First An Phoblacht Autumn School

BY ROSS CARMODY

THE first Annual An Phoblacht Autumn School was held over two days in Baile Bhúirne, County Cork, over the last weekend of September under the title of ‘Time to Change Ireland’.
The event drew an audience from all corners of the country, including Donegal, Belfast, Meath and Dublin.
Officialy opening the event on Friday evening, Regional Development Minister Conor Murphy emphasised the importance of initiatives such as this providing “a forum open for republicans and others to debate progressive ideas about building a better Ireland and an alternative vision to the status quo in Ireland today”
Friday began with a viewing of the classic film ‘Mise Eire’, which was introduced by Peadar Ó Ríada, son of Seán Ó Ríada, who composed the original music for the film.
After Conor Murphy’s official opening, Raymond McCartney gave the feature talk in the section ‘Eyewitness to History’, a moving account of his experiences on hunger strike in Long Kesh in 1980.
Saturday opened with a debate on ‘The Future of the Gaeltacht’, featuring contributions from Ristéard Ó Fuaráin, Rachel Ní Ríada and Trevor Ó Clothartaigh, editor of new Irish-language newspaper Gaelscéal. ‘The Case for an All-Ireland Economy’ saw thought-provoking presentations by Michael Burke, former senior international economist with Citibank in London with 25 years’ experience working in the financial services sector in Britain, and Tom O’Connor, Economics and Social Policy Lecturer at Cork Institute of Technology .
The school closed with the keynote discussion, ‘What Kind of Ireland Do We Want?’ where the panel was Sinn Fein Vice-President Mary Lou McDonald, Cork City Councillor Chris O’Leary and special guest speaker Cork All-Ireland hurler Dónal Óg Cusack.
Delegates were later taken on a tour of some of the famous historical and Tan War sites of West Cork before returning to the hotel for dinner.
Martin Ferris TD gave the closing address that evening where he spoke of the need for “putting republicanism back into the forefront of ideas in this country as it was at other times in history”.
The 1st An Phoblacht Autumn School has made a fresh start.