Third Level Speaker Initiative

3 rd Level Speaker Initiative – Sean Mac Diarmada Summer School 2021 sees the commencement of an exciting and innovative initiative by the committee of the Sean Mac Diarmada Summer School. For the first time, the event will see a young and aspiring speaker take to the podium (virtual in 2021!) to deliver a themed presentation in the company of a number of august speakers in their respective fields of academia, journalism, politics and research.

It is the intention of the summer school committee to approach a different 3rd level educational institution in Ireland each year, inviting a student speaker from a discipline that best connects with the theme for a given year.

The initiative emerges from the desire to give a platform and a voice to those who may, in time, become the policy makers, and the social, economic and political influencers, of the future.

The summer school already recognises the expertise and experience of established speakers from a range of different contexts. By expanding the
platform to include a youth speaker, we are offering enthusiastic and engaging young speakers the opportunity to bring their analyses and ideas to a public forum and to public attention.

This year, we are delighted to welcome Jack Ryan, a 3rd Year undergraduate student of English and History at National University of Ireland, Galway. Jack will represent the History Department at NUIG in the 2021 Sean Mac Diarmada Summer School.