World-class research based on a distinctive, interdisciplinary approach to the natural sciences, social sciences, engineering and technology, and the arts and humanities.
The MU International Office is the first point of contact for international students applying for full-degree, Erasmus, Study Abroad, and Summer School programmes, and supports MU students who wish to study abroad.
Bríd is an expert in the Law of Forced Migration, particularly on the topic of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), which refers to the (estimated) 71 million people who have been forced to flee their homes but who remain within their states. The complexity of reasons for which IDPs flee has meant that her research spans refugee law, human rights law, humanitarian law, disaster law, law of the sea, international refugee law, as well as general Public International Law. Bríd has published widely in these areas in leading journals such as Human Rights Law Review, International and Comparative Law Quarterly, Legal Studies, Refugee Survey Quarterly, and International Journal of Refugee Law. Her book entitled 'Internally Displaced Persons and International Refugee Law' was published with Oxford University Press in 2022. Aside from her post at Maynooth, Bríd is a Senior Researcher at the Institute of International Relations, Prague; a Senior Research Associate at the Refugee Law Initiative, University of London; a Senior Research Associate at the Internal Displacement Research Programme, University of London; and a Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Reading. Bríd is also co-lead of the Working Group on Internal Displacement Law and Policy, and Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Irish Yearbook of International Law. Bríd regularly appears in both English and Irish-language media as a commentator in her areas of expertise.
Previously, Bríd was Principal Investigator on the ‘Safe Zones in International Law’ project funded by the Czech Ministry of Education at Masaryk University, Czech Republic. She has been a consultant to Greenpeace East Asia, UNDP, Oxford Analytica, Ukrainian-based NGO Stabilisation Support Services, and the UN Secretary-General's High Level Panel on Internal Displacement. Bríd was also appointed as one of four Expert Members of the Council of Europe’s Working Group on IDPs, and co-designed the Council of Europe's HELP (Higher Education for Legal Professionals) course on Internal Displacement. From 2014-2018, Bríd was a Lecturer at the University of Sheffield where she won two of the University’s top teaching awards. She has also previously worked as a Trainee at the Legal Division of the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and taught at the Universities of Helsinki, Cyprus, Oxford, and Shandong University China. Bríd holds a DPhil from the University of Oxford; an LLM (Public International Law) from Leiden University; a BCL (International) from NUI Galway; and diplomas in Legal French and Legal Irish from the Law Society of Ireland and NUI Galway, respectively.
Bríd teaches International Human Rights Law, International Mooting, and International Humanitarian Law at Maynooth. She welcomes potential research students, collaborations, and media enquiries pertaining to any of her research areas.
Research Projects
Title
Role
Description
Start date
End date
Amount
Maynooth University Summer Programme for Undergraduate Research
Principal Investigator
16/06/2021
31/08/2021
1500
Safe Zones in International Law
Principal Investigator
A ‘safe zone’ refers to an area established in armed conflict for the purposes of protecting civilians. Safe zones can take many forms, but often consist of camps in refugee-generating states that are protected by the military power of a foreign state or by an international organization. As the numbers of displaced persons generated by the Syrian conflict rises, and the political will to accept refugees falls, it is unsurprising that Turkey has established a safe zone in Syria and that many other states have previously considered this course of action.
However, safe zones can be extremely dangerous. Their establishment is often motivated by policies of containment and it is often difficult to ensure they will not be attacked. It is therefore crucial that we understand the legal framework surrounding their establishment in order guide future state behaviour and prevent safe zones from becoming completely divorced from any legal parameters.
This two-year project aims to provide the first comprehensive legal analysis of safe zones in international law. It will identify how and when safe zones can be legally established; their relationship with refugee, human rights, and international law; and how states’ legal obligations can be monitored and enforced in safe zones.
