UCD Clinton Institute for American Studies
UCD, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland | Director: Professor Liam Kennedy
Prospective Students
President Clinton addresses the Institute Sept 2010
The United States and Northern Ireland: A Transatlantic Perspective on Problems and Solutions
16th and 17th September 2011
Report
On the 16th and 17th September, the Clinton Institute hosted a colloquium, organised by Professor Maurice Bric of the UCD School of History and Archives, entitled “The United States and Northern Ireland: Transatlantic Perspectives on Problems and Solutions”. This conference was opened by Lucinda Creighton, TD for Dublin South East and Minister for State at the Department of An Taoiseach and Foreign Affairs. Minister Creighton commented on the relationship between Ireland and the United States and the importance developing an all-Ireland identity. She also highlighted Ireland’s role in the United States, citing the 220 Irish companies who employ 82,000 people there.
Prof. Lord Bew
The opening panel, chaired by Professor Bric, a member of the Clinton Institute’s board of advisors and author of Ireland, Philadelphia and the Re-Invention of America, 1760-1800 among other works on Irish-America, featured Professor Paul Arthur from the University of Ulster, Queen’s University Belfast Professor Lord Bew and Professor Catherine Shannon from Westfield State University. Professor Arthur argued against the myth that Irish-America had any political clout, citing examples to support his argument. He also highlighted the role of President Carter’s 1977 statement on Northern Ireland, the first public declaration on the issue by any United States President. Professor Bew, while highlighting the role of Ulster Presbyterians in creating the political institutions of the United States, focused on the Clinton era, strongly criticising Unionist politicians for their failure to engage in a meaningful way with any elected officials in Washington, DC. Finally, Professor Shannon discussed the role of the Boston Irish in the Northern Irish question, contending that their initially simplistic analysis developed to a more fully interactive role by the 1990s.
On Saturday morning, U.S. Ambassador Dan Rooney and his wife joined the conference. The second session began with an introduction from University of Ulster Professor Monica McWilliams, the outgoing Chief Commissioner of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission. Given Ambassador Rooney’s presence, it was appropriate that the first paper came from Dr Sean O hUiginn, a former Ambassador of Ireland to the United States. Dr O hUiginn recalled his time in the United States, both as Consul General during the early 1980s and his subsequent role as Ambassador during the period 1997-2002, crucial years for the Northern Irish peace process. He was followed by Professor John Coakley from UCD’s School of Politics who emphasised that while the intervention of the United States in Northern Ireland might have been against UK wishes, it was certainly not against UK interests. The two Mayomen were able to compare the successes of migrants from their own parishes in the United States; interestingly, both parishes produced a Cardinal.
Monica McWilliams and Séan OhUiginn
The third panel, entitled “The Media and Northern Ireland” was chaired by Clinton Institute Director, Professor Liam Kennedy. He introduced the session speaking about the concept of frames which are useful for analysing the involvement of the media in conflict, a topic which was furthered by the second talk from Professor Michael Breen (University of Limerick) who spoke about agenda setting theory. He provided quantitative data which supported an assertion that President Clinton’s involvement in the peace process was primarily a local story and part of a personal agenda rather than a policy priority. His talk followed that of prominent Irish-American and UCD alum, Niall O’Dowd (The Irish Voice). O'Dowd spoke of his role from within the United States particularly during the 1990s. He cited the importance that support for the peace process from the New York Times assumed for him personally and Irish-America in general.
Niall O'Dowd (The Irish Voice)
The final session, chaired by Professor Robert Brigham from Vassar College, focused on the Clinton Presidency. Brigham introduced the session with comments about Clinton’s wider foreign policy issues. Professor John Dumbrell from the University of Durham then argued that the guiding core to foreign policy under Clinton was in fact a desire to keep the United States on an internationalist path. The second talk came from Ohio Wesleyan University Professor Sean Kay who spoke about the important development from war to peace and then on to peacebuilding, citing examples from his research on continuing issues in Northern Ireland which could affect prospects of a lasting peace. Finally Professor Mark Bradley from the University of Chicago spoke, providing insight into the wider international context of late-twentieth century conflicts, notably in Algeria and Vietnam, and how these might be relevant to the Irish example.
Professor Maurice Bric closed a very successful colloquium offering thanks to all participants and organisers.
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Programme
Friday, 16 September 2011: 19:00
Opening Remarks: Ms. Lucinda Creighton, TD, Minister for State at the Department of An Taoiseach and Foreign Affairs.
