David Meredith
Research OfficerResearch Interests
My research interests centre on understanding the interrelated local, regional, national and international social and economic processes that underpin contemporary rural development. Exploring rural change and the associated implications for the future development of rural communities, this programme focuses on the on-going evolution of rural areas and communities in response to wider, i.e. national, EU and global, social and economic changes. I have a particular interest in assessing the restructuring of the rural economy and how local resource endowment, including the capacity of individuals and communities to act, shapes the impacts and outcomes of external drivers of change at the community level and gives rise to diverse and differentiated rural areas.
Current Projects
The Family Farm in Ireland: 1981 – 2011
Agriculture Land Markets - Analysis of the functioning of Irish agricultural land markets (WP Leader).
Join2Farm (WP Leader)
Profitable dry stock enterprise development: Pathways to growth (PI)
National scale study to determine the extent and location of potential High Nature Value farmlands within Ireland (Spatial and data analysis WP Leader)
Commission for the economic development of rural areas (PI)
Education
Dip. Statistics Trinity College Dublin 2012 - 2014
PhD Geography NUI Maynooth. 2007 - 2012
Thesis: Evaluating the National Spatial Strategy for Ireland: People, Place and Potential. Awarded February 2012
MLitt. Geography University College Dublin 1995 - 1998
Thesis: Impacts of the Common Fisheries Policy on the structure of the Irish fishing fleet and implications for rural development.
Award: Distinction
BA Geography University College Dublin (N.U.I) 1992 - 1995
Dissertation: Slieveardagh, Co. Tipperary: The role of sustainable agricultural and rural development.
Award: B.A. Hons.
Professional Membership
Irish Rural Studies Association
Regional Studies Association
Agricultural Economics Society of Ireland
Geographical Society of Ireland
Kearns, G., Meredith, D., & Morrissey, J. (Eds.). (2014). Spatial Justice and Ireland's Economic Crisis. Dublin: Royal Irish Academy.
Crowley, C., & Meredith, D. (2014). The changing place of agriculture in the EU. In A. Copus (Ed.) Territorial Cohesion in Rural Europe. London: Routledge.
Meredith, D., & Faulkner, J.P. (2014). The Nature of Uneven Economic Development in Ireland: 1991 – 2011. In G. Kearns, D. Meredith & J. McDonagh (Eds.), Spatial Justice and Ireland's Economic Crisis. Dublin: Royal Irish Academy.
Kearns, G., & Meredith, D. (2014). Spatial Justice and Provision of Primary Education in Ireland. In G. Kearns, D. Meredith & J. McDonagh (Eds.), Spatial Justice and Ireland's Economic Crisis. Dublin: Royal Irish Academy.
Meredith, D., & Van Egeraat, C. (2013). Editorial, Revisiting the National Spatial Strategy. Administration, 60(3), 3-12.
Meredith, D., Foley, R., & Walsh, J. (2013). Perspectives on Ireland’s rural economic geography: An evaluation of spatial structures. Administration, 60(3), 61-91.
Osborne, A., Blake, C., Fullen, B. M., Meredith, D., Phelan, J., McNamara, J., & Cunningham, C. (2013). Work-related musculoskeletal disorders among Irish farm operators. American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 56(2), 235-242. doi: 10.1002/ajim.22001
Osborne, A., Finnegan, G., Blake, C., Meredith, D., McNamara, J., Phelan, J., & Cunningham, C. (2013). An evaluation of low back pain among farmers in Ireland. Occupational Medicine, 63(1), 53-59. doi: 10.1093/occmed/kqs173
Osborne, A., Blake, C., Fullen, B., Meredith, D., Phelan, L., McNamara, J., & Cunningham, C. (2012) Risk factors for musculoskeletal disorders among farm owners and farm workers: A systematic review. American Journal of Industrial Medicine. DOI: 10.1002/ajim.22001
Meredith, D. (2011) Recent Trends in Employment and Unemployment: Assessing the impact of the economic downturn on part-time farmers. Administration, 59, 81-100.
Meredith, D. 2011. Rural Europe in a Global Context. In The New Rural Europe: Towards Rural Cohesion Policy, eds. A. Copus & L. Hornstrom, 71-84. Stockholm: Nordregio.
Jon Paul Faulkner: Walsh Fellow
Rural Change and Rural Resilience. School of Geography, Planning and Environmental Policy, University College Dublin.
Conor Lynch: Externally Funded Walsh Fellow
A Spatial and Behavioural Analysis of Decision Patterns Among Irish Farm Households. School of Geography, Planning and Environmental Policy, University College Dublin.
Megan Clinton: Externally funded masters student.
Temporal analysis of farm fatalities in Ireland: A statistical analysis. School of Computer Science and Statistics, Trinity College Dublin.