Sean O'Connell

Sean O'Connell is a Professor at Queen's University Belfast's School of History, Anthropology, Philosophy and Politics, specializing in British and Irish social history. His research focuses on oral history, working-class communities, gender history, and consumerism, with notable work on Northern Ireland's mother and baby institutions and Magdalene laundries. He currently co-chairs the Truth Recovery Independent Panel examining these institutions.

• Teaches undergraduate courses on working-class communities and recording history, and a postgraduate module on difficult oral histories.
• Recipient of awards including the Chancellor's Teaching Excellence Award and Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.
• Lead researcher on AHRC and Leverhulme Trust-funded projects, including studies on consumer credit history and joyriding.

Research highlights include a 2018 monograph on UK consumer credit politics and an influential 2021 report on Northern Ireland's mother and baby homes. His work bridges academic research with public engagement, contributing to policy discussions through historical analysis.