03/09/2018
31/08/2020
70000
Book
Year
Publication
2022
Ní Ghráinne B. (2022) Internally displaced persons and international refugee law.[DOI]
Book Chapter
Year
Publication
2023
Bríd Ní Ghráinne, Ben Hudson (2023) 'The International Organisation for Migration’s Engagement with the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement' In: IOM Unbound? Obligations and Accountability of the International Organization for Migration in an Era of Expansion. Cambridge : Cambridge University Press.
2021
Bríd Ní Ghráinne (2021) 'The Internal Protection Alternative' In: Oxford Handbook of International Refugee Law. Oxford : Oxford University Press. [Link]
2021
Bríd Ní Ghráinne, David Kosar (2021) 'State Responsibility' In: Casebook on Cybersecurity. Brno : Masaryk University Press.
2021
Bríd Ní Ghráinne (2021) 'Teaching Refugee Law with Moot Courts' In: Learning and Teaching the Law Affecting Migrants: Theory and Practice. Abindgon : Routledge.
2019
Bríd Ní Ghráinne (2019) 'Internally Displaced Persons and International Refugee Law' In: Research Handbook on International Refugee Law. Cheltenham : Edward Elgar. [DOI]
2017
Bríd Ní Ghráinne (2017) 'The 2015 Andaman Sea Boat Crisis: Human Rights and Refugee Law Considerations' In: Blurring Boundaries: Human Security and Forced Migration. Leiden : Brill. [DOI]
Edited Book
Year
Publication
2020
Anna-Maria Osula, Bríd Ní Ghráinne et al (Ed.). (2020) Cybersecurity Law Casebook 2020. Masaryk University Brno: Masaryk University Press,
Peer Reviewed Journal
Year
Publication
2021
Ben Hudson; Bríd Ní Ghráinne (2021) 'Enhancing State-to-State Dialogue on Internal Displacement: Current Global Fora and Future Prospects'. Refugee Survey Quarterly, . [Link][Full-Text]
2020
Bríd Ní Ghráinne (2020) 'Safe Zones and the Internal Protection Alternative'. International and Comparative Law Quarterly, . [Link][DOI][Full-Text]
2019
Bríd Ní Ghráinne; Aisling McMahon (2019) 'Abortion in Northern Ireland and the European Court of Human Rights: Reflections from the UK Supreme Court'. International and Comparative Law Quarterly, . [Link][DOI][Full-Text]
2019
Bríd Ní Ghráinne; Aisling McMahon (2019) 'Access to Abortion in Cases of Fatal Foetal Abnormality: A New Direction for the European Court of Human Rights?'. Human Rights Law Review, . [DOI][Full-Text]
2017
Bríd Ní Ghráinne (2017) 'Left to Die at Sea: State Responsibility for the May 2015 Thai, Indonesian and Malaysian Pushback Operations'. Irish Yearbook of International Law, . [Full-Text]
2017
Bríd Ní Ghráinne; Aisling McMahon (2017) 'A Public International Law Approach to Safeguard Nationality for Surrogate-Born Children'. Legal Studies, 37 (2):324-342. [Link][DOI][Full-Text]
2015
Bríd Ní Ghráinne (2015) 'The Internal Protection Alternative Inquiry and Human Rights Considerations - Irrelevant or Indispensable?'. International Journal of Refugee Law, . [Link][DOI][Full-Text]
2014
Bríd Ní Ghráinne (2014) 'UNHCR's Involvement with IDPs - 'Protection of that Country' for the Purposes of Precluding Refugee Status?'. International Journal of Refugee Law, . [Link][DOI][Full-Text]
Other Journal
Year
Publication
2021
Bríd Ní Ghráinne (2021) 'Safe Zones and Human Rights Law'Perspectives on Terrorism, .
2013
Bríd Ní Ghráinne (2013) 'How Refugee Law Became Politicised: An Irish Perspective'Refugee Review, .
2018
Aisling McMahon; Bríd Ní Ghráinne (2018) 'After the 8th: Ireland, Abortion, and International Law'Medico-Legal Journal of Ireland, . [DOI][Full-Text]
Conference Contribution
Year
Publication
2021
Bríd Ní Ghráinne (2021) QUB Law PhD Student Research Network Publishing for Early Career Researchers Queen's University Belfast, .
