Niall has been actively birding from a young age, resulting in an extensive knowledge of Irish birds and where best to find them. Seabirds are his main passion, with countless hours spent seawatching from coastal headlands or searching for them on ships. Because of this, he has also developed a strong interest in cetaceans and other marine wildlife.
Niall is currently undertaking a PhD at Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology where his research focuses on seabird distribution and ecology in Irish offshore waters. Prior to this he worked for BirdWatch Ireland on various conservation and monitoring projects. Furthermore, he is a member of the Irish Rare Birds Committee and the eBird Regional Reviewer for Ireland.