Session One: America, Irish-America and Northern Ireland: Perceptions and Politics
Chairperson: Professor Maurice J Bric (University College Dublin)
Panelists: Professor Paul Arthur (University of Ulster), “The United States, Northern Ireland and the Shaping of Nationalist Discourse”
Professor Lord Bew (Queen’s University Belfast): “Reflections on Unionism and America”
Professor Catherine Shannon (University of Massachusetts): “Boston and Northern Ireland: A Healthy Connection”
Saturday, 17 September:
9.30am Session Two: Presenting Ireland in America
Chairperson and Introduction: Professor Monica McWilliams (University of Ulster and outgoing Chief Commissioner, Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission)
Panelists: Dr Sean O hUiginn (former Ambassador of Ireland to the United States) “Ireland and America: Presenting Issues, Addressing Solutions”
Mr. Mark Tuohy (Washington DC), “Good Friday, St. Andrews and Beyond: An American Perspective of the Irish Peace Process”
Professor John Coakley (School of Politics, UCD) and Dr. Robert Mauro (Director of Irish Studies, Boston College), “Pursuing Peace in Northern Ireland: Exploring the American Role”
11,15 - 11,45 Tea/coffee
11.45am Session Three: The Media and Northern Ireland
Chairperson and Introduction: Professor Liam Kennedy (Clinton Institute, UCD)
Panelists: Niall O’Dowd (publisher, The Irish Voice), “Media Commentary on Ireland”
Professor Michael Breen (Mary Immaculate College, University of Limerick) “Headline Coverage of Northern Ireland in the Clinton Presidency: Agenda Setting in Theory and Practice”
1pm Lunch
2pm Session Four: The Clinton Presidency: Ireland and Beyond
Chairperson and Introduction: Professor Robert Brigham (Vassar College)
Panelists: Professor John Dumbrell (University of Durham), “Northern Ireland and President Clinton's Wider Foreign Policy Objectives”.
Professor Mark Bradley (University of Chicago), “Ireland and America Through the Lens of the Global South."
Professor Sean Kay (Ohio Wesleyian University), "The Legacy of the Peace Process in Northern Ireland: From Peacemaking to Peacebuilding"
PANELISTS
Paul Arthuris Professor Emeritus of Politics at the University of Ulster. He has also lectured extensively in a number of other universities, including the University of Missouri (2000) and Stanford (2006-7). He has published over 70 articles in peer-reviewed journals as well as five books, including his lengthy monograph Special Relationships: Britain, Ireland and the Northern Ireland Problem (2001) which was partly drawn from his own experiences in public affairs of Northern Ireland. He also lectures on conflict studies in various parts of the world, most recently in the Middle East. He has also advised a number of public bodies and parliamentary committees on conflict resolution.
Paul Bewhas been Professor of Politics at Queen’s University Belfast since 1991 and currently sits in the House of Lords as a crossbencher. He has published extensively on the history of nineteenth and twentieth century Ireland, his most recent book being Ireland: The Politics of Enmity 1789-2006 (Oxford University Press, 2007). For many years, he has been involved in many aspects of public policy and comment on Northern Ireland and is Chairperson of the British-Irish Association.
Mark Bradleyis Professor of International History at the University Chicago. He is the author of a number of books and articles on international history including Vietnam at War (2009) and Truth Claims: Representation and Human Rights (2002). He is also an editor of the Cornell University Press book series, “The United States in the World", and is completing a book length manuscript on the place of the United States in twentieth century global human rights politics.
Michael Breenis a media sociologist who specialises in empirical content analysis of news as a significant shaper of public opinion. A former IRCHSS Research Fellow, he has analysed newspaper and television coverage on a wide variety of social issues in mainstream news. His most recent book is The Influence of Mass Media on Divorce Referenda in Ireland (Edwin Mellen Press: NY, 2010).
Maurice Bric is Associate Professor of History at University College Dublin. He was Foundation Director of the Clinton Institute and now chairs its Board of Management. He writes mainly on the history of nineteenth century America and his recent book, Ireland and the Reinvention of America, 1760-1800 won the Historical Research Prize for 2009. In September 2011, he was named Government of Ireland Senior Research Fellow for 2011-12.
Robert Brighamis the Shirley Ecker Boskey Professor of History and International Relations at Vassar College. He is the author of several books and essays on US foreign policy including Argument Without End: In Search of Answers to the Vietnam Tragedy which was written with the former US Secretary of Defense, Robert McNamara. He is currently working on a monograph on the Clinton Administration’s search for a “new liberal world order” following the Cold War as well as on a separate study of negotiations to end civil wars in the 1990 (forthcoming from Cambridge University Press). He has been visiting Mary Ball Washington Professor of American History at University College Dublin.
