Professor

Room 17
Rhetoric House
Tel: 353 1 708 3685
E-mail: dennis.pringle@nuim.ie
Web: www.nuim.ie/staff/dpringle

Office Hours

Biography

Born in  Bangor, Co. Down, but grew up in Belfast. Awarded a BA (Natural Sciences) by Trinity College, Dublin in 1971 and a PhD by Queen’s University, Belfast in 1978. Employed as a Research Assistant on the Belfast Social Malaise Project in the Department of Geography for the Northern Ireland Community Relations Commission, 1971-1973 and the Census Research Unit, Department of Geography, University of Durham, 1973-1974; before coming to Maynooth as a Lecturer in 1974. I have also taught modules in Memorial University, St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada; Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo and the University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada: and Rhodes University, Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, Republic of South Africa.

Research Interests 

• Medical Geography (e.g. social and spatial inequalities in health; history and potential threat of infectious diseases).
• GIS / Computer Cartography / Statistical Methods / Computer Applcations in Geography (e.g. Bayesian techniques; web-based GIS; open source GIS).
• Political Geography (e.g. growth of nationalism; national conflicts).
• Social Geography (e.g. deprivation indices).
• Population Geography (e.g. population projections).

Funded Research, Grants and Awards

• Member of the Project Team for Health Atlas Ireland – an on-line health information system. Funding from the Health Reseacrh Board and Health Services Executive is expected to rise to ca. €5m by 2010.
• (With P. Connell) €6,000 from National Council For Ageing And The Elderly to produce population projections to 2020, 2003.
• €200,000 from Health Research Board for ‘Resource Allocation in the Irish Health Services’, 2007. Lead Agency: School of Public Health and Population Sciences, UCD.

Selected Publications

• Pringle, D. (2009) The Resurgence Of Tuberculosis In The Republic Of Ireland: Perceptions And Reality. Social Science and Medicine. 68(4), 620-624, 2009.
• Pringle, D. and Houghton, F. (2007) ‘Health and Disease in Ireland’ in Bartley, B. and Kitchin, R. eds. Understanding Contemporary Ireland. Pluto Press, London, 279-288.
• Pringle, D. (2005) Cancer Mortality And Morbidity In County Louth. Cooley Environment And Health Group, Louth, 62pp.
• Pringle, D. and Connell, P. (2005) ‘Population Ageing In Ireland: Projections 2002-2021’ in O’Shea, E. and Conboy, P. eds Planning For An Ageing Population: Strategic Considerations. Report No. 87, National Council on Ageing and Older People, Dublin. 118pp.
• Pringle, D. and Connell, P. (2004) Population Ageing In Ireland: Projections, 2002-2021. Report No. 81, National Council for Ageing and Older People, Dublin.(ISBN 1 900378 32 9). 142pp.
• Pringle, D. (2004) ‘Was The QSMS Ireland’s First GIS?’. Irlogi Newsletter, 7(3), 10-12.
• Pringle, D. (2003) ‘Classics in Human Geography Revisited: Agnew, J.A. 1987 Place and Politics: The Geographical Mediation Of State And Society. Commentary 2.’ (Invited Commentary). Progress in Human Geography, 27(5), 607-9.
• Pringle, D. and Cook, S., Poole, M.A. and Moore, A.J. (2000) Comparative Spatial Deprivation in Ireland: A Cross-Border Analysis. Oak Tree Press, Dublin.

Conference Papers and Presentations

• The Geographical Search For Aetiological Clues: A Study Of First Episode Pyschoses In Cavan And Monaghan. Combat Diseases of Poverty Consortium, Maynooth. 21st April, 2009.
• ‘Medical Geography: A Brief Introduction'. Geary Institute, UCD. 20th February, 2008.
• ‘Are Area-Based Deprivation Indices A Nonsense?’ All Ireland Social Medicine Symposium, Druid’s Glen, Co. Wicklow. 20th October, 2007.
• (With Johnson H, Beaton D, Boyle E, Brazil J, Doyle D, Cullen C, Hennessy C McIntyre M, McKeown P, O’Kiersey C, Staines A). Health Atlas Ireland: A Web-Based GIS For The Irish Health Services. IRLOGI, 17th October, 2007.
• (With Johnson H, Cullen C, Boyle E, Doyle D, Brazil J, McKeown P, Staines A, Beaton D, McIntyre M, Hennessy C, O’Kiersey C) ‘Health Atlas Ireland – an open-source mapping, database and statistical system’. International Society for Environmental Epidemiology, 19th Annual Conference, Mexico City, 5th-9th September, 2007.
• ’The Re-Emergence Of Tuberculosis In The Republic Of Ireland.’ 12th International Symposium in Medical Geography, Bonn, July 9-13, 2007.
• ‘From White Plague To Black Death: The Threat Of Emerging Infectious Diseases’. Conference of Irish Geographers, St. Patrick’s College, Drumcondra, 11th-13th May, 2007.
• ‘GISing The Penguin: Opportunities For Free GIS Using Linux’. Conference of Irish Geographers, UCD, 5th-7th May, 2006.

External Assignments and Public Service

Geographical Society Of Ireland:

• President, 1992-1994;
• Vice-President, 1991-1992; 1994-1995;
• Honorary Secretary, 1980-1985;
• Membership Secretary, 1995-1998;
• GeoNews Editor, 1987-1995;
• Committee Member, 1978-1985, 1987-1998;
• Member, 1974-

Academy Committee For Geography / National Committee For Geography:

• Chair, 2004-2009;
• Honorary Secretary, 1992-1995;
• Committee Member, 1992-1995, 2004- 2009;
• Digital Data Sub-Committee, 1994-1995:
• Olympiad Sub-Committee, 2005-2007; 
• Member, Project Team, Atlas of Ireland, 2005-

Royal Irish Academy:

• Secretary and Co-Ordinator, Digital Data Working Group, 1995-2002;
• Member, Board for Science, 2005-2009;
• Member, Board For Humanities, 2008-2009.

Academic Staff Association / Irish Federation Of University Teachers:

• Committee Member, 1976-1978; 1986-1988; 2004-2009;
• Executive Secretary, 1976-1978; 1987-1988;
• Assistant Secretary, 2005-2009;
• Treasurer, 1979-1980;
• Member, 1974-  ;
• IFUT Council Member, 2006-2009 .

Other:

• Member of International Advisory Board of the Arab World Geographer, 1998-
• Member of International Editorial Board of Geography Research Forum, 2000-
• External examiner: St. Mary’s University College, Belfast, 2002-2006; Stranmillis University College, Belfast, 2002-2006.