The Daniel O’Connell School 2023 will reconvene over the Bank Holiday weekend of Friday 27th & Saturday 28th October 2023. The School on Friday, 27 October, will be held at the Ring of Kerry Hotel, Cahersiveen (at the western end of the town). The School on Saturday, 28 October will be held in Derrynane House, Caherdaniel, as usual.

Those who intend to attend the School (on either or both days) must pre-register. This may be done through our website (www.danieloconnellsummerschool.com) where those registering will be asked to pay an attendance fee €30 per day or €50 for the two days. The registration fee includes morning coffee/tea. Those who do not have access to on-line may register by calling 087-7562772.

For those who do not attend the School in person, the lectures will be live-streamed from Cahersiveen on Friday, 27 October through the School’s website, www.danieloconnellsummerschool.com. Saturday’s lectures in Derrynane will be recorded and will be available for viewing from 3 November, again through the School’s website. A registration fee of €15 will apply. For updates on the programme, please refer to the School’s website.

In Derrynane, on Saturday, 28 October, lunch will be available. However, it will not be served without a coupon. Coupons may be purchased at the registration desk. In Cahersiveen, on Friday, 27 October, lunch may be purchased in the Hotel or in any of the town’s restaurants.

We want to thank those who have supported the School in the past and who continue to encourage us to continue it into the future. You can become a Friend of the Daniel O’Connell School by contributing at www.danieloconnellsummerschool.com/Friend

PROGRAMME

Friday, 27 October 2023, Ring of Kerry Hotel, Cahersiveen

9:30 am: Introduction and Welcome

9:40 am: Opening Session: Ireland: Change and Challenges

Professor Patrick Clancy, “Challenges in Developing a Modern Education System in Ireland”. Pat is Emeritus Professor of Sociology at University College Dublin. His publications include four national studies of access to higher education and a comparative book, Higher Education in Ireland: A Comparative Perspective (Dublin: IPA, 2015).

Professor Gary Murphy, “Current Times, Current Issues”. Gary is Professor of Politics at the School of Law and Government at Dublin City University. He has published extensively on modern Irish politics and is a columnist with the Irish edition of the Sunday Times. Among his recent books are Electoral Competition in Ireland since 1987 (2016); and the best-selling Haughey (Dublin, 2021). He is now working on a biography of Brian Cowen.

10:40 am: Ms. Norma Foley, TD, Minister for Education, “Plenary Remarks”. Prior to her election as TD for Kerry in 2020, Norma was a member of Kerry Council (from 1994) and Tralee Urban Council.

11:15 am: Coffee Break

11:45 pm: Writing and Writers

Dr. Fiona Brennan, “Kerry Women’s Writing: Retrieving a Literary Legacy”. Fiona is a Theatre Historian and Independent Researcher. She is co-editor of The Art and Ideology of Terence MacSwiney (2022). In 2023, she was awarded a bursary by the Royal Irish Academy for her work on the amateur dramatic movement in Co. Kerry between 1923 and 1936.

Dr. Paddy Bushe, “ Derrynane and the O'Connells”. Paddy Bushe is a an award-winning poet who lives in Waterville. He is also a well-known commentator on the history, literature and culture of South Kerry.

12:30 pm: Lunch

2:00 pm The Daniel O’Connell Lecture, 2023.

Dr. Owen O’Shea, “Remembering and Forgetting: Reflecting on the Decade of Centenaries in Kerry and Beyond”. Owen is a historian and author of several books on his native Kerry, including No Middle Path: The Civil War in Kerry. His research on the 1923 general election was published in Vying for Victory (UCD Press). He is also Media, Communications and Customer Relations Officer with Kerry County Council.

3:45 pm: Professor Muiris Bric, “The O’Connell Memorial Church: How it Came to Be - Just About”.

Note: the lecture will be given in the Church. A bus will be available for those who do not have transportation.

5:15 pm: Con Keating Memorial Park, Cahersiveen

Kacey O’Driscoll is a distinguished South Kerry sportsperson. In particular, she has pioneered and promoted ladies’ sports, winning All-Ireland Medals at all levels in football. She has also played soccer with the Irish Olympic Team in Paris (2003). She is daughter of Eileen Clifford and former county player, Ger O’Driscoll.

