Tom Boland lectures in Sociology at Waterford Institute of Technology. His core interests are in social theory, historical sociology and the sociology of critique. Recent articles have appeared in journals of sociology, history, anthropology and philosophy. His monograph Critique as a Modern Social Phenomenon was published in 2013 by Mellen Press. With Ray Griffin he is author of The Sociology of Unemployment (Manchester University Press, 2015).

John O’Brien holds a PhD in Sociology from University College Cork, Ireland, and studied social science in University College Dublin. He is a Lecturer in Sociology in Waterford Institute of Technology. His current research focuses on alcohol consumption, intoxication and the night-time economy, and collective memory and commemoration.