TO mark the 150th anniversary of the death of Daniel O'Connell, the deputy master of St Patrick's College, Maynooth, Professor Richard Comerford, has attracted a distinguished array of speakers for a one-day conference this Thursday on the theme of "National Questions". The event will be both historical and topical.
Dr Colin Matthew, professor of modern history at Oxford, will examine Gladstone, Ireland and O'Connell. But with the current debate on European integration, there should be considerable interest in Dr Miriam Hederman O'Brien's paper, on Ireland's contribution to a changing Europe and a paper from the Governor of the Central Bank, Maurice O'Connell, on monetary union.
Comerford, who is Maynooth's professor of modern history, expects considerable interest in a paper on understanding sectarianism from Dr Joseph Liecthy, director of a project on sectarianism of the Irish School of Ecumenics.
"With so many distinguished speakers addressing topics of considerable current or historical interest, the programme is, I believe, a very attractive one," says Comerford.
The conference will be opened by the master of Maynooth, Dr W J Smyth. Others speakers include: Dr John Colohan, professor of education at Maynooth, on educational change; Professor Eda Sagara of Trinity College Dublin on modern languages and Ireland; RTE Authority chairperson Professor Farrel Corcoran of Dublin City University on the future of the national broadcasting system; and Dr Louis Vos, professor of history at the Catholic University, Louvain, on the Belgian national question 1780-1990.
