Hist to host “State of the Nation” Debate

dublin | miscellaneous | event notice Monday November 24, 2003 17:41 by John McGuirk - College Historical Society, TCD mcguirkj at tcd dot ie GMB, Trinity College, Dublin 2 086 0832011

“That this House Believes Celtic Tiger Ireland took a wrong turn”

Press RELEASE

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT JOHN MCGUIRK, PRESS SECRETARY, ON 086 083 2011 OR BY EMAIL AT mcguirkj@tcd.ie

This Wednesday evening sees Trinity College’s Historical Society Host a “state of the nation debate”, to be attended by some of the foremost personalities in Irish Society, including former Thaoisigh Albert Reynolds and Garrett Fitzgerald, opposition leader Enda Kenny, and the Taoiseach’s close confidante Senator Martin Mansergh. Also in attendance will be Áine Ní Chonaill of the anti immigration platform.

Now well into the new millennium, the time has now come to examine the fundamental shifts in Irish society that occurred in during the ‘Celtic Tiger’ period of the nineties. We must ask what will be the lasting legacy of that unprecedented period of social, political and economic change and progress. The Ireland of the 21st century sees simultaneously a much more prosperous society, but also what many would argue a much more unequal society. The peace process in the North, development of the country’s infrastructure and a boom in the creation of jobs has progressed alongside increases in homelessness, alcohol consumption, violence, racism and rampant consumerism. Nonetheless a new, confident Ireland was born. Are we strangling ourselves with our own success, or have we coped well with the biggest boom in the history of the state? And more importantly, who’s responsible if it all goes down the pan?

Answers to these questions and more will attempt to be provided by our panel, including those named above and Michael Murray, of the Sunday Business Post, and Denis O’Brien, formerly of Esat and of late the man in charge of the Special Olympics.

Anticipating Wednesday’s debate, Hist Correspondence Secretary Carl Cullinane was delighted with the line-up of guests he had secured for the event. “This is going to be one of the biggest nights of the year”, he predicted, “With the European Presidency only a few weeks away and local and European elections only a matter of months away, this night will do a lot to set the scene.

The event begins at 7.30pm in the Graduates Memorial Building (GMB), in Trinity, and will be followed by a drinks reception and a chance to meet the guests.

“I appeal to all with an interest in political discourse to make the effort to come along and make the night worth remembering”, Concluded Mr. Cullinane. "I especially appeal to representatives of more diverse political groups, such as the bin tax campaign, or indeed any other political movement relevant in modern Ireland, to make an effort to come along and get involved in the debate"