UCD Festival Talks

UCD academic and author of Notes To Self Professor Emilie Pine talks to Sophie White about her recent widely-acclaimed collection dealing with the horrors of grief, addiction, mental illness, and the casual and sometimes hilarious cruelty of life and Emma Dabiri on a new way to talk about racial injustice: one that builds on the revolutionary ideas of the past and forges new connections.

The generous spirit of giving that shines brightly in the UCD alumni community has a ripple effect.

The Gift of Giving knows no limit as philanthropy has the power to improve lives and transform society.

This has been a difficult year for many charities, but they have risen to the challenge and have rather unexpectedly thrived. Join us for this headline event as we discuss The power of giving and the important contributions that Foundations are making not only across Ireland but globally,

Eilis Murray, CEO Philanthropy Ireland will be joined in conversation with Human Rights, Equality & Social Justice Campaigner Denise Charlton, CEO of The Community Foundation of Ireland and Senator Joan Freeman, Founder of Pieta House and The Darkness into Light Campaign which has raised in excess of excess of €7million in 2021 alone.

Join three highly-esteemed UCD alumni – Shelley McNamara (Ulysses Medal 2019, Grafton Architects), Frank McDonald (Former Environment Correspondent, Irish Times) and Derek Tynan (DTArchitects) will discuss their relationship with Temple Bar. Asking the critical questions, architect, urban designer and UCD APEP lecturer Dr Alan Mee, will probe our panellists to uncover the fascinating story of late 1980s Dublin which brought about the Temple Bar vision. Two of the panellists (Shelley and Derek) were part of the original Group ’91 architectural design team and the third member (Frank) is a long-time resident of Temple Bar, and one of Dublin’s most astute urban commentators. Acknowledging that this is a challenging place in 2021, the panellists will discuss urban design issues and original intentions.

Introduced by Dr Ellen Rowley. Chaired by Dr Alan Mee.

Join author Paul Perry in conversation with Sunday Independent Literary Editor Madeleine Keane about his new novel The Garden (New Island, May 2021). Described by Booker prize-winner, Anne Enright as ‘A lush, tough evocation of obsession and betrayal, this is noir with a poet’s touch. The Garden is a book about beauty, blood, heat and ruin. A rich and satisfying read.’

Also up for discussion in this session is how the novel and narrative negotiate the digital age. Has the novel changed radically? What happens when writers resist the social impact of the internet? Featuring alligators, orchids, death by misdemeanour and the never-ending sunshine of the Florida everglades, there will be lots to discuss.

UCD’s writer-in-residence Niamh Campbell, herself a recent debutante with This Happy, talks to Louise Nealon, Louise Kennedy and John Patrick McHugh. All have new and acclaimed debut novels or collections of short stories released in 2021 and Niamh will be talking to them about their work, the craft of writing, and being part of the Irish writing world.

In 1996, Neil Jordan (The Crying Game, Interview with the Vampire) directed Michael Collins, a biopic focusing on the life of the Irish revolutionary. The film won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, and remains a much-loved depiction of an influential time in history.

25 years later, Ireland is a very different place. Hear from Neil Jordan and UCD Professor of Modern History Diarmaid Ferriter as they examine the genesis of this story, what Ireland was like when it was released, and how much has changed now. UCD Associate Professor Jorie Lagerwey, Head of UCD Film Studies, will lead this fascinating conversation on the many interconnections between history and film.

Presenter of RTE Radio 1’s Poetry Programme Olivia O’Leary in conversation with Jessica Traynor, Peter Sirr, and UCD Professor Lucy Collins, asking: How much did Yeats and the Celtic Revival dominate poetry in the early years of the Free State? How long did it take for Irish poets to find a distinctive contemporary Irish voice and open up to international trends? What was the effect of censorship and the Catholic Church? And where were the women poets?

Meet Gaeilgeoirí who learnt Irish as their second language and who come from a variety of backgrounds, sharing the same love for Irish.

Spreagfaidh siad aon chainteoir uaillmhianach Gaeilge, bíodh sé idir thosaitheoirí agus iad siúd nár úsáid an teanga ó rinne siad an Ardteist. Is féidir le gach duine a labhraíonn a ‘gcúpla focal’ cur le hathbheochan labhartha na Gaeilge atá ag fás go láidir le cúpla bliain anuas.

Encouraged by Roxanna Nic Liam’s recent ‘Siúcra’ (Sugar) and Áine Gallagher’s ‘Grá agus Eagla’ (Love and Fear) we are warmed by stories of how they found their ‘grá’ for Gaeilge and subsequently how they managed to combat the ‘eagla’ of learning a new language.

Cé go bhfuil go leor roghanna ag UCD chun an Ghaeilge a fhoghlaim agus líofacht a fháil sa Ghaeilge, cuideoidh an comhrá seo leis na bacainní a choisceann orainn go minic an ‘cúpla focal’ atá againn a úsáid agus an ‘eagla’ sin a bhaineann le foghlaim na Gaeilge a shaothrú.

The conversation will be moderated by Eoin McEvoy (UCD Educational Technologist, artist and community activist) who will bring to life a convivial bilingual conversation with Áine Gallagher (Comedian, subject of ‘Grá & Eagla’ directed by Caitriona Ní Chadhain), Ola Majekodunmi (Black Irish Gaeilgeoir, Broadcaster & Film maker), and Fangzhe Qiu (UCD Lecturer of Celtic Civilisation).

In this conversation, introduced by Dr Ellen Rowley from UCD’s School of Architecture, Planning + Environmental Policy, two Masters students – Cara Jordan (Architecture) and Roisin Cahill (Urban Design + Planning) – will present the work of three studios, each working on the origin and legacy of Dublin’s Temple Bar cultural quarter. 30 years have passed since 1991 when the original design team, Group ‘91 carved out new squares, streets and uses from old building. To mark this, UCD M.Arch students are making an exhibition, in Curved Street (Film Base windows) which will be launched in June 2021. Get a taster of this exhibition and the research with Cara and Roisin.

UCD Alumnus, Environment and Science Editor and former Editor of The Irish Times, Kevin O’Sullivan will drive a panel discussion on climate change that will explore the indicators and the future adverse effects of climate change, social and environmental justice, national and international legislation and the rise of climate action movements around the world.