The Bar of Ireland have partnered with Trinity Long Room Hub for a two-day symposium mark the 250th anniversary of the birth of Daniel O’Connell.
Over the 29th and 30th July, the O’Connell 250 Symposium will bring together leading judicial and legal figures, historians, human rights experts, and public figures to explore O’Connell’s life and global legacy, while also discussing challenges to human rights today, threats to democracy, and the lessons we can learn from a study of the Liberator.
The conference is organised by the Trinity Long Room Hub in partnership with The Bar of Ireland; along with Diageo, and in association with the School of Histories and Humanities, Glasnevin Cemetery (part of Dublin Cemeteries Trust), and the Daniel O’Connell Summer School (29-30 August). Supported by the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport and the Government of Ireland.
Liberation through Law: Daniel O’Connell and the Path to Justice
The Chair of the Bar of Ireland, Seán Guerin SC will join a panel titled Liberation through Law: Daniel O’Connell and the Path to Justice, led by the Chief Justice, Hon. Mr Justice Donal O’Donnell, along with Ms. Justice Nessa Cahill, and fellow barristers John Berry SC and Paul Gallagher SC, former Attorney General and with Dr. Niamh Howlin of UCD.
Taking place at 3pm in the Edmund Burke Theatre (Arts Block) on Tuesday 29th of July; the session promises to be a fascinating exploration of the historical and the contemporary, the application of law, politics and philosophy.
Register for this session here.
Keynote Session: The Life and Global Legacies of Daniel O’Connell
Later that day, Imogen McGrath SC will introduce An Taoiseach, Micheál Martin TD, along with Trinity Provost, Linda Doyle. The keynote lecture by An Taoiseach will mark the official opening of the symposium and will undoubtedly reflect the commitment by the Government to mark this anniversary and a series of other commemorations, as outlined in the Programme for Government.
Register for the keynote session here.
Writing in the latest edition of the Bar Review, Seán Guerin SC noted:
The Bar Council is delighted to have the opportunity to join in supporting that event and, by doing so, to highlight O’Connell’s legacy as a barrister and the example he provides of the importance of the independent referral Bar in securing the rule of law. Although remembered as the Liberator, O’Connell was, at the height of his practice at the Bar, known as the Counsellor. He was the epitome of what a barrister is expected to be: highly skilled, forceful, and a fearless defender of his client’s interests. In a legal system that was not indifferent to the identity of litigants, those qualities were of immense value and his reputation testified to that.
