Sinn Féin presidential candidate Martin McGuinness, Tyrone Gaelic football hero Peter Canavan; NUI, Galway lecturer Dr Lionel Pilkington; and singer-songwriter Seán Tyrrell will speak at a major Sinn Féin conference in The Galway Bay Hotel, Salthill, tomorrow.
Entitled Towards a New Republic – I dTreo Poblacht Nua, the conference begins at 7pm take place in the hotel’s Lettermore Suite and will be chaired by Kerry county councillor Toiréasa Ferris.
The conference will discuss ending partition, the current economic crisis, developing small and medium enterprises, defending Ireland’s natural resources, protecting communities, the arts, development of the Irish language, and building a new republic.
Alongside Mr McGuinness, the speakers at the conference will be Sinn Féin president and Louth TD Gerry Adams; Stein Bredal, a former Norwegian offshore oil worker, trade union official for YS in Statoil, and member of the board of directors of Statoil; former Tyrone footballer Peter Canavan, one of the most decorated players in the game’s history, winning two All-Ireland Senior Football Championship medals, six GAA All Stars Awards (more than any other Ulster player ), four provincial titles, and two National leagues.
Also speaking will be a number of NUI, Galway academics - Dr Lionel Pilkington, lecturer in English and a much respected author on Irish cultural history, politics, and theatrical performance; Prof Terrence McDonough, founder of NUIG’s master’s degree in public advocacy and activism; and Dr Áine Macken-Walsh, a sociologist at Teagasc’s Rural Economy and Development Programme and adjunct lecturer at the School of Political Science and Sociology in NUIG.
The remaining speakers are Galway Sinn Féin senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh; Mairéad Mac Con Iomaire, manager of Comhar Naíonraí na Gaeltachta, the support organisation for Gaeltacht pre-schools; and the acclaimed folk singer-songwriter Seán Tyrrell.
The event is open to the public and the organisers say it will provide a “platform for Galway people to have a say on the major issues affecting us and our families as well as the opportunity to discuss what we believe a real republic should aspire to”.
For more information see www.unitingireland.ie and www.facebook .com/GalwayUnityConference