2020
Bríd Ní Ghráinne (2020) Interdisciplinary Migration Research Seminar Internally Displaced Persons and International Refugee Law Danube University Krems, .
2020
Bríd Ní Ghráinne (2020) 3rd Conference of the German Network of Forced Migration Researchers Safe Zones and International Law Cologne, .
2020
Bríd Ní Ghráinne (2020) Putney Student Travel The European Refugee 'Crisis' Croatia, .
2020
Bríd Ní Ghráinne (2020) Judicial Studies Institute Seminar Series Non-State Actors as International Law-Makers Masaryk University, Czech Republic, .
2020
Bríd Ní Ghráinne (2020) Faculty of Social Science Seminar What British Reviewers Want Masaryk University, Czech Republic, .
2019
Bríd Ní Ghráinne (2019) University of Michigan Junior Scholars Conference Safe Zones as Humanitarian Intervention University of Michigan, USA, .
2019
Bríd Ní Ghráinne (2019) Responsibility to Protect in Theory and Practice Conference Safe Zones as Humanitarian Intervention University of Ljubljana, Slovenia, .
2019
Bríd Ní Ghráinne (2019) Protecting the Pension Rights of Internally Displaced Persons in Ukraine Pension Rights of Internally Displaced Persons under International Law Kyiv, Ukraine, .
2019
Bríd Ní Ghráinne (2019) Refugee Law Initiative Fourth Annual Conference Safe Zones and Human Rights Law University of London, .
2019
Bríd Ní Ghráinne (2019) Institute for the Study of International Migration Safe Zones: An International Lawyer's Perspective Georgetown University, USA, .
2019
Bríd Ní Ghráinne (2019) Junior Faculty Forum in International Law Safe Zones and Proportionality National University of Singapore, .
2019
Bríd Ní Ghráinne (2019) Oxford Handbook on Refugee Law Workshop The Internal Protection Alternative University of Oxford, .
2019
Bríd Ní Ghráinne (2019) Future of Europe as a Place of Refuge Conference Encampment as a Human Rights Violation Charles University Prague, .
2018
Bríd Ní Ghráinne (2018) Refugee Law Initiative Third Annual Conference Complementary Protection and Encampment: A Critical Analysis University of London, .
2018
Bríd Ní Ghráinne (2018) Revitalising the IDP Field: 20 Years of the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement Challenges in the Relationship between the Protection of Internally Displaced Persons and International Refugee Law University of London, .
2018
Bríd Ní Ghráinne (2018) 2018 Complementary Protection and Encampment: A Critical Analysis Irish Centre for Human Rights, NUI Galway, .
2018
Bríd Ní Ghráinne (2018) Socio-Legal Studies Association Annual Conference Safe Zones and International Law University of Bristol, .
2018
Bríd Ní Ghráinne (2018) American Society of International Law Research Forum The Establishment of Safe Zones in International Law UCLA, USA, .
2017
Bríd Ní Ghráinne (2017) Environmental Displacement in 2017: Current Protection Challenges Soft Law: Hard Standards? The Guiding Principles of Internal Displacement Come of Age University of Sheffield, UK, .
2017
Bríd Ní Ghráinne (2017) Human Rights Day Workshop Ireland, Abortion, and International Law University of Sheffield, UK, .
2017
Bríd Ní Ghráinne (2017) South Yorkshire Refugee Law and Justice AGM US Refugee Policy and International Law University of Sheffield, UK, .
2017
Bríd Ní Ghráinne (2017) Legislating from Strasbourg Workshop The Impact of the European Court of Human Rights on Ireland's Abortion Law CEELI Institute Prague, Czech Republic, .
2017
Bríd Ní Ghráinne (2017) Czech Centre for Human Rights and Democratization Internally Displaced Persons: Current Prospects and Future Challenges Masaryk University, Czech Republic, .
