Transatlantic Peacemaking Conference 2024

Venue: Royal Irish Academy, Dublin
Date/Time: 9:50am-5:00pm, Friday 4 October 2024

As Ireland celebrates a century of diplomatic ties with the United States, three former Queen's Colleges in Ireland—University of Galway, Queen's University Belfast, and University College Cork—in partnership with the Irish Institute of Boston College are coming together to examine US-Ireland relations. This all-island and transatlantic institutional collaboration focuses specifically on the United States' historic and current contributions to peacebuilding and reconciliation on the island of Ireland, north and south. It will also address the potential future role of the US, especially in light of the upcoming 2024 US Presidential election, and particularly as it relates to safeguarding the Good Friday Agreement and supporting relations between the UK, Ireland, Northern Ireland, and the EU. With contributions from a distinguished lineup of academic speakers and policy practitioners and a keynote address by Prof Brendan O’Leary of the University of Pennsylvania, this timely event will carefully examine and analyse one of the island of Ireland’s most important diplomatic relationships.

The conference will be followed by a reception at Boston College Ireland. If you wish to attend the reception please rsvp separately to [email protected]

Schedule:

9.50-10:20am: Registration | Tea/Coffee

10.20am-10:45am:
Welcome message: Senator George J. Mitchell, former US Special Envoy for Northern Ireland
Opening remarks: On behalf of University of Galway, QUB, UCC & BC

10:45am-11:30am: Interview with former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern
Chair: Dr Peter McLoughlin, Queen’s University Belfast

11.30-11:45am: Registration | Tea/Coffee

11:45am – 1:15pm: The US and Peacemaking in Ireland, north and south: new research findings
Chair: Dr Etain Tannam, TCD
Panel: Prof Mary C Murphy, Director of the Irish Institute, Boston College
Dr Peter McLoughlin, Queen’s University Belfast
Prof Niall Ó Dochartaigh, University of Galway

1:15pm – 2:00pm: Lunch

2:00pm – 3:45pm: Practitioner Perspectives - Reflecting on the past and looking forward
Ambassador Nancy Soderberg, former US Deputy National Security Advisor and former Ambassador at the United Nations
Brian Glynn, Managing Director for the Americas in the European External Action Service and former Director of the Americas Unit of the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs
Lynsey Moore, Director of International Relations for the Northern Ireland Executive Office
Ciarán Madden, Irish Department of Foreign Affairs Political and Reconciliation Director (Northern Ireland) and former Consul General in New York

3.45pm - 4pm: Tea/Coffee

4:00pm - 5:00pm: Keynote address
Professor Brendan O’Leary (University of Pennsylvania)

5.15pm – Reception at Boston College Ireland, 43 St Stephen’s Green with guest speaker

Please note that the reception will take place in the event space in Boston College Ireland (a listed building) which is on the first floor and is not wheelchair accessible.

Host or Publisher Transatlantic Peacemaking