Congressman Richard Neal Considers ‘The Future of US-Ireland Relations in a Changing World’ The Power of Words in Politics Examined at Annual London Lecture Event chair Professor Gail McElroy, Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, with Congressman Richard Neal and Ambassador Dan Mulhall In October 2019, Congressman Richard Neal, Chairman of the US House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee, addressed the inaugural Henry Grattan lecture in Washington, kindly hosted by the Embassy of Ireland. In his opening remarks Ireland’s Ambassador to the US, Dan Mulhall said it was appropriate that a distinguished parliamentarian such as Congressman Neal was delivering the inaugural lecture. During his talk, Congressman Neil reflected on his long-standing interest in Northern Ireland and his commitment to Ireland more generally through his involvement in the Friends of Ireland Caucus. In considering Brexit, the Congressman asserted that the US would not pass a trade deal with the UK if the Belfast Agreement were undermined. The ongoing Brexit discussions were addressed by Minister of State for the Diaspora and International Development Aid, Ciaran Cannon who also spoke at the event. Professor Carol Newman, Ambassador Adrian O’Neill, and Professor Louise Richardson Later in the academic year, Oxford Vice-Chancellor Professor Louise Richardson delivered an expansive talk titled ‘Speaking to the Hand: the Rhetoric of Division and the Threat to Democracy’, at the Embassy of Ireland in London. Professor Richardson’s talk considered the causes of the diminution of rhetoric in public life including the difficulty in identifying trust with confidence and the impact of social media. She also reflected on the relationship between Britain and Ireland and how distinguished Trinity graduates such as Henry Grattan sought to affect change through words: “We can continue to embrace the rhetoric of inclusiveness. Men like Grattan, O’Connell and Burke were of other times. It’s hard to know what they would make of Ireland today, but when I see countries in the world turning inward and Ireland resolutely turning outward, I take enormous pride in the legacy of the political discourse that they have left us.” Dr Donal Donovan BA (1973) raises a question for speakers at the DC lecture Fiona Thomas BBS (1987), Karen Brade BBS (1987), Frederick Goltz and Emma Goltz BA (1991) at the London Henry Grattan Lecture www.tcd.ie/ssp/events/henry-grattan-lectures
Download PDF file