Dr. Hyland Studied Philosophy in both University College Dublin (1962-65) and Trinity College Dublin (1967-71). He then went on to do his Ph.D in Trinity College Dublin on the Philosophy of Language and Communication. He specialised, afterwards, in Political Philosophy, concentrating on the history of political thought, Classical Marxism and democratic theory. He Has Published articles on moral and political philosophy and has written the books 'Democratic Theory: The Philosophical Foundations' and 'James Connolly; Life and Thought'. He is currently working on the normative analysis of voting systems and the philosophy of humor. He taught political theory in Trnity College Dublin from 1976 to 2010.