He is originally from Pennsylvania, and currently resides in Maine, but over the years he has lived in a variety of places – from the Florida Panhandle to a rural village in southeast Ireland. Perhaps for this reason, his research interests have focused on place, community, and the historical landscape, especially viewed through the lens and contours of Irish immigrant communities. His publications have included articles ranging from an exploration of early Irish settlement in Maine, to a regional case study of Inistioge, County Kilkenny that appeared in the Atlas of the Irish Rural Landscape (2nd edition). With his wife Fidelma he is currently working on a historical atlas of the Nore Tidewater region of County Kilkenny – a river valley that has witnessed an ebb and flow of migration over the centuries.