This month the paperback version of Digital Contention in a Divided Society (featuring a new afterword) is published. It can be preordered on the Manchester University Press website here.

I will be having a book launch event in Glasgow on 24 April. Hosted by Dave Scott (Nil by Mouth), there will be a Q&A session followed by a drinks reception.

Date & Time: Wednesday 24th April 18:00 -19:30

Venue: 237 Advanced Research Centre (ARC), University of Glasgow, 11 Chapel Lane, Glasgow, United Kingdom.

Join Paul Reilly (University of Glasgow) and host, Dave Scott (Nil by Mouth), to celebrate the paperback launch of Paul’s book, Digital contention in a divided society: Social media, parades and protests in Northern Ireland.

They will discuss the role of social media in protests and civil unrest in Northern Ireland, followed by a Q&A session. There will be a drinks reception afterwards.

Please register for the event here

About the book

How are platforms such as Facebook and Twitter used by citizens to frame contentious parades and protests in ‘post-conflict’ Northern Ireland? What do these contentious episodes tell us about the potential of information and communication technologies to promote positive intergroup contact in the deeply divided society? These issues are addressed in what is the first in-depth qualitative exploration of how social media were used during the union flag protests (December 2012-March 2013), the Ardoyne parade disputes (July 2014 and 2015), and the ‘Brexit riots’ in April 2021. The book focuses on the extent to which affective publics, mobilised and connected via expressions of solidarity on social media, appear to escalate or de-escalate sectarian tensions caused by these hybrid media events. It also explores whether citizen activity on these online platforms has the potential to contribute to peacebuilding in Northern Ireland.