Summer Schools are part of political life in Ireland, but just as is the case inside the walls of Leinster House, Irish Summer Schools are not known for their ideological diversity.
The topics which are discussed are generally not the topics which are the subjects of the most heated debate across the broader public.
Those who are invited to speak are chosen, in many cases, precisely because they will not say anything that challenges the status quo.
This stifling culture of conformity pervades the nation writ large, and a modern Summer School brought to you by Official Ireland will never make the powerful uncomfortable, and will never make the thoughtless think.
Even if many Irish Summer Schools do not work in practice, the concept is a very good one.
Bring together hundreds of people interested in the future of their country, and have a series of open discussions about the key issues facing the nation.
Hold the gathering well away from any of our large cities, and give attendees the opportunity to come together with like-minded thinkers in a location which is pleasing to the eye and the ear alike.
Invite people with strikingly different perspectives. Allow time for longer discussions, where complex ideas can be thrashed out at length. Study, listen and above all else, think.
Deep thinkers have always existed in Ireland, even if their presence has not always been welcomed by the powers that be.
One such person was Desmond Fennell, the philosopher of Irishness. Forty years ago this summer, this intellectual giant embarked on a special trip across the western province.
He was not satisfied with the mythologising or sentimentalisation of the province – “an image of Connacht as a place intrinsically and immemorially different from the rest of Ireland: rural/agricultural, poor, traditional and wild – the real Ireland preserved in amber.”
At a time of significant cultural change and economic unease, his journey provided the material for one of Fennell’s most underappreciated books, ‘A Connacht Journey,’ which was published the following year.
Now, thanks to the support of the Gript team, ‘A Connacht Gathering’ will bring together Irish people for a Summer School like no other, which will look at Ireland in a deep and thoughtful way.
‘A Connacht Gathering’ is inspired by – but by no means limited to – the work of Desmond Fennell. While Fennell is the inspiration, his extraordinary body of work is not the focus of this event. Anyone wishing to read great writing would be well advised to consider his many books, but it should be noted that the Estate of Desmond Fennell is not associated with ‘A Connacht Gathering.’
The event in Roscommon town on August 2nd will instead be focused on fostering the national conversation which Gript’s growth has done so much to enable.
Many of those at the cutting edge of the efforts to challenge the lazy consensus will be there – people like Dr. Eoin Lenihan, Larissa Nolan, Niall Boylan, Stella O’Malley, Elaine Mullally, Paddy Cullivan, Cormac Lucey and Fr. Brendan Kilcoyne.
‘A Connacht Gathering’ will stimulate discussions across a range of formats: live podcasts, speaker panels and interviews of invited guests.
The world has changed greatly in recent decades, and Ireland has arguably changed more than most countries.
Our nation has been modernised, urbanised, globalised and secularised.
While considerable progress has been made across many areas, much has been lost as well.
Many of the things which we thought of as being part of the Irish experience are no longer as obvious a part of Irish life, or are only present in the most diluted form.
Some feel increasingly lost in this new cultural milieu, where a small and narrow elite in Dublin has brought about far-reaching changes across all areas of life.
Many now feel that Ireland has little to offer them, and that they as individuals have little control over the nation’s destiny.
‘A Connacht Gathering’ is for anyone who feels this way, and for anyone of any viewpoint who wants to discuss Ireland’s past, present and future.
It will be a place for friendly argument and serious discussion, for laughter and for song.
Be part of it.
A Connacht Gathering Tickets, Sunday, August 2 • 10 AM – 11:30 PM | Eventbrite
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Venue
Abbey Hotel, Galway Road, Roscommon Town, F42 F992
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Get your Tickets
Tickets are on sale now on EventBrite
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Sessions and Discussions Panels
Throughout the Summer School event, attendees will be treated to a wide variety of contributions, including a live recording of ‘The Niall Boylan Podcast’ and a discussion about Dr. Eoin Lenihan’s ‘Vandalising Ireland’ bestseller hosted by Gript’s Niamh Uí Bhriain.
A number of interactive discussion panels will also take place during the weekend, on topics such as:
- Why is Irish politics stuck?
- The Irish History Wars
- ‘The Best is Yet to Come,’ What does the future look like?
