November 10th, 2016 marked the commencement of an historic three-day gathering - one of the most important of the Centenary Year.
Philosophers, political scientists, planners, historians, educators and more from Irish and international institutions assembled on the beautiful campus at NUI Galway to present 1916-2016: The Promise and Challenge of National Sovereignty, the flagship academic conference for Ireland 2016.
An Taoiseach Enda Kenny's address on the first day marked an important statement about the legacy of 2016. ‘Legacy’ he said ‘is something that we create for future generations, with every generation having a responsibility to leave a legacy of value for the next.’ He said that the Centenary Year gives us the opportunity ‘to articulate and define what this generation must do to create a legacy worthy of the legacy bequeathed to us’, indicating that the legacy of 2016 would involve a major initiative in the areas of creativity and culture.
Registered guests were invited to attend a series of free, carefully curated talks exploring the complex and fascinating relationships between the ideals of our national past, the formation and state of our present, and the challenges facing future generations.
Savvy and inquisitive individuals from across Ireland made their way to Galway to attend, with numbers in the hundreds and thousands more following along with the discourse via the NUI Galway live stream.
A great many also tuned in to the conference’s live broadcast on RTÉ's Today with Sean O'Rourke, which featured interviews with a range of conference speakers. Subsequent demand for and circulation of Centenary Conversations supplements in both the Irish Times and the Irish Independent saw a considerable spike, and on social media the event enjoyed a whopping 5.82 million impressions over three days.
Now, from the lecture halls and conference rooms of NUIG to your sitting room, the discussions of past, present and future Ireland are yours to explore with Ireland 2016’s series of special session podcasts.
Hear talks on a diverse range of topics, from the history of republicanism in Europe and the United States to the role of education in planning our future by celebrated speakers such as Princeton University’s Professor Philip Pettit and Professor Roy Foster of the University of Oxford, to name just two.
Click here to listen to National Conference Podcasts.
Be sure to check out our many conference pages for more info, or for a look at the conference programme and a list of speakers, click here.
Ba ar an 10 Samhain 2016 a cuireadh tús leis an gcruinniú stairiúil trí lá seo, a bhí ar cheann de na himeachtaí ba thábhachtaí den Bhliain Comórtha Céad Bliain.
Chruinnigh fealsaimh, eolaithe polaitiúla, pleanálaithe, staraithe, oideachasóirí agus daoine eile ó institiúidí na hÉireann agus idirnáisiúnta ar champas galánta OÉ Gaillimh chun 1916-2016: Dóchas agus Dúshlán na Ceannasachta Náisiúnta, an chomhdháil shuaitheanta acadúil, a chur i láthair d’Éire 2016.
Ráiteas tábhachtach faoi oidhreacht 2016 ba é an t-aitheasc a thug an Taoiseach Enda Kenny ar an gcéad lá. “Rud is ea an oidhreacht,” a dúirt sé, “a chruthóimid do na glúine atá le teacht, agus freagracht ag gach glúin as oidhreacht luachmhar a fhágáil don chéad ghlúin eile.” Dúirt sé go dtugann an Bhliain Comórtha Céad Bliain deis dúinn “an méid a chaithfidh an ghlúin seo a dhéanamh chun oidhreacht a chruthú atá chomh fiúntach is atá an oidhreacht a fágadh againne a chur in iúl agus a shainiú,” ag léiriú go mbeadh mórthionscadal sna réimsí cruthaitheachta agus cultúir i gceist le hoidhreacht 2016.
Tugadh cuireadh d’aíonna cláraithe freastal ar shraith cainteanna saor in aisce, cainteanna a ndearnadh coimeád stuama orthu, ina ndearnadh cíoradh ar na caidrimh chasta iontacha idir idéil an tsaoil náisiúnta atá caite, ar bhunú agus ar staid ár saoil anois, agus na dúshláin atá le sárú ag na glúine atá le teacht.
Thug daoine cliste agus fiosracha ó gach cearn d’Éirinn aghaidh ar Ghaillimh chun freastal ar an ócáid, agus bhí na céadta agus na mílte ag coinneáil súil ar an gcomhrá trí bheoshruth OÉ Gaillimh.
D’éist go leor daoine freisin le craoladh beo na comhdhála ar Today with Sean O’Rourke, ar RTÉ ina raibh agallaimh le raon cainteoirí ón gcomhdháil. Bhí éileamh ina dhiaidh sin ar fhorlíontaí de Ag Cur is ag Cúiteamh faoin gComóradh Céad Bliain in The Irish Times agus in Irish Independent agus scaipeadh iad dá réir, agus ar na meáin shóisialta, bhí 5.82 milliún duine i dteagmháil leis an imeacht thar thrí lá.
Anois, ó hallaí léachtaí agus seomraí comhdhála OÉG go dtí do sheomra suite féin, is fútsa féachaint ar an bplé maidir leis an saol mar a bhí, mar atá agus mar a bheidh in Éirinn, mar a bhfaighidh tú blaiseadh de shraith podchraoltaí seisiúin speisialta Éire 2016.
Cloisfidh tú comhrá agus plé ar raon éagsúil topaicí, idir stair an phoblachtachais san Eoraip agus sna Stáit Aontaithe agus ról an oideachais maidir lenár dtodhchaí a phleanáil ó chainteoirí clúiteacha mar an tOllamh Philip Pettit ó Ollscoil Princeton agus an tOllamh Roy Foster ó Ollscoil Oxford, gan ach beirt a lua.
Cliceáil anseo chun éisteacht le podchraoltaí na Comhdhála Náisiúnta.
Féach ar ár leathanaigh maidir leis an gcomhdháil chun tuilleadh faisnéise a fháil (tá neart acu ann!), nó chun féachaint ar chlár na comhdhála agus liosta cainteoirí, cliceáil anseo.