awarded her PhD in 2022 at the University of Portsmouth and that research examined people’s reasons for returning to or persisting with crime. The research applied a qualitative approach to explore men and women’s offending experiences in Ireland and utilised a desistance theoretical framework to make sense of reoffending.

    Published Report

    Year Publication
    2022 Megan Coghlan and Dennis Gough (2022) Understanding Reoffending: Push factors and preventative responses. Department of Justice, .

    Book Chapter

    Year Publication
    2024 Megan Coghlan (2024) 'Irish Traveller Men: Structural and Cultural Barriers, and Reoffending' In: Marginalised Voices in Criminology. Abingdon-on-Thames : Routledge. [DOI]

    Conference Contribution

    Year Publication
    2023 Megan Coghlan (2023) European Society of Criminology Conference Continuing with and returning to crime: Gendered experiences of coping through substance misuse and reoffending University of Florence, .
    2023 Megan Coghlan (2023) North South Criminology Conference Insulation from Loss: Exploring the Role of Social Bonds at the Reoffending and Desistance Stages of the Offending Cycle Dublin City University, .

    Blog

    Year Publication
    2023 Megan Coghlan (2023) What's needed to reduce the high level of criminal reoffending in Ireland?. [Blog] [Link]

    Peer Reviewed Journal

    Year Publication
    2024 Megan Coghlan (2024) 'Insulation from loss: Exploring the impact of changing relationships in the liminal period between reoffending and desistance, and substance misuse and recovery'. Criminology and Criminal Justice, . [DOI]
    2024 Ian D. Marder, Patrice McCormack, Threase Finnegan-Kessie, Jennifer Schweppe, Lynsey Black, Fionnuala Brennan, Triona Kenny, Katharina Kurz, Emeline Le Prince, Marian Quinn, Ruairí Weiner, Yvonne Daly, Darragh McCashin, Kevin Wozniak, Colette Barry, Ciara Bracken-Roche, Avril Brandon, Sophia Carey, Maria Cleary, Geraldine Cleere, Megan Coghlan, Catherine Comiskey, Alan Cusack, Karl Ducque, Niamh Flanagan, Joe Garrihy, Diarmuid Griffin, Ciara Guiney, Helen Hall, Amanda Haynes, Deirdre Healy, Nicola Hughes, Frank Humphreys, Sharron Kelliher, Enda Kelly, Dympna Kenny, Noreen Lacey, Susan Leahy, Aidan McCarthy, Niamh McCormack, Lucy Michael, John F. Morrison, Ciara O’Connell, Lauren O’Connell, Liam O’Driscoll, Ríoghnach O’Leary, Johanna O’Shea, Barry Owens, Katie Prendergast, Michele Puckhaber, Orlaith Rice, PJ Ryan, Shirley Scott, Katharina Swirak, Mark Toland, Trevor Vaugh, Fiona Walsh and Tobias Winright (2024) 'Embedding a Culture of Interdisciplinary Open Research in Criminal Justice: A New Partnership for Ireland'. Irish Probation Journal, 21 :159-189. [Link]

    Newspaper Articles

    Year Publication
    2024 Lynsey Black; John F Morrison; Joe Garrihy; Rhiannon Bandiera; Megan Coghlan; Claire Hamilton; Ian D Marder; Ciara Bracken-Roche; Etain Quigley; Kevin Wozniak (2024) A return to penal populism will fail Ireland, Irish Examiner. Cork: [Newspaper Articles] [Link]
    2024 Dr IAN MARDER, Assistant Professor in Criminology, School of Law and Criminology, Maynooth University School; Senator LYNN RUANE, (Independent); IVANA BACIK TD, (Labour); AODHÁN Ó RÍORDÁIN TD, (Labour); GARY GANNON TD, (Social Democrats); Dr JOE GARRIHY, Assistant Professor in Criminology, Maynooth University; Prof TOBIAS WINRIGHT, Professor of Moral Theology, St Patrick’s Pontifical University, Maynooth; Dr THREASE FINNEGAN-KESSIE, Assistant Professor, Department of Design Innovation Maynooth University; Prof YVONNE DALY, Professor of Criminal Law and Evidence, School of Law and Government, Dublin City University; Prof CLAIRE HAMILTON, Professor of Criminology, Maynooth University; Dr DEIRDRE HEALY, Associate Professor, UCD Sutherland School of Law; Dr COLETTE BARRY, Assistant Professor in Criminology, UCD Sutherland School of Law; Dr BRIAN MELAUGH, Assistant Professor, Department of Applied Social Studies, Maynooth University; Dr AMINA ADANAN, Assistant Professor in Law, Maynooth University; Dr KEVIN WOZNIAK, Director of the Centre for Criminology, Maynooth University; Dr KEVIN WARNER, (Former National Coordinator of Education in Prison, Department of Justice); Dr MEGAN COGHLAN, Assistant Professor in Criminology, Maynooth University; Dr CIARA BRACKEN-ROCHE, Assistant Professor in Criminology, Maynooth University; Dr NIAMH MAGUIRE, Senior Lecturer in Law, South East Technological University School of Humanities; SAOIRSE BRADY, Executive Director, Irish Penal Reform Trust; Dr SEAMUS TAYLOR, Head of Applied Social Studies, Maynooth University, and Chair, Irish Penal Reform Trust; Dr JOHANNA O’SHEA, Assistant Professor in Social Work, Department of Applied Social Studies, Maynooth University; Prof MAGGIE O’NEILL, Professor of Sociology & Criminology, Director of the Institute for Social Science in the 21st Century and UCC Futures: Collective Social Futures; Dr FIONNUALA BRENNAN, Department of Law and Criminal Justice, South East Technological University; Dr KATHARINA SWIRAK, Lecturer, Department of Sociology and Criminology, University College Cork; Dr JAMES WINDLE, Senior Lecturer in Criminology, University College Cork; Dr RHIANNON BANDIERA, Assistant Professor in Criminology and Co-Director of the Research Centre in International Justice, Maynooth University; Dr FIONA DONSON, Senior Lecturer in Law and Co-Director, Traveller Equality and Justice Project, School of Law, University College Cork; Dr EVA DEVANEY, Substance Use and Gambling Support Officer; Dr SAMANTHA MORGAN-WILLIAMS, Director, Centre for Criminal Justice and Human Rights, School of Law, University College Cork; Dr LYNSEY BLACK, Assistant Professor in Criminology, Maynooth University; Prof URSULA KILKELLY, School of Law, University College Cork; JAMES LEONARD, Community Worker, Criminologist and Podcast Host; Dr MARY ROGAN, Associate Professor in Law, Trinity College Dublin; Prof DONNCHA O’CONNELL, School of Law, University of Galway; ORLAITH RICE, Law Lecturer, Dublin Business School; Prof AMANDA HAYNES, European Centre for the Study of Hate, University of Limerick; Prof JENNIFER SCHWEPPE, European Centre for the Study of Hate, University of Limerick; Dr JOHN MORRISON, Assistant Professor in Criminology, Maynooth University; Dr CATHERINE O’SULLIVAN, Senior Lecturer in Law, University College Cork; Dr GERALDINE CLEERE, Lecturer of Law and Cr (2024) s. Dublin: [Newspaper Articles] [Link]
    Certain data included herein are derived from the © Web of Science (2025) of Clarivate. All rights reserved.

    Teaching Interests

    Dr Coghlan coordinates four undergraduate modules:
    Sentencing and Non-Custodial Alternatives
    A Way Out? Desistance from Crime
    Exploring Criminology
    Introduction to Criminal Justice