The first Rosscarbery Autumn School will be held in the scenic west Cork village this weekend to commemorate the life and times of William Thompson (1775-1833) who pioneered women's rights, the rights of workers and the co-operative movement. Thompson, a son of Rosscarbery, inherited wealth and estates which he turned into a commune with his tenants. He was admired by Karl Marx and James Connolly as a pioneering socialist. The Celtic Ross Hotel is the venue for the school which will conclude on Sunday.
Dr Dolores Dooley of UCC will begin proceedings on Friday with an overview of Thompson. On Saturday, the EU's view of rural Ireland will be discussed by Mr John Lougheed of the EU Commission in Brussels and on Sunday, the keynote address, on Thompson's "radical utilitarianism" will be by Dr Tom Duddy of UCG.