Queen’s University Belfast: 3rd Conversations on Britishness and Irishness held
The event took place on Tuesday 13 June at the University of Notre Dame (USA) in London.
This latest event in the series featured a conversation between Lord Peter Weir of Ballyholme and Mr Declan Kearney MLA followed by questions and wider discussion from an invited audience.
The event was chaired by Dr Mary C. Murphy, Jean Monnet Professor in European Integration, University College Cork.
Commenting on this latest event, Professor Richard English, Director of the Mitchell Institute said: “This In Conversation series has established very good momentum now, offering timely and honest debate on identity and politics, and on history and the future. The London event was another valuable contribution, and it was again excellent to partner with the RIA and Notre Dame in this way.”
The Conversations on Britishness and Irishness Series was established earlier this year, as a way of facilitating open and respectful discussion about cultural and political identities in and relating to Ireland.
The series forms part of the Analysing and Researching Ireland North and South (ARINS) initiative – a partnership between The Royal Irish Academy and the Keough Naughton Institute of Irish Studies at the University of Notre Dame, to generate authoritative, independent and non-partisan research and analysis on a range of important issues for contemporary Ireland.
The Conversations on Britishness and Irishness Series was launched at Queen’s on 31 January 2023, with Dame Arlene Foster and former Taoiseach and Honorary Professor of Practice at the Mitchell Institute, Bertie Ahern, followed by questions and wider discussion from an invited audience. The event was Chaired by William Crawley, Journalist and Broadcaster.
The second Conversations event was held on Monday 15 May at the Royal Irish Academy in Dublin. Participants included Doug Beattie MLA, Ulster Unionist Party, Joanna Cherry MP, Scottish National Party and Claire Hanna MP, Social Democratic and Labour Party. The event was Chaired by Professor Cathy Gormley-Heenan, University Provost, Ulster University.