The fourth in the series of Conversations on Britishness and Irishness events took place on Friday 8 December at the Royal Irish Academy in Dublin, co-hosted by The Senator George J. Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice, the Royal Irish Academy and the Keough Naughton Institute of Irish Studies at the University of Notre Dame.

Opened by Institute Director Professor Richard English, this latest event in the series featured a conversation between Sam McBride with DUP founder-member Wallace Thompson.  Discussion included topics such as unionist politics, faith, identity, the state of the union, Brexit and the possibility of a border poll.  Drawing on his lifetime experience, Wallace Thompson provided an insight into his adolescence in the 1960s and the civil unrest at that time, and the role and influence of Ian Paisley in shaping his future.

The Conversations on Britishness and Irishness Series was established earlier this year, as a way of facilitating open and respectful discussion about cultural and political identities in and relating to Ireland.

The series forms part of the Analysing and Researching Ireland North and South (ARINS) initiative – a partnership between The Royal Irish Academy and the Keough Naughton Institute of Irish Studies at the University of Notre Dame, to generate authoritative, independent and non-partisan research and analysis on a range of important issues for contemporary Ireland.

The Conversations on Britishness and Irishness Series was launched at Queen’s University Belfast on 31 January 2023, with Dame Arlene Foster and former Taoiseach and Honorary Professor of Practice at the Mitchell Institute, Bertie Ahern, followed by questions and wider discussion from an invited audience.  The event was Chaired by William Crawley, Journalist and Broadcaster.

The second Conversations event was held on 15 May at the Royal Irish Academy in Dublin.  Participants included Doug Beattie MLA, Ulster Unionist Party, Joanna Cherry MP, Scottish National Party and Claire Hanna MP, Social Democratic and Labour Party.  The event was Chaired by Professor Cathy Gormley-Heenan, University Provost, Ulster University.

The third Conversations event was held on 16 June at the University of Notre Dame (USA) in London and featured a conversation between Lord Peter Weir of Ballyholme and Mr Declan Kearney MLA, followed by questions and wider discussion from an invited audience.  This event was chaired by Dr Mary C. Murphy, Jean Monnet Professor in European Integration, University College Cork.

Read more on the latest event here.