John Coakleyis Professor of Politics at University College Dublin and Director (1999-2005) and Research Director (2006 to date) of the Institute for British-Irish Studies. He has also served on a number of national and international bodies relating to his academic interest, most recently serving as Secretary General of the International Political Science Association. He has published widely on Irish and comparative politics. The fifth edition of his influential book, Politics in the Republic of Ireland, which he co-edited with Michael Gallagher, was published in 2010.
Lucinda Creighton TDwas first elected to Dail Eireann in May 2007 and was re-elected in 2011. In March 2001, she was appointed as Minister for European Affairs.
John Dumbrellis Professor of Government at Durham University. He is a former chairperson of the American Group of the Political Studies Association and co-editor of the series Studies in US Foreign Policy (Routledge). His most recent book, Clinton’s Foreign Policy: Between the Bushes, 1992-2000 was published in 2009. He has also published on the “special relationship” (2006, 2001), on Lyndon Johnson and Soviet Communism (2004) and America’s “War on Terrorism”: New Dimensions in US Government and National Security (2008) as well as on various aspects of US foreign policy.
Sean Kayis Professor of Politics and Government at Ohio Wesleyan University and a fellow in foreign policy at the Eisenhower Institute in Washington, D.C. He publishes widely on international security, American foreign policy, and was a member of the informal group of foreign policy advisors to the 2007-2008 campaign of Barack Obama for President, working on European and Irish issues. His most recent books are Global Security in the Twenty-first Century: The Quest for Power and the Search for Peace and Celtic Revival? The Rise, Fall, and Renewal of Global Ireland.
Liam Kennedyis Director of the Clinton Institute for American Studies at University College Dublin. He has diverse research interests and teaching experiences, spanning the fields of urban studies, visual culture, globalisation and transatlantic relations. He is the author of Susan Sontag: Mind as Passion and Race and Urban Space in American Culture
Monica McWilliamsis Professor of Women’s Studies and Social Policy at the University of Ulster and outgoing Chief Commissioner of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (2005-2011). She co-founded the Northern Ireland Women’s Coalition and attended the discussions which led to the Good Friday Agreement in 1998. In 1998, she was awarded the John F Kennedy Library Profiles in Courage Award.
Robert M. Maurois Director of the Irish Institute at Boston College. He has done extensive work in Irish social and political history, most recently at University College Dublin, where he was Fellow at the Institute for British-Irish Studies.
Niall O’Dowdis founder of the Irish Voice (from 1985) and Irish America (from 1987), both published in New York. Especially since 1991, when he was a founder of “Irish-Americans for Clinton”, he has also been active in public affairs. He subsequently led an Irish-American peace delegation to Northern Ireland and has acted as intermediary with the White House at crucial points in the Peace Process. He is a frequent commentator on American and Irish politics.
Sean O hUiginnhas served as Ambassador of Ireland to Saudi Arabia, Italy, Germany and the United States. As Head of the Anglo-Irish Division of the Department of Foreign Affairs, he was deeply instrumental in fostering the Irish peace process and the all-party negotiations which led to the Good Friday Agreement of 1998.
Catherine B. Shannonis Professor Emerita of History at Westfield State University, Massachusetts. She is the author of Arthur J. Balfour and Ireland, l874-1922 as well as various articles and book chapters on Irish history. Currently she is working on a monograph examining the experiences of Northern Irish women from the era of the civil rights movement of the l960s through to the Good Friday Agreement of l998. She has long been active in Irish-American affairs, especially in Boston where in 1990 she became the first woman President of the Charitable Irish Society in its 253-year history.
Mark Tuohy is a lawyer and partner at the Washington, DC office of Brown Rudnick LLP. He has served as President of the District of Columbia Bar as well as Chair of the D.C. Sports and Entertainment Commission, in which capacity be brought Major League Baseball to Washington. A former federal prosecutor, Mr. Tuohy has served on occasion as a special prosecutor to investigate alleged wrongdoing on a federal and state level. He has also served as an advisor to the Independent Commission on Policing for Northern Ireland (Patten) and as a legal advisor to Ireland’s Attorney General. He currently serves as a Director of the American Ireland Fund and Cooperation Ireland.
If you are interested in attending, please pre-register with Ms. Catherine Carey, Manager, Clinton Institute, UCD at catherine.carey@ucd.ie. There is no registration fee.