Personal profile
Biography
Brian Ó Gallachóir is Professor of Sustainability and Associate Vice-President of Sustainability at University College Cork, delivering on UCC’s ambitious plans to consolidate its role as a leading university of sustainability. Brian is also Director of UCC's Sustainability Institute, overseeing the strategic direction of nearly 500 sustainability researchers in UCC. In addition, Brian is Director of MaREI, the €130 million Research Ireland Research Centre for Energy Climate and Marine and Director of ERBE-CDT, the UK-Ireland centre for doctoral training in energy resilience in the built environment.
Over the past 20 years, Brian established energy systems optimisation modelling as a new research field in Ireland. He is ranked in the top 0.04% of energy scholars globally by ScholarGPS, has 14,641 citations, a h-index of 59, and is ranked 1st place globally in energy systems modelling on Google Scholar.
For each of the past 15 years, Brian has been elected Chair of International Energy Agency Technology Collaboration Programme on energy systems modelling. He has also led research into the societal dimensions of the energy transition including the multi-award winning Dingle Peninsula 2030 partnership.
For over 30 years, Brian has been using his research to inform, underpin and co-produce Irish and EU energy and climate policies. He is currently Co-Chair of the Ministerial National Mirror Group for the EU Mission Cities, a member of the Government's Climate Action Modelling Group, the Advisory Group on Social and Behavioural Research for Climate Action and the Climate-Neutral Cork Leadership Group.
Brian received the Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) Best International Engagement Award 2020, the inaugural SFI Engaged Research Award 2022, the UCC Leadership Award 2022, the inaugural inaugural Irish Times Positive Impacts Award for Sustainability in 2024 and the UCC President’s Award for Impacting Sustainable Development Goals in 2024. Brian is an elected Fellow of the Irish Academy of Engineering has a B.Sc. from TCD and a PhD from UCC.
Research Interests
Improved methods of energy systems modelling
Translating research results into energy and climate action policy insights
Understanding societal aspects of energy transition
Engaged research with policy makers and societal partners to co-produce sustainability solutions
UCC Futures (primary)
- Sustainability Institute
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
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SDG 4 Quality Education -
SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy -
SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities -
SDG 13 Climate Action -
SDG 14 Life Below Water -
SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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Community benefit funds for energy infrastructure: Paving the way for public engagement and sustainable development?
Boyle, E., Revez, A., Carr, D., Reid, C. I., Deane, A. & Ó Gallachóir, B., Jan 2026, In: Energy Policy. 208, 114873.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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New directions for interconnector research: drawing from social sciences and humanities perspectives to explore the Celtic Interconnector: drawing from social sciences and humanities perspectives to explore the Celtic Interconnector
Revez, A., Boyle, E., Goarzin, A., Byrne, E., Peterson, J. D., Rogan, F., Connolly, C., Deane, A., Cuffe, J., Latimier, R. L. G., Dochartaigh, C. Ó., Espes, D. & Gallachóir, B. Ó., Jan 2026, In: Energy Research and Social Science. 131, 9 p., 104473.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
Public engagement practice for electricity grid system change
Revez, A., Boyle, E., Deane, A., Walsh, M., Wilson, A. & Gallachóir, B., 2025, (Accepted/In press) In: Journal of Environmental Policy and Planning.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access -
Public participation in the development of electricity grid infrastructure: Early engagements and community forums
Boyle, E., Revez, A., Duffy, G., Farrell, A., Deane, A., Ó Gallachóir, B. & Wittmayer, J. M., Feb 2025, In: Energy Research and Social Science. 120, 103878.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access -
‘This is about every child’s future!’: Can Citizens’ Assemblies support the Realisation of Children’s Participation Rights in Environmental Governance?
Deane, A., Reid, K., Torney, D., Mallon, B., Molay, V., O Gallachoir, B. & Harris, C., Jan 2025, In: International Journal of Children's Rights. 33, 3, p. 702-732 31 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Imagining climate resilient futures with a novel community participation approach
Flood, S. (Speaker), Rogan, F. (Speaker), Revez, A. (Speaker), McGookin, C. (Speaker), O'Dwyer, B. (Speaker), Harris, C. (Speaker), Dunphy, N. (Speaker), Byrne, E. (Speaker), O Gallachoir, B. (Speaker), Bolger, P. (Speaker), Boyle, E. J. (Speaker), Glynn, J. (Speaker), Barry, J. (Speaker), Ellis, G. (Speaker) & Mullally, G. (Speaker)
Aug 2024Activity: Talk or presentation › Oral presentation
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Ireland 2050 – Envisioning the Ireland of the Future
Revez, A. (Speaker), Mullally, G. (Speaker), Dunphy, N. (Speaker), O Gallachoir, B. (Speaker), Harris, C. (Speaker), Rogan, F. (Speaker), Byrne, E. (Speaker), Barry, J. (Speaker), Ellis, G. (Speaker), Bolger, P. (Speaker), O'Dwyer, B. (Speaker), Glynn, J. (Speaker), Flood, S. (Speaker), Dozier, A. (Speaker), McGookin, C. (Speaker), Boyle, E. J. (Speaker) & Wade, R. (Speaker)
Nov 2019Activity: Talk or presentation › Invited talk
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Energetic Communities Reflecting on Reflexivity in Transdisciplinary Sustainability Transitions Research
Mullally, G. (Speaker), Dunphy, N. (Speaker), Harris, C. (Speaker), O Gallachoir, B. (Speaker), Byrne, E. (Speaker), Sage, C. (Speaker), Lennon, B. (Speaker), Gaffney, C. (Speaker), Revez, A. (Speaker), O'Connor, P. (Speaker), Watson, C. (Speaker) & Boyle, E. J. (Speaker)
May 2017 → …Activity: Talk or presentation › Invited talk
Prizes
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Editor’s Choice Award
Rogan, F. (Recipient), O Gallachoir, B. (Recipient) & Deane, P. (Recipient), 15 Sep 2020
Prize: Honorary award
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Impacting Sustainable Development Goals, 2025, UCC Research & Innovation Awards as party of the CAPACITY Project Team.
Daly, H. (Recipient), Rogan, F. (Recipient), O Gallachoir, B. (Recipient), Vahid, A. (Recipient), Mac Uidhir, T. (Recipient), Suleimenov, B. (Recipient), Murphy, A. (Recipient) & Deane, P. (Recipient), 29 May 2025
Prize: Honorary award
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MaREI Research Impact of the Year Award, 2024.
Daly, H. (Recipient), O Gallachoir, B. (Recipient), Rogan, F. (Recipient), Mac Uidhir, T. (Recipient), Deane, P. (Recipient), Vahid, A. (Recipient), Suleimenov, B. (Recipient) & Murphy, A. (Recipient), 22 Jul 2024
Prize: Honorary award
Press/Media
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New EU project taps Irish communities to help hit energy goals
13/01/26
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media
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Cork's UCC named a global leader in sustainability
O Gallachoir, B., Kirrane, M. & O'Halloran, J.
9/12/25
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media
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UCC ranked second in the world in global environmental ranking
O Gallachoir, B. & O'Halloran, J.
5/12/25
3 items of Media coverage
Press/Media
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UCC launches the Sustainability Institute
O Gallachoir, B., Cryan, J. F., Culloty, S. & O'Halloran, J.
1/12/25
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media
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5 ways to improve Ireland's energy system after Storm Éowyn
Deane, P., O Gallachoir, B., Daly, H., Hayes, B. & Rogan, F.
10/02/25
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media