‘Reward is worth the risk’ on journey from labourer to doctor

WHEN Dr Eddie Keane walked across the stage at University of Limerick to graduate with a PhD in Law, it marked the culmination of a journey that began far from lecture theatres and academic research.

Before becoming a permanent member of the faculty in UL’s School of Law, Eddie worked in factories, construction, hospitality, and transport. He drove trucks, worked behind bars, and spent years moving from one job to another, often waiting for the next phone call offering a shift.

“I started working when I was 17. College was never part of the original plan,” he recalled.

"Part of the problem was even though I had a Leaving Cert, I had no qualifications to get any kind of professional job or anything like that so it was always about trying to build up with any job that I was in.”

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One of more than 1,200 students graduating this week at University of Limerick, Eddie did not begin university until he was 29 years old, after a moment that forced him to reassess his future.

“During a difficult day on the job, I thought to myself: “I have nothing to trade except that I’m willing to work.”

At the time, UL was launching its first-ever evening law degree programme - an opportunity that allowed Eddie, from north Kerry, to continue working while studying. He joined the inaugural class in 1999.

Eddie explained: “I applied for it because it ticked all the boxes for me. I'm from north Kerry so I was able to travel the distance. It was three nights a week for the four years.

“I went for the law degree because I reckoned it was a really good qualification to have, not with the intention of becoming a solicitor or a barrister, but I saw a law degree as being a degree worth having.”

What began as a practical decision soon became a passion. After graduating with his law degree in 2003, Eddie stayed at UL to complete a master’s degree, supporting himself by tutoring students in the School of Law.

That’s when he realised teaching was where he belonged: “I loved it, absolutely loved it. I went to the then head of school in the law school and said, look, I'm after giving up a full-time job to do a Master's. I need to eat and I need to make money and they offered me some part-time tutoring.”

Over the following years, Eddie progressed from hourly-paid tutor to teaching assistant, and eventually to a permanent academic role in UL.

"I really do enjoy the teaching and the research, I like the job that I do and I think that's a massive bonus for anybody to be able to say I like the job I do,” stated Eddie.

“Once I got into that, then I kind of settled into that and I thought the next step now is a PhD.”

Along the way, he developed a particular interest in labour law, shaped in large part by his own experiences in precarious employment. Eddie’s doctoral research examines vulnerability in the modern workforce, particularly among gig economy and casual workers.

“The entire legal system for protecting workers was built around full-time permanent employment,” he explained.

“The more you move away from that model, the less legal protection you have.”

Eddie’s research argues that labour law must evolve to acknowledge vulnerability beyond traditional definitions of employment.

“We have to recognise where people are vulnerable, regardless of whether we classify them as employees or not.”

“All of the original legal protection was built around being a traditional style employee, but with the changing labour market, we need to change the laws as well… What I'm suggesting is work out a different way of recognising vulnerability.”

The topic resonates with Eddie who remembers what it was like to live waiting for the phone to ring with the offer of work.

“It’s a really nasty position to be in,” he said.

“You’re constantly waiting for somebody else to decide whether you work or not.”

While his own situation eventually stabilised, he became increasingly aware that for many workers insecurity is not temporary.

“For me, it ended. I got a full-time job. But for an awful lot of people, it doesn’t end.”

Despite the demands of balancing work, study and family life, Eddie says the support of his wife Mary and their son Joey made everything possible.

“As a mature student, it takes planning and it takes understanding from your family,” he said. “Without a supportive network, it wouldn’t have been possible.”

For Eddie, the doctorate represents a substantial personal achievement.

“When I was 29, I wondered if I was capable of third level study,” he said. “Graduating with a PhD all these years later is validation. It turns out I was.”

Now as he embraces the new title of ‘doctor’, he hopes his story encourages others to reconsider what is possible.

“It’s never too late,” he said. “Most people think by 29 they’re settled into a career. But it’s never too late to take on a new challenge. The reward is worth the risk.”