Prof. Kevin Rafter

Kevin Rafter is Full Professor of Political Communication at DCU, a Fulbright Scholar at Boston College and the author/editor of almost twenty highly praised books on Irish politics and media. He was previously a leading political and broadcast journalist and has been the chair of the two national arts organisations in Ireland.

His most recent book is the bestselling and critically acclaimed Fearless! (2026), a history of Magill magazine and Ireland in the 1980s, described as 'Fascinating… an absorbing book' (Irish Independent), ‘Compelling… Impressive...’ (Irish Examiner) and 'More than a profile. Narrates a changing Ireland’ (Irish Times). 

Kevin has published widely in academic journal articles, book chapters and on histories of political parties and the Irish presidency. Among his previous books, Dillon Rediscovered (2025) and Taoiseach and the Arts (2022) were described as ‘vivid, compelling’ (Sunday Times), ‘breaks new ground’ (Irish Times), ‘truly exceptional’ (Irish Independent), and ‘fascinating’ (British Journalism Review).  A revised edition of The Irish Presidency (2027; 2014 co-ed) is in production with Palgrave McMillian. He is co-editor of The Irish President which will be published by Palgrave MacMillan in 2027.

Since joining DCU in 2010 Kevin has served as Head of the School of Communications and Associate Dean for Research. He has also been  Chair of the MA Political Communication programme. He was Head of the Department of Film and Media at the National Film School, IADT from 2008 to 2010.

Kevin was appointed to the board of the Fulbright Commission Ireland by the Minister for Foreign Affairs in 2026. He is also a member of the Butler Gallery in Kilkenny. His contribution to Irish public life includes chairing an independent expert taskforce on civil service reform and facilitating government formation negotiations as an independent rapporteur/facilitator (2016). Other external roles include Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (Member); Arts Council (Chair); Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, Compliance Committee (Chair); Galway International Arts Festival (Director); and Culture Ireland (Chair).

Kevin is a member of the editorial boards of Irish Political Studies, Journalism Practice and Administration. He is the Irish contact for the international Worlds of Journalism project and oversees DCU’s annual journalism scholarship programme at the Washington Bureau of Arizona State University.

In his fifteen-year career in journalism, Kevin reported on Irish general elections in 1997, 2002 and 2007 as well as the peace process in Northern Ireland. He was a presenter of the This Week radio programme for RTÉ News & Current Affairs, and held senior editorial positions with the Irish Times (political reporter), the Sunday Times (political correspondent), Sunday Tribune (political editor/assistant editor) and Magill magazine (editor). As well as politics in Ireland, his journalism included elections in the United Kingdom and Germany and foreign news events in Malawi, Tanzania, the Beslan School massacre and the death of Pope John Paul II. His media work was acknowledged with a European Journalism Award and at the Celtic Media Festival.

Kevin has qualifications in economics [BA(Mod; MLitt], political science [MA; PhD] and in corporate law and governance from the Law Society of Ireland. He is a qualified Chartered Director at the Institute of Directors.