The one day Symposium organized by the Spanish Embassy in Dublin will examine historical and contemporary, political, social, as well as cultural links and connections between Ireland, Spain, and Latin America, ranging from their common Celtic roots to the fight against terrorism in the Basque Country and Northern Ireland.
The seminar will include six lectures followed by a discussion and the screening of a documentary about Red Hugh O’Donnell & Spain.
Lecture I: Ireland and the Atlantic-Iberian world: an historical overview
Dr. Declan M. Downey, Royal Academy of History Madrid & University College Dublin, will analyze the connection and friendship between Spain, as well as other Latin American countries, with Ireland throughout history: he will cover medieval, early modern and modern-contemporary periods.
Lecture II: Celtic roots common to Spain and Ireland
Prof. Ramón Sainero, Spanish Royal Academy of History Madrid & Director of the Spanish Institute of Celtic Studies reveals the relationship, still unknown today, that these two countries maintained from the earliest times.
Lecture III: The influence of the Irish political reformer Daniel O'Connell on Spanish and Ibero-American liberalism
Prof. Emeritus Maurice J. Bric, Royal Irish Academy & University College Dublin, analyzes Daniel O'Connell´s, known in his time as The Liberator, sway in Spain and Latin America.
Lecture IV: ‘Unified by an image’: W. B. Yeats, Juan Ramón Jiménez and the Ibero-American connection
Dr. Nuria de Cos Lara, University of Dublin, Trinity College, analyses the similarities and mutual influence between these two world acclaimed poets.
Lecture V: Ireland & Cuba: entangled histories
Dr. Margaret Brehony, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Global Research Fellow at the University of Galway and Concordia University, Montreal, reviews the history of migration from Ireland to Cuba, citing important Irish personalities and different Irish migrations and settlements in Cuba particularly in the colonial period, demonstrating some important parallels between the two islands – colonial pasts, independence struggles and postcolonial experiences.
Lecture VI: ETA and IRA terrorism and the fight against terrorism in the Basque Country and Northern Ireland.
Iñigo Gurruchaga, Journalist and London Correspondent for the Basque newspaper, El Correo, discusses the similarities and important differences of terrorism in Northern Ireland and Spain and the subsequent cease of violence.
Screening of the documentary "Red Hugh O'Donnell: The Last Journey" by Carlos Burgos. President of the Hispano-Irish Association. In 1602 the Irish prince Red Hugh O'Donnell sails to Spain to request help from King Philip III, his ally, in the face of the imminent invasion of Ireland. In the Castle of Simancas he died at the age of 29, being buried in the Convent of San Francisco de Valladolid. This documentary analyses the importance of the archaeological excavations that took place in 2020 to try to locate his remains.