- Desmond Fennell’s ‘Connacht Journey’
A full agenda, timetable and speaker details will be added in the coming days and weeks
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Speakers
Stella O’Malley, PhD
She is a psychotherapist, author, and founder of Genspect, an international organisation that promotes psychological approaches to gender dysphoria. She is the author of several books and co-author of When Kids Say They’re Trans. She also hosts the Beyond Gender podcast.
Niall Boylan
One of the best-known voices in Irish radio with three decades of experience, Niall Boylan’s late night and daytime radio programmes on Classic Hits focus on breaking stories, current affairs and interviews with opinion shapers nationwide. He is also the host of the ‘The Niall Boylan Podcast.’
Professor Bryan Fanning
He is a Professor of Migration and Social Policy at UCD. He has written several books including Diverse Republic (2021), Public Morality and the Culture Wars (2023) and Ideologies Are Not Your Friends: An Irish Academic Memoir, which will be published in August 2026.
Fr. Brendan Kilcoyne
He is a priest of the Archdiocese of Tuam. He has a background in Church administration and Catholic education. He is currently the Parish Priest of Balla in county Mayo and is presenter of ‘The Brendan Option’ podcast.
Cormac Lucey
A chartered accountant and has worked in various financial roles in banking and in industry in Ireland and in Germany. He teaches finance and he writes a weekly economics column for The Sunday Times (Ireland) and a weekly political column for Gript.
Dr Eoin Lenihan
The author of the recent bestseller, ‘Vandalising Ireland,’ Dr. Eoin Lenihan is an independent journalist and researcher. His work has been featured on Al Jazeera and Fox News, and he has written for The European Conservative, The Federalist, Quillette, The Post Millennial and The Daily Caller.
David Quinn
He is a social, political and religious commentator who has had weekly columns in The Irish Independent, The Sunday Independent, The Sunday Times and the Sunday Business Post. A former editor of The Irish Catholic, he is founder and CEO of the Iona Institute.
Elaine Mullally
A wife, mother, business owner and entrepreneur. The former chairwoman of Independent Ireland, she was an active campaigner against ‘hate speech’ legislation and recent constitutional referendums, as well as being one of the organisers of the Spoil The Vote campaign.
Ken O’Flynn, TD
Deputy Ken O’Flynn is an Independent Ireland TD who represents the constituency of Cork North-Central. He also serves as his party’s Chairperson and Spokesperson on Urban Affairs. Prior to being elected as a TD in 2024, he had been a member of Cork City Council for 18 years.
John Crotty
He is Irish author and historian. His debut book, ‘Spike Island,’ was critically acclaimed and featured in thebookshop.ie’s ‘Books of the Year’. His most recent work, ‘The Irish Tricolour’, has reshaped understanding of the origins of Irish national symbols.
Larissa Nolan
She is director of communications for Aontú, having been an award-winning journalist for 30 years. Known for her commentary on cultural, social and political issues, she has long been an admirer of Desmond Fennell, for his independent-thinking and refusal to bow to orthodoxy.
Felice Basbøll
She is a historian and writer from Denmark. She recently completed her undergraduate at Trinity College Dublin, and is beginning an MSt in Early Modern History at the University of Oxford. She has written for publications includingThe Spectator, Compact Magazine, The Critic, and UnHerd.
Gary Kavanagh is the Deputy Editor of Gript. He handles some of Gript’s more investigative pieces.
Niamh Uí Bhriain is the Assistant Editor of Gript and a well-known commentator.
Ben Scallan – Senior political correspondent at Gript Media, Irish journalist and commentator.
Fatima Gunning is a graduate of Griffith College with a BA in journalism and visual media.
Paddy Cullivan
He is an acclaimed Irish entertainer renowned for his versatility in music, comedy and historical storytelling. The former frontman of ‘The Camembert Quartet’ has a passion for history, and his latest project – ‘I Can’t Believe It’s Not Ireland’ – offers an optimistic vision of Irish unity.
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Get your Tickets
Tickets are on sale now on EventBrite
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Possible Accommodation
Abbey Hotel, Galway Road, Roscommon Town, F42 F992
Hannons Hotel, Athlone Road, Acres, Co. Roscommon
Jacksons Accommodation, Market Square, Roscommon
Gleesons, Market Square, Roscommon
Tatlers Guesthouse, Roscommon Town
Grange Lodge Self Catering, Strokestown, Co. Roscommon
Ross House B&B, Convent Road, Roscommon Town
Coachman’s Inn, Roscommon Town
Kilronan Castle Self-Catering, Boyle, Co. Roscommon
