Irish History Summit moves online due to Covid-19 concerns

The Irish History Summit, a unique one-day event where Ireland’s leading historians present lectures tailored to assist students preparing for the Leaving Certificate history exam, has announced that the event will now take place exclusively online.

The decision was taken in light of public health concerns regarding the current surge in positive Covid-19 cases, which have reached almost 150,000 in the last seven days.

The Irish History Summit is organIsed by the Irish History Podcast in association with the National Museum of Ireland and will take place on Saturday 15 January next. With an online attendance last year in excess of 1,500, the Irish History Summit is without doubt the largest history event in the country.

Historian and summit host Fin Dwyer of Irish History Podcast said that excitement is building around the event and there has been a significant rise in ticket sales in the last few days.

“We expect that numbers attending will exceed those of last year’s inaugural event. The original plan was to host the event at Collins’ Barracks, however, given the huge rise in Covid-19 cases it was incumbent on us to protect public health and so we decided to move the event entirely online.”

“While we are disappointed, we are assured now that the event can proceed in a safe environment and that students will benefit greatly from the expertise of our panel of speakers”, Fin said.

Speakers at this year’s Irish History Summit include former RTÉ head of news Leo Enright who will discuss the United States space programme, in particular the first moon landing in 1969.

There will also be a lecture from Trinity College assistant professor of modern Irish history, Dr Brian Hanley, on threats to the security of the Irish state in its early years.

South Dublin County Council historian-in-residence and regular contributor to RTÉ Radio 1’s History Show, Liz Gillis, will discuss the military and political significance of the Irish Civil War, a very timely subject as we enter the 100th anniversary of that seismic event in Irish history.

NUI Galway lecturer Sarah-Anne Buckley will discuss attempts to make independent Ireland a Gaelic and Catholic society, while Damien Lawlor, author of the definitive history of Na Fianna Éireann, will assess the contribution of Countess Markievicz to Irish society.

Finally, Dr Dieter Reinisch, IRC Postdoctoral Researcher in the School of Political Science and Sociology at NUI Galway, will consider Hitler’s use of propaganda and terror to maintain his grip on power.

“We are delighted to have such a diverse range of speakers on a vast range of topics that are relevant to Leaving Certificate history students. We are also pleased to be joined by Patrick Hickey, widely recognised as the leading expert in the Leaving Certificate history exam, who will provide students with a very useful ‘Dos and Don’ts’ guide to completing the exam and maximising their marks.”

“This is a unique event that we believe will enhance students’ love of history and will benefit both students and teachers as they enter the final stages of Leaving Certificate exam preparations”, Fin concluded.