2017
Bríd Ní Ghráinne (2017) 1st Kharkiv International Legal Forum, Ukraine Pension Rights of Internally Displaced Persons Kharkiv, Ukraine, .
2016
Bríd Ní Ghráinne (2016) Erasmus Teaching Exchange Safe Zones and International Law: Lessons from the Past and Implications for Syria? University of Cyprus, .
2016
Aisling McMahon; Bríd Ní Ghráinne (2016) American Society of International Law, Mid-Year Meeting Ireland, Abortion, and International Law University of Washington, Seattle, 12/11/2016-.
2016
Aisling McMahon; Bríd Ní Ghráinne (2016) Sheffield Law School Research Seminar Ireland, Abortion and the European Convention on Human Rights’ Sheffield Law School, 23/11/2016-.
2016
Bríd Ní Ghráinne (2016) Society of Legal Scholars Annual Conference Internal Displacement and Refugee Law: A Critical Analysis University of Oxford, .
2016
Bríd Ní Ghráinne (2016) International Law and Migration by the Andaman Sea Celebrating the Scholarship of Guy S Goodwin-Gill: An International Gathering University of Oxford, .
2016
Bríd Ní Ghráinne (2016) Refugee Law Initiative First Annual Conference Forced Migration at Sea: The Case of South-East Asia University of London, .
2014
Bríd Ní Ghráinne (2014) Refugee Law Initiative Postgraduate Conference The Non-Removal Obligation in International Human Rights Law: A Comparative Study of Regional Jurisprudence University of London, .
2015
Bríd Ní Ghráinne (2015) 18th Irish European Law Forum Collective Responsibility for Migrants at Sea: A Comparison with South-East Asia University College Dublin, .
2015
Bríd Ní Ghráinne (2015) Society of Legal Scholars Annual Conference My Search for a Lectureship in the United Kingdom University of York, .
2015
Bríd Ní Ghráinne (2015) Joint Roundtable on the Mediterranean Refugee Crisis: Views from Europe, Africa, and the Middle East The European Refugee 'Crisis' University of Sheffield, UK and University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA, .
2015
Bríd Ní Ghráinne; Aisling McMahon (2015) Society of Legal Scholars Annual Conference Whose Subjects, and Subject to Whose Laws? Stateless Children and Surrogacy Agreements University of York, .
2013
Bríd Ní Ghráinne (2013) Oxford Summer Courses The UN System of Human Rights Protection University of Oxford, .
2015
Bríd Ní Ghráinne (2015) International Law Seminar Series Legal Responsibility for Migrants at Sea: A Comparison of Europe and Asia Bangor University, Wales, .
2015
Bríd Ní Ghráinne (2015) Seventh Graz Workshop on the Future of Security The Law of Migration at Sea: A Regional Comparison University of Graz, Austria, .
2015
Bríd Ní Ghráinne; Aisling McMahon (2015) Transnational Law and Social Justice International Surrogacy Agreements: Statelessness and the Concept of the 'Family' in Transnational Contexts London School of Economics, UK, .
2015
Bríd Ní Ghráinne (2015) European Society of International Law Research Forum Who can become a party to international treaties? Palestine and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights European University Institute, Florence, Italy, .
2015
Bríd Ní Ghráinne; Aisling McMahon (2015) American Society of International Law Research Forum Stateless Children and International Law University of Washington, USA, .
2014
Bríd Ní Ghráinne (2014) Thinking Aloud Grey Areas in International Law University of Sheffield, UK, .
2014
Bríd Ní Ghráinne (2014) Young Scholars Forum IDP Protection as Subsidiary Protection McGill University, Montréal, Canada, .
2013
Bríd Ní Ghráinne (2013) International Association for the Study of Forced Migration The UNHCR's Involvement with Internally Displaced Persons: 'Protection' for the Purposes of the Refugee Definition? Calcutta, India, .
