Dr Noel Richardson

Research Interests

Dr Noel Richardson has extensive experience in the area of men’s health at a research, policy and advocacy level.  He is principal author of the first ever National Policy on men’s health, which was published in Ireland in 2009, and follow up National Men’s Action Plan published in 2016. He has worked as a policy advisor on men’s health at the Health Service Executive since 2005. He is also co-author of the first European Union report on men’s health, published in 2011 and is currently collaborating with the World Health Organisation (WHO) on the writing of Men’s Health Strategy for the WHO European Region. He completed a doctoral thesis on men’s health and masculinities in 2007. His research interests include men’s health policy, gender and health, mental health and suicide prevention in men, and health promotion targeted at ‘hard to reach’ population groups of men. He has presented at national and international conferences on men’s health and is a board member of the Men’s Health Forum in Ireland and a member of Global Action on Men’s Health.

Engagement and Collaboration

International

Contributing author to two EU men’s health reports with a srong focus on health inequalities between Member States and between population groups of men within Member States.

Currently a partner on an Erasmus+ project with a focus on mentoring training for sports science students to support disadvantaged boys

National

A member of a number of National Steering Groups, including (i) the Health Service Executive’s National Men’s Health Policy Implementation Group; (ii) a Steering Group member tasked with developing Ireland’s suicide strategy (‘Connecting for Life’); (iii) the GAA’s Healthy Clubs National Steering Group; (iv) the National Farm Safety Partnership; (v) the HSE’s Alcohol Programme; (vi) board member of the Men’s Health Forum in Ireland.

Working in partnership (i) with WIT, the Men’s Health Forum in Ireland and the Men’s Development Network), developed, implemented and evaluated ‘ENGAGE’ (A National Men’s Health Training programme); (ii) with the National Office for Suicide Prevention and the Men’s Health Forum in Ireland, produced three significant research reports in the area of men and suicide; (iii) with the National Cancer Registry and the Irish Cancer Society, published the Men and Cancer report in 2013; (iv) with Teagasc, Irish Heart, the HSE and Glanbia, currently engaged in a large study on cardiovascular disease prevention in farmers; (v) with WIT, the HSE and the National Sports Partnerships, currently engaged in a large study evaluating a 12-week physical activity programme (‘Men on the Move’); (vi) with the Irish Men’s Sheds Association and the HSE, currently engaged in developing a large study on health promotion in Sheds.

Current Research Students

• Conor Hammersley (PhD): “On Feirm Ground”: The design and evaluation of a bespoke farmers’ health training programme (Principal Supervisor)
• Aisling McGrath (PhD): ‘Sheds for Life’: The design and implementation of a health promotion programme for men’s sheds (Co-supervisor, WIT)
• Liam Kelly, Men on the Move: An investigation of a community based physical activity programme for adult men (Principal Supervisor).
• Shane O’Donnell (MSc). Building community capacity in a disadvantaged rural area to engage young men (Principal Supervisor)
• Diana van Doorn (PhD). Assessing the effectiveness of a gendered approach to a behaviour change programme designed to improve the health status of Irish livestock farmers. (Principal Supervisor)

Past Research Students

Research Student Thesis Title Year of Award:

Areas of interest as a supervisor include

• Gender and health/health promotion
• Health inequalities
• Health policy