Peacebuilding a shared Northern Irish society
Challenges to belonging in a changing Northern Irelandby Allan LEONARD14 October 2026 A public lecture held at Ulster University’s Coleraine campus during Good Relations Week brought a social psychologist’s lens to some of Northern Ireland’s most persistent divisions. The event, titled “Finding Your Place: Belonging in a Changing Northern Ireland”, was introduced by Damian McIlduff... Continue Reading →
‘The violence is continuing’: scholars examine embodied memory of conflictby Allan LEONARD6 May 2026 The International Conflict Research Institute (INCORE) at Ulster University hosted a seminar to mark the exhibition “Aftershocks: The Sensory Afterlives of Violence”, on display at the university’s Belfast campus until 13 May. The seminar brought together Professor Roísín Higgins (Maynooth University), who organised the event... Continue Reading →
From tartans to Guinness: Identity in Northern Ireland and beyondby Allan LEONARD21 April 2026 Belfast Exposed photography gallery on Donegall Street hosted "Why Is Identity So Difficult?", a public lecture and discussion delivered by Professor Dominic Bryan of Queen's University Belfast. The event was organised by the Office of Identity and Cultural Expression (OICE) and... Continue Reading →
Navigating fraught legacies with trauma-informed archival practiceby Allan LEONARD24 February 2026 The Quill Project recently hosted a comprehensive event focusing on the examination of archival practice, care, and ethical responsibility in a post-conflict context. Hosted by the Quill Project — a digital humanities research enterprise based at Pembroke College, Oxford, which is currently focused on... Continue Reading →
The power of peacebuilding: McAleese’s personal toll and Hume’s enduring call for dialogueby Allan LEONARD20 February 2026 The John and Pat Hume Foundation recently hosted a significant gathering at Clonard Monastery to reflect on the enduring legacy of John and Pat Hume in achieving peace and reconciliation in Ireland. Father Ciaran O’Callaghan, Vice-Director of Clonard,... Continue Reading →
“I am not a law-breaker by nature, but I am proud to stand here with 15,000 Derry people who have broken a law which is in disrepute. I invite Mr Craig to arrest the lot of us.” —John Hume, as organiser of Derry Citizens’ Action Committee march in Derry/Londonderry, which successfully defied ban by Northern... Continue Reading →
A celebration of music journalism and Belfast’s musical legacy:book launch event for The Song is Nearly Over by Stuart Bailieby Allan LEONARD6 November 2025 On a memorable evening at The Deer's Head, music journalist Stuart Bailie launched his new book chronicling 40 years in music journalism — The Song is Nearly Over. The event featured... Continue Reading →
Completing my first trail race (beyond my high school years) was a personal accomplishment, while revealing some truths about terrain, distance, and performance. It was my longest time spent running, at over four hours, and I was very glad to approach the finish line — I was pretty spent by the end. The morning after,... Continue Reading →
Martin honours Mallon’s legacy with ‘Shared Home Place’ programmeby Allan LEONARD22 July 2025 The Navan Centre and Fort recently hosted an event, organised by the John & Pat Hume Foundation, to celebrate the memory and legacy of the respected Irish politician, Seamus Mallon, with a lecture by Ireland Taoiseach Micheál Martin TD. This was followed by a... Continue Reading →
‘What is the peace?’ Rethinking Northern Irish photography from the Troubles and beyondby Allan LEONARD25 June 2025 The latest series of talks at the Photo Museum Ireland featured an insightful lecture by Colin Graham, a professor of English and an accomplished author. The evening’s discussion centred around the intricate subject of Northern Irish photography, with a particular focus on its... Continue Reading →
Peace photography: supporting conflict transformationby Allan LEONARD13 June 2025 At an online session organised by Dr Tiffany Fairey, a senior research fellow at King’s College London, participants gathered to explore the intersection of photography and peace. The event brought together a range of experts and practitioners to discuss how photography can foster cultures of peace... Continue Reading →
The vital role of archives for reconciliationby Allan LEONARD12 June 2025 Archives serve as repositories of our collective memory, housing documents, artefacts, and other historical materials that help societies understand their past. In a recent panel discussion, experts from various fields came together to discuss the significance of archives in reconciliation processes, including how community... Continue Reading →