GFA25 and the Island of Ireland

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Commentary on the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement (GFA) typically focuses on its consequences for Northern Ireland. However, the Agreement is consequential for the Republic of Ireland, as much as it is for Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK – along with the rest of the European Union and the US. In its 25th anniversary year, the conference considers what the Good Friday Agreement means for our jurisdiction and will seek to develop a deeper understanding of the past, present, and future of the Agreement.

The event was supported by the Institute of International and European Affairs (IIEA), the ARINS project, and the Department of Foreign Affairs.

About the Speakers:

Keynote speakers:

Professor Brendan O’Leary is the Lauder Professor of Political Science at the University of Pennsylvania. He has authored, co-authored and co-edited thirty books and collections – most recently his book “Making Sense of a United Ireland” which explores the issues around Irish reunification. Professor O’Leary has published extensively on Northern Irish, Irish, and international politics. In 2016 he was elected an honorary member of the Royal Irish Academy for his contributions to the field of power sharing. Professor O’Leary has also been a political and constitutional advisor to the United Nations, the European Union, the Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq, the Governments of the UK and Ireland, and to the British Labour Party (before and during the Irish peace process).

Danny McCoy is the CEO of IBEC and has overseen the launch of their recent campaign “For Peace + Prosperity”, which aims to highlight how the Good Friday Agreement has enhanced the quality of life across the allisland economy. Mr McCoy is also President of the Statistical and Social Inquiry Society of Ireland, an Honorary Fellow of the Academy of Engineers, and a member of the Export Trade Council and the OECD-BIAC working group on Corporate Taxation. He also has an extensive academic career, including positions at DCU, University College London, University of Oxford and TCD.

Panelists:

Michael D’Arcy is a Senior Research Associate at the Centre for Cross Border Studies. He has extensive experience in economic and regulatory reform at regional, allisland, EU, and international level. He is an expert in, and has written extensively on, North-South economic and business interaction. Since the Brexit referendum, his work has increasingly focused on protecting business in the all-island economy, highlighting how it is underpinning the Good Friday Agreement.

Eileen Weir is a community activist and a Network Coordinator at the Shankill Women’s Centre. Her work at the Shankill Women’s Centre has focused on providing support to women from all communities – unionist, nationalist, and beyond. She has also been active in supporting the rehabilitation and education of women prisoners. In 2018, Ms Weir received two prestigious awards the first presented by CRC Community Relations Council “Exceptional Achievement Award” and the second the “McCluskey Civil Rights Award” for her role in Human Rights, Civil Rights and Peace Building activities.

Amanda Dunsmore is an artist whose art explores societal transformation and is often presented as a series of socio-political and historical art projects. In 1998/1999, Ms Dunsmore was artist in residence at The Maze/Long Kesh prison. In 2012, she was commissioned as artist in residence working with Galway County and City older LGBTQ+ Community. She has exhibited widely, including The Hugh Lane Gallery and the Royal Hibernian Academy in Dublin, and internationally in the USA, Australia, and around Europe. Ms. Dunsmore’s current exhibitions include “Agreement”, which works with six communities on the heritage of the Good Friday Agreement during its 25th anniversary year.

Denise Walshe is Group Strategic Finance Projects Manager at Lakeland Dairies, and a member of the Dairy Council or Northern Ireland. As an active member of the Northern Ireland Business community she has worked with UK Trade and Business Commission to foster understanding of the issues facing businesses in Northern Ireland.

Interested in attending the event?

Standard IIEA events are free for members to attend. Non-members will be asked to pay a fee, unless otherwise stated.

The following IIEA events are always open to the public and free to attend:

Global Europe series, supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs
Development Matters series, supported by Irish Aid
Europe’s Digital Future series, supported by Google
REthink Energy series, supported by ESB
Environmental Resilience series, supported by the EPA
Europe is our Future series, supported by Enterprise Ireland
Young Professionals Network (YPN) events, which are open to students and young professionals between the ages of 20-35