2013
Bríd Ní Ghráinne (2013) Public International Law Discussion Group Deportation to Face Human Rights Violations: Prohibited by International Law? University of Oxford, .
2013
Bríd Ní Ghráinne (2013) Europaeum Summer School The European Convention on Human Rights and Socio-Economic Considerations: Removed from Non-Removal Cases? Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Spain, .
2013
Bríd Ní Ghráinne (2013) Public International Law Discussion Group Article 1D of the 1951 Refugee Convention and its Applicability to Internally Displaced Persons University of Oxford, .
Blog
Year
Publication
2017
Bríd Ní Ghráinne; Aisling McMahon (2017) Ireland’s Violation of International Abortion Rights: A Perpetual Déjà vu. [Blog] [Link]
2017
Bríd Ní Ghráinne; Maria Vera Espinoza; Clara Sandelind (2017) Safe Return Review Policy: Counter–Productive and Morally Indefensible. [Blog] [Link]
2015
Bríd Ní Ghráinne (2015) Hungary's Actions: Past the Borderline of International Law. [Blog] [Link]
2014
Bríd Ní Ghráinne (2014) Implementation of Tripartite Agreement on Hold. [Blog] [Link]
Book Review
Year
Publication
2013
Bríd Ní Ghráinne (2013) Review of Thomas Gammeltoft-Hansen, Access to Asylum: International Refugee Law and the Globalisation of Migration Control, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2011, pp. 284. + £63.00. [Book Review] [DOI]
2012
Bríd Ní Ghráinne (2012) Review of Guy S. Goodwin-Gill and Helene Lambert (eds.), The Limits of Transnational Law: Refugee Law, Policy Harmonization and Judicial Dialogue in the European Union, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2010, 280pp., ISBN 9780521198202, £54.00. [Book Review] [DOI]
Consultancy
Year
Publication
2020
Ben Hudson; Bríd Ní Ghráinne (2020) Inter-State Dialogue on Internal Displacement: Promoting Global Platforms?. [Consultancy] [Link]
Challenges in the Relationship between the Protection of Internally Displaced Persons and Refugee Law
Law Society of Ireland
Diploma in Legal French
French Law and Language
NUI Galway
Bachelor of Civil Law (International)
Law
NUI Galway
Dioplóma sa Ghaeilge do Lucht an Dlí
Gaeilge
Languages
Language
Reading
Writing
Speaking
Irish/Gaeilge
Fluent
Fluent
Fluent
Czech
Basic
Basic
Basic
French
Functional
Functional
Functional
Consultancy
Client
Description
Council of Europe
Greenpeace South Asia
Stabilisation Support Services, Ukraine
United Nations
Teaching Interests
Bríd has over ten years' experience of teaching international law. At Maynooth, she teaches humanitarian law and international mooting at postgraduate level and international human rights law at undergraduate level. She has also taught the law of international organisations, the politics of international law, introduction to international law, humanitarian law, human rights law, and refugee law at universities all over the world, including the University of Oxford, University of Cyprus, Masaryk University, University of Helsinki, University of Sheffield, and Shandong University China. Bríd's teaching engages significantly with active learning methods, such as debates, moot courts, and mock UN General Assembly sessions. She completed the University of Sheffield's Certificate in Learning and Teaching and is a Fellow of the UK Higher Education Academy.
Bríd won two of the University of Sheffield's top teaching awards - The Students' Union Employability Award (2015) and the Faculty of Social Sciences' 'Outstanding Practice in Teaching and Learning' award (2017). Her students nominated her for a further two University-level and three national-level teaching awards. Bríd has coached five moot court teams which won the UK national championships in their respective competitions (Jessup 2022, Jessup 2014, Telders 2015, Telders 2017, and European Human Rights Moot Court 2018). Most of these teams also finished in the top handful of teams worldwide in the international finals of their respective competitions.
Bríd also has significant experience supervising and examining PhD theses. She is very open to being contacted by applicants wishing to pursue a PhD project in international law, forced migration, and human rights.
