Shane Dunphy is a child protection expert, author, journalist, musician and teacher. He holds a Masters Degree in Sociology and post-graduate qualifications in creative therapies and child protection. Shane is currently Head of the Social Care Department at Waterford College of Further Education.
A professional child protection worker for fifteen years (still practicing as a consultant), Shane is best known for a series of books detailing cases he was involved with, both as a social care worker and journalist. The first of this series, Wednesday’s Child was a Number 1 bestseller, and the most recent title, The Boy They Tried to Hide, is in development for film.
His series of crime novels featuring the damaged criminologist, David Dunnigan, have all been Irish bestsellers.
Dunphy is a regular contributor to Irish and UK newspapers, both broadsheet and tabloid. He has had columns with The Irish Independent, The Irish Sun and The Journal.ie, writing pieces that speak specifically of the plight of people living on the peripheries of our society. He is a respected commentator on child-protection issues across the national and international media.
Shane has made documentaries for both television and radio. His radio documentary ‘Tusk – Hunting for Ireland’s Wild Boar’ was shortlisted for a New York Radio award. His telling of the ‘Thomas’ story from his book ‘The Boy They Tried to Hide’ on American National Public Radio’s Snap Judgement programme, broadcast as part of their Spooked Halloween stream, was one of the most downloaded podcasts in the show’s history.
Shane’s innovative True Crime series commissioned by Audible, Stories From the Margins, details criminal cases he’s encountered as a journalist. The series combines the spirit of his previous memoirs with an exciting, fresh approach to the True Crime genre. Shane also narrated the series as well as composing and performing original music for each audiobook.
In the Boyle and Keneally series of crime thrillers Shane has made his mark on the detective genre by blending folk horror with the police procedural, crafting a cast of characters readers have found believable and compelling.
Shane has also ghost written non-fiction titles for child protection activist and athlete Stephanie Hickey, and hotelier and businessman John Brennan.
Shane is currently working on a new Irish-set series featuring a detective team who specialise in cases involving children, to be published in 2023.
Shane’s bestselling debut, Wednesday’s Child, has been adapted for film. The film adaptation of Boy They Tried to Hide is due to shoot in early 2023, and Stories From the Margins is in development for a TV series.
Shane lives, writes and teaches in the South East of Ireland.