A Summer School with a Difference
Full day event, with discussions, interviews, comedian and live music!
Abbey Hotel, Galway Road, Roscommon Town, F42 F992
Sunday, 2nd August 2026
11am – 11pm
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Join us for a discussion about where Ireland is and where Ireland is going
Forty years ago this summer, the great Irish writer Desmond Fennell travelled across Connacht. His reflections about the province were to be expressed in his subsequent book, ‘A Connacht Journey,’ which asked questions about where Connacht and Ireland were going.
On August 2nd, ‘A Connacht Gathering’ will be taking place in the Abbey Hotel in Roscommon town. This will be an Irish Summer School with a difference, featuring speeches, interviews and interactive discussion panels on the key questions facing Ireland: political, cultural, social and economic.
We will be bringing together top-speakers like Dr. Eoin Lenihan, Niall Boylan, Stella O’Malley, Larissa Nolan, Cormac Lucey, Paddy Cullivan, Deputy Ken O’Flynn, Niamh Uí Bhriain, Fr. Brendan Kilcoyne, David Quinn and many more besides. Just as importantly, ‘A Connacht Gathering’ will be an opportunity to form new friendships and to renew old ones, including during an evening of live (and lively) entertainment.
We want you to be a part of the most exciting gathering in recent times.
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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
