Michael McDowell

Michael McDowell – Accessible, Informative Website for Public and Legal Commentary

Sector: Politics / Law / Public Commentary
Platform: WordPress
Services: Website Design, Blog Development, Content Migration, Accessibility, SEO
Website: michaelmcdowell.ie

Michael McDowell SC is a senior counsel, former Tánaiste, and a current Senator in Seanad Éireann. As one of Ireland’s most respected legal and political voices, he regularly publishes commentary on constitutional law, current affairs, and justice reform. His website needed to reflect his authority, make archived articles easier to access, and support ongoing publishing with full accessibility compliance.

2Cubed was engaged to design and develop a modern publishing platform that supports Michael McDowell’s editorial output, maintains the trust and professionalism expected of his role, and performs to the highest technical and SEO standards.

Project Objectives

• Redesign the website to reflect professionalism and clarity
• Improve structure and presentation of articles and opinion content
• Migrate the full archive from the previous CMS without SEO loss
• Ensure full compliance with WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility guidelines
• Optimise for mobile, performance, and security
• Provide an easy-to-use content management system

Our Work

Website Design and Structure

We designed a clean, minimalist website focused on content readability and usability. The homepage highlights recent and featured articles, while the internal pages maintain a consistent, distraction-free layout. The structure supports quick access to categories, archives, and important editorial pieces, all styled with careful attention to typographic hierarchy and legibility.

Custom WordPress Blog Development

We built a tailored WordPress platform with a focus on structured publishing. This includes dedicated article templates, custom post types, topic tagging, and chronological archives. The system is optimised for long-form content and supports seamless publishing by Michael or his team, without requiring technical assistance.

Content Migration

2Cubed managed the full migration of historic blog posts, ensuring existing URLs, metadata, and SEO rankings were preserved. We restructured the archive with improved categorisation to support both user navigation and search engine indexing.

Accessibility Compliance

In line with Michael McDowell’s public role and the requirements of inclusive digital design, the site was developed to meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards. This includes semantic markup, ARIA attributes, high-contrast design, keyboard navigation support, and responsive text for readability across all devices and assistive technologies.

Search Engine Optimisation

From metadata and structured content to sitemap submission and page speed enhancements, the website was optimised for organic discovery. Articles are easily shareable, and the platform integrates with Google Search Console for ongoing performance tracking.

Hosting, Security and Maintenance

The site is hosted on a fast, secure, and fully managed WordPress environment with automated backups, plugin monitoring, and dedicated maintenance support provided by 2Cubed.

The Result

The new michaelmcdowell.ie is a secure, high-performing platform that allows Michael McDowell to share his insights with clarity and authority. It reflects the gravitas of his work in public life while making it easy for readers to access, explore, and engage with his commentary across legal, political, and social topics.

Looking to build a platform for political or legal publishing?

2Cubed specialises in accessible, high-performance websites for thought leaders, public figures, and organisations. Let us help you share your voice online with impact and credibility.