Thomas D'Arcy McGee Summer School

17/09/2026

Carlingford Heritage Trust are hosting a Bewley's Big Coffee Morning in aid of the North Louth Hospice in The Carlingford Heritage Centre on Thursday 24th September from 10.30am - 12.30pm. All Welcome

01/09/2026

For the past 15 years the Carlingford Heritage Trust have successfully ran the D’Arcy McGee Summer School with different overarching contemporary themes and keynote speakers from across the Atlantic and Ireland. I have attended some over the years and always found them informative, interesting and progressive - Good Friday Agreement, Climate Justice and Human Rights, and this years theme was ‘Culture, Identity and Inclusion in a turbulent world’

This year due to my holidays I was only able to attend the Talk on D’Arcy McGee with Independent Cllr Bernie Conlon given by his biographer Professor David Wilson who outlined McGee’s connections with Carlingford and his life journey from revolutionary nationalism to a pluralist vision of Canadian confederation.

Thomas D'Arcy McGee was a journalist of the largest newspapers in Canada , a poet with of 300 poems, a much sought after Orator and a complex /contradictory man who ended up anti fenian anti orange and assassinated on 7 April 1868 ! One of his quotes when he arrived in Canada still resonates today “the British flag does indeed fly here but casts no shadow”

When David began his talk I was drawing parallels to John Hume but soon realised he was no Hume but comparisons include reform was the only way forward. During the Q&A session I asked ‘would you agree history and its mistakes keep repeating themselves because there are/were too many men in charge !

Well Done to All involved in organising, hosting the annual D’Arcy McGee Summer School in Carlingford definitely an asset to Tourism in our County

30/08/2026

26/08/2026

Following a great morning we had an equally good afternoon with Sam McBride, Davey Adams, Sarah Creighton, Wallace Thompson, Emma Shaw, Linzi McLaren, Dr Connal Parr, Dr Claire Mitchell.

26/08/2026

First morning of the Summer School was a great success, amazing speakers and a responsive audience
Bronagh Hinds, Chair, Erin McGreehan, TD, Thomas McEvoy, Louth County Council, Professor David Wilson and Heather Humphrey’s, Catríona Crowe, Professor Diarmaid Ferriter, Daniel Mulhall

26/08/2026

….And we’re off

23/08/2026

https://www.independent.ie/county/louth/darcy-mcgee-summer-school-in-carlingford-to-tackle-culture-identity-and-inclusion-in-a-turbulent-world/a/160141613.html?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=hyperlink

The 15th annual Darcy McGee summer school in Carlingford looks at the very relevant theme of Culture, Identity and Inclusion in a Turbulent World

20/08/2026

Shoutout to Slugger O'Toole for sharing information aboout the Summer School

How can a new Ireland maintain and deepen its values, sustained for a century, while achieving the inclusion of unionists and immigrant communities within an all-Ireland culture? Fascinating debate and discussion are anticipated at the 2026 Darcy Magee Summer School in Carlingford when the battle ag...

19/08/2026

Culture, Identity and Inclusion... in a turbulent world. The 15th Annual D'Arcy McGee Summer School returns to Carlingford on 26–27 August 2026, using our historic link to Thomas D'Arcy McGee and Canada as a starting point for two days of honest conversation about belonging, identity and democracy today.

Full programme and speakers: www.darcymcgeesummerschool.com | Tickets:

The 15th Annual D'Arcy McGee Summer School — honest conversations about culture, identity and inclusion. Carlingford, Co. Louth, 2026.

21/12/2025

A new RTE documentary traces the remarkable journey of the Sands family, from a small Co Down céilí house to global stages.

Tommy Sands spoke to Helen McGurk about some of his earliest memories, including watching toes tapping to the same rhythm, "regardless of politics or religion".

Read more: https://tinyurl.com/zvyraw2c