Summary of activities 2006-08
I. Public talks and reports
II. Schools programme
III. Networking and outreach, shared heritage etc
IV. Training
V. Website
VI. DVD/video and audio tape resources
I. Public talks held in 2006-2007 and reports/transcripts of the talks:
59. March 27th, 2006 “Devolution and Cross-border Cooperation: prospects and realities”.
Sean Farren, MLA (SDLP), Francie Molloy, MLA (Sinn Féin), Jim Wells, MLA (DUP)
Chaired by Michael Reade (LMFM)
60. April 10th, 2006 “The Legacy of War – experiences of UDR families” Martin Snoddon
(Conflict Trauma Resource Centre, Belfast), Rosemary McCullough and Teena Patrick.
Chaired by Roy Garland
61. April 24th, 2006 “Easter 1916 – the Irish Rebellion” Dr. Charles Townshend (Prof. of Modern History,
Keele University, author of “Easter 1916”). Chaired by Brendan O’Brien
62. June 12th, 2006 “Irish involvement in the Great War”. Professor Paul Bew (Dept of Politics, Q.U.B.)
and Tom Burke, MBE (Royal Dublin Fusiliers Association). Chaired by Cathal MacCoille (RTE).
63. Nov. 13th, 2006 ‘Towards a Shared Future’ Duncan Morrow (CEO, NI Community Relations Council),
Dr Esmond Birnie, MLA (UUP), Caroline Wilson (Good Relations Officer, Belfast City Council),
Jeremy Gardiner (Youthlink, Ballymena). Chaired by Dr Colin Coulter (Dept. of Sociology, NUI Maynooth)
64. Jan. 29th 2007 ‘Peace and stability – the way forward’. Dominic Bradley, MLA (SDLP), Gregory Campbell,
MLA, MP (DUP), Cllr Killian Forde (SF) and Cllr James McKerrow (UUP). Chaired by Des Fegan (Cooperation Ireland).
65. Feb. 12th, 2007 ‘A Shared Future – Challenges and realities in interface areas’. Dr Neil Jarman (Director, Institute of Conflict
Research, Belfast), Chris O’Halloran (Belfast Interface Project), Frankie Gallagher (UPRG) and Sean Brennan
(Intercomm, Belfast). Chaired by Michael Reade (LMFM)
66. April 23rd, 2007 ‘Making Peace with the Past – options for truth recovery’. Kate turner, Irwin Turbitt, Pat Conway,
Alan Wardle (Healing Through Remembering), Dr Hazlett Lynch (West Tyrone Voice) and Margaret Urwin
(Justice for the Forgotten). Chaired by Dr. Richard Clarke, Bishop of Meath and Kildare.
67. May 21st, 2007 ‘Towards a Shared Future – Ballymena’. Jackie Patton (CRO, Ballymena), Delia Close (vice-chair, Ballymena
District Policing Partnership), Cate Magee (Principal, St Patrick’s College, Ballymena), Ronnie Hassard (Principal,
Ballymena Academy), Fr Paul Symonds (Kirkinriola parish, Ballymena) and Jeremy Gardiner (Youthlink, Ballymena).
Chaired by Mairin Colleary (Chief Executive, Glencree Centre for Reconciliation)
Reports of all the above are available on the website www.meathpeacegroup.org
DVD copies have been made for talks nos. 44, 46, 48, 50, 51, 53-56, 59-64.
DVD copies of other talks which were videotaped are in production
II. Schools programme (transition years) 2006-08
(Conducted by Julitta Clancy and Judith Hamill)
Workshops and discussions on:
Identity, Handling life’s conflict, Prejudice, Historical aspects of the Troubles, Victims’ stories, Sectarianism and racism, Violence, Non-Violent action for justice, Understanding, Healing and Reconciliation, Prisoners and prison conditions, Parades disputes, Human rights issues, Youth activities, Interface communities – experiences and developments. Fair Trade, World Trade, Immigration, Migrant workers, integration and race issues, Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Guest speakers from Northern Ireland and the Republic
Study visits: Dublin and Belfast
2006
(i) St Joseph’s (Mercy) Secondary School, Navan (1 TY class)
(ii) Colaiste Phobail Rathcairn (1 TY class)
(iii) Dunshaughlin Community College (1 TY class)
Programme in the 3 schools: workshops, discussions, exhibition, guest speakers and visits to Mountjoy Prison, Maze Prison, Collins Barracks, Kilmainham Gaol, Stormont assembly, Conflict Trauma group (Belfast) and North Belfast interface community
Guest speakers and facilitators from: Mediation Northern Ireland, Intercomm (North Belfast), Community Dialogue,
H.U.R.T. group (Lurgan), Belfast Interface Project, Irish Commission for Prisoners Overseas, Meath Probation Service, Samaritans, Garda Siochana, An Tobar (Ardbraccan) and individual victims and former prisoners
2007
(i) Dunshaughlin Community College (3 TY classes)
Workshops, discussions, guest speakers from Mediation Northern Ireland, Belfast City Council Good Relations Unit, Youthlink (Belfast), Migrant Rights Centre (Dublin)
Visit to Lower Shankill Road community association and NI Assembly (Stormont)
(ii) Ashbourne Community School (1 TY class)
Workshops, discussions and guest speaker from Mediation Northern Ireland
2008:
(i) Dunshaughlin Community College (1 TY class – Spring 2008)
Workshops, discussions, guest speakers and visit planned to Stormont and a community project in Belfast (May 2008)
III Networking, outreach and participation in events organised by other groups
(i) Guild of Uriel: Members of the Meath Peace Group participated in the dialogue meetings, study visits and other events organised by the Louth-based cross-border and cross-community group, the Guild of Uriel. (Julitta Clancy of the MPG co-chaired the Guild with Roy Garland from 1995-2006 and with David Thompson from 2006 to the present). The Guild held 15 meetings/events in 2006-07
