I am a freelance journalist based in Dublin, Ireland.
I was born in Chapel Hill North Carolina in 1965 and travelled extensively in childhood with my scientist parents (a Zoologist and a Botanist).
I attended school in South Carolina and Berlin in the 1970s before returning to Ireland to attend Blackrock College.
I have worked as a science journalist, editor, broadcaster, and writer since the late 1990s. I am currently freelancing for The Irish Times, Irish Independent and Irish Examiner.
I am a graduate of UCD Science and New York University Science, Health & Environmental Reporting Programme
After working as a secondary school Biology teacher, I changed career in 1998 and entered journalism. My first job was as a senior reporter for my local newspaper, the Liffey Champion.
As a science graduate, I was always interested in science and got the opportunity to write about it on a full-time basis when I was appointed joint editor of Technology Ireland – the flagship publication of Enterprise Ireland – in 2000. In 2002, I was appointed editor.
In 2003, I co-founded Science Spin, Ireland’s first popular science magazine with science journalism colleagues, Mary Sweetman and Tom Kennedy. The publication was a success until the financial crash of 2008 dealt a hammer blow to advertising and sponsorship revenue.
I created, presented, and co-produced Ireland’s first weekly science radio show, Science Spinning on Dublin City FM.
I have been a regular contributor to RTE Radio 1’s Drivetime and had a regular science-themed slot on Today with Sean O’Rourke (now Claire Byrne) as well as a weekly science slot as The Cool Scientist on The Morning Show with Declan Meehan on East Coast FM.
I was co-presenter and producer of RTE Radio 1’s What’s It All About? (PPI Radio Award Winner in 2014) and Life Matters (nominated for a PPI Award in 2015), and presented the six-part ‘Irish Scientists‘ series for East Coast FM.
I have been an active podcaster. I created Ireland’s Place in Space, supported by Space Industry Skillnet, and a podcast supported by the UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science – AgriFood Matters
I have also worked in television. I presented and co-produced science slots for television – The Daily Show on RTE 1, and Ireland AM, with TV3. I also worked as a researcher on The Investigators (RTE 1 television) and Ten Things to Know About (also RTE 1 television).
I wrote my first book How Irish Scientists Changed the World (Londubh, 2013), a bestseller at Dublin’s Hodges Figgis bookstore.
In 2022-23 I worked as communications lead for the DCU Faculty of Science and Health . In 2024 I was appointed Science and Health Editor for Newsweek, and led a team of six UK based reporters until a decision was made to close the science desk.
This blog, Science Spinning, began in 2009. It contains features, news, opinion, video, and audio pieces on what’s happening in science in Ireland, and worldwide.
I am married to Maria. We have three children and live on the south side of Dublin City.
Contact Details:
email: seancduke@gmail.com
mobile: +353 1 894237605
Science Spinning 