Public Talks

Introduction: In September 1993, a few months after the Meath Peace Group was founded (March/April 1993), the group launched a series of public talks and seminars which continued until November 2010, and resumed 2014-15 (over 80 public talks and seminars). This work progressed alongside other activities of the group – schools programme (1994-2014), networking and outreach, small-group dialogue sessions, ethical remembering courses, monitoring parades, heritage study visits to sites in Northern Ireland and the border counties, etc.

A wide range of speakers from NI and the Republic took part, including politicians, community and residents groups, victims and survivors, church groups, educators and academics, members of the loyal orders, and former members of the security forces as well as former paramilitary prisoners. Topics related to aspects of the conflict and the emerging peace process, as well as some historical talks.

Most of the public talks were held at St Columban’s College, Dalgan Park, Navan, Co. Meath. Occasionally other venues in Meath were used – where this occurred the name of the venue is listed in the report for that talk. From 1995 onwards, most talks were audio-recorded and video copies were also made for many of the public talks after 1996. Edited transcripts and/or summaries of most of the talks held (from 1995 on) are available here.

Talks 1-9 are summaries only, with varying detail. As the talks progressed, more detailed reports/transcripts were produced.
Note: the website was recently reconstructed; reports or summaries of most public talks to 2007 are included here (reverse chronological order). All remaining talks will be posted in stages where they can be retrieved from tapes etc.

Note on copyright. Reports and recordings are copyright Meath Peace Group but may be downloaded from the website provided the contents are unaltered and the source is acknowledged.