(ii) Department of Foreign Affairs Reconciliation Networking Forum: MPG delegates Canon John Clarke, Judith Hamill, Julitta Clancy, Vincent McDevitt and Anne Nolan participated in the networking forums held in Dublin in 2006, 2007 and 2008
(iii) Healing Through Remembering (Belfast) (2006-07): Julitta Clancy represented the group on the HTR networking sub-committee on Commemoration
(iv) Shared Heritage study tours of County Meath hosted and organised by MPG – participating groups came from HURT group (2006), Costa (2006), Ballymena groups (2007), Lower Shankill Community Association group (2007)
(v) Costa group (South Tyrone community groups) – MPG members took part in discussions (2006) and Dungannon residential (2007) held by COSTA in addition to the heritage tour of Meath sites for COSTA (2006)
(vi) Glencree Churches Programme – MPG members took part in several of the seminars and residentials held by Glencree Churches group in Monaghan, Cavan and Fermanagh
(vii) Cavan-Cookstown Inter-Church Forum – MPG members took part in some of discussions and Julitta Clancy to take part in Cookstown panel discussion on 12 May 2008 (chaired by Paul Clark)
(viii) H.U.R.T. victims group (Lurgan): residentials (2006) and heritage events (2006) and participation in cultural events organised by African Women’s Group (Mosney), HURT Cultural Exchange
group and Communities Connect (Louth)
(ix) Tempo Historical Group, Dooneen, Co. Fermanagh – lectures and panel discussions.
(x) Coiste na nIarchimi (republican ex-prisoners) summer schools, South Armagh – regular attendance by MPG members since the inception of the summer school
(xi) Other public events in which MPG members participated 2006-08
Somme commemorations (July 2006) and Oldbridge ceremony (July 2006)
Centre for Contemporary Christianity conference, Armagh (2006)
West Tyrone Voice residential (2006)
Meath Archaeological and Historical Society - joint lectures with MPG on 1916 and World War I (2006)
Border Minority Group, Ballyalbany (2007) – lecture chaired by Julitta Clancy
Errigal Truagh/Blackwater Valley group (Monaghan, 2007)
North South Rural voice conference, Carlingford (2007)
Memorial services (Billy Mitchell, Carrickfergus 2006 and David Ervine, Belfast 2007)
Lower Shankill Community Association festival (July 2007)
Youthlink awards ceremony, Belfast (2007)
Battle of the Boyne event (11 May 2007
Pax Christi public meetings
Religion and Pluralism conference, Belfast (2007)
Irish Medical Aid for Palestine (2007)
Meath Archaeological and Historical Society visit to Monaghan and Armagh (2007)
Rotary Club, Navan (Paul Harris Fellowship award, 2007)
IBIS conference, Dublin (3 April 2008)
(xii) Lectures: IES. Julitta Clancy was invited to make presentations to American students participating
in the IES peace studies programme in Dublin (3 lectures 2007-08)
(xiii) Political party events:
UUP – Julitta Clancy invited to address a South Belfast branch of UUP in 2006
Ogra FF (Meath) – Anne Nolan and Julitta Clancy represented the MPG at two conferences
held in Navan
(xiii) Media outreach: reports and notices in local papers, and interviews on local radio, in relation to each
public talk held. Facilitation of guest speakers for local radio. Letters to the editor in national and local papers.
Radio/tv interviews on RTE, LMFM, BBC Ulster and Province 5
IV. Training
Meath Peace Group members took part in several training courses in 2006-08:
CORT training, North Belfast (2007) – Anne Nolan, Julitta Clancy and Judith Hamill
Non-violent communication (Dublin 2006) – Anne Nolan and Julitta Clancy
Mediation training (2006-07): Anne Nolan and Judith Hamill
Piece by Piece course organised by Communities Connect (2008) – Judith Hamill
V. Website
Reports and summaries of public talks made available on the group’s website www.meathpeacegroup.org. website manager - Alastair Graham of Serenos Technologies
Acknowledgments:
Meath Peace Group would like to thank all who have contributed and assisted in our work of promoting understanding, respect and trust since we were founded in early 1993. In particular we would like to thank: (i) the speakers, guest chairpersons, organisers, recorders and audiences at our public talks, (ii) St Columban’s College, Dalgan Park who hosted the majority of our talks and meetings, (iii) the school principals, teachers, students and guest speakers who took part in our transition year schools programme from 1995 to the present, (iv) communities who hosted study visits, (v) participants in our heritage study days and (vi) the Department of Foreign Affairs Reconciliation Fund for financial assistance towards the running of our programmes
Committee: John and Julitta Clancy, Parsonstown, Batterstown, Co. Meath; Anne Nolan (Treasurer) Slane, Co. Meath; Canon John Clarke, Navan, Co. Meath; Olive Kelly, Lismullen; Leona Rennicks, Ardbraccan; Judith Hamill, Ross, Dunsany; Vincent McDevitt, An Tobar, Ardbraccan, Philomena Boylan-Stewart, Longwood