Saturday, 28 October 2023. Derrynane House, Caherdaniel

9:30 am: Introduction: Mary O’Connor, Chairperson, Daniel O’Connell School.

9:40 am: Derrynane and its Surroundings

Dr. Aoife Granville, “Music, Community and Identity in the Wren Tradition”. Aoife lectures in University College Cork and is a well-known flute and fiddle player. She is also a member of the Arts Council of Ireland as well as of a number of bodies which promote the arts and folklore. She has also served as a member of the External Advisory Board to both the Vice-President and President of UCC.

Victoria McCarthy, “Little Eden in the Wild: the Designed Landscape of Derrynane”. Victoria McCarthy is an Irish Research Council-funded PhD student at University College Dublin researching designed historic landscapes. Her area of interest includes planning and conservation.

Vincent Hyland, “Calls from the Wild: An Audio journey into the Sounds of Iveragh's Wild Animals”. Vincent is a multi award winning underwater filmmaker, publisher and digital broadcaster. He has just published his life's work in Wild Derrynane.

11:00 am: Coffee

11:30 am: Daniel O’Connell: Friends and Acquaintances

Tom Dillon, “Prince of Attorneys: Pierce Mahony and his relationship with Daniel O'Connell'. Tom was Kerry County Council’s Historian-in-Residence in 2020 and 2021. He currently tutors with Kerry ETB at An Tóchar Further Education Centre in Causeway.

Dr. Beatrice Doran, “Daniel O’Connell’s Successor as Lord Mayor of Dublin: Alderman George Roe”. Beatrice is an independent scholar and historian of local history. She has published three books, including two on Donnybrook.

12:30: Lunch

1:30pm: International Comparisons and Contrasts with O’Connell’s Ireland

Professor Porscha Fermanis, “Irish Humanitarians, Indigenous Australians and Daniel O’Connell”. Porscha is Professor of Nineteenth Century Literature in University College, Dublin. Her current interests are in empire, imperialism and settler colonialism in the Southern Hemisphere. She has published extensively and in 2017, was awarded a fellowship from the European Research Council to pursue her research.

Frank Golden, “O’Connell and Canada”, is a native of Kells and a graduate of University College Cork. A biotechnology expert, he also advises researchers in Canada and the United States on sales management

Professor Judith Devlin, 'Irish Rebels and Russian Revolutionaries: Fenians and Narodniki Compared'. After ten years in the Department of Foreign Affairs, including a posting to Moscow during the Gorbachev years, Judith taught modern French and Russian history in University College Dublin until her retirement in 2017. She has published several
books and articles on French and Soviet history.

An Scoil 2023

Chuir Dómhnall Ó Conaill tús le cultúr nua i bpolaitíocht na hÉireann agus na hEorpa. Duine mór le rá ab ea é sa Bhreatain agus cáil air mar óráidí ag treisiú an liobrálachais. Eiseamlár do lucht polaitíochta ins na Stáit Aontaithe ab ea é maidir lena shlite polaitíochta agus mar a mheall sé an gnáth-phobal chun páirt a ghlacadh i bpolaitíocht na tíre. D’fhág sé rian fé leith ar chás na nIúdach agus cás na mílte a bhí brúite fé smacht ag an sclábhaíocht. Dlíodóir iomráiteach ab ea é agus bhí baint mhór aige le cúrsaí gnó na hÉireann. Déanfaidh an Scoil Samhraigh an méid seo a iniúchadh, a scagadh agus a cheistiú.

For further information, please contact

Mary O’Connor: Tel: 087 2805702 : email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

OR

Phil O’Neill: Tel: 087-7562772.

The Daniel O’Connell School acknowledges the encouragement and financial assistance which we receive from our Sponsors including Kerry County Council, the Board of Works, Failte Ireland, Walshe’s Supervalue of Cahersiveen, FEXCO, and the Glasnevin Cemetery Trust.