The Burren Law School
2014
Saturday, May 3rd
7.30am
Michael Greene’s Morning Walk
‘Twenty-First Century Justice?’
9.30am
Brehon Law aspects of Access to Justice:
Professor Donnchadh Ó Corráin, UCC
Fri May 2nd – Sun May 4th
10.15am
Ballyvaughan, Co. Clare
Binchy Memorial Lecture:
Emily O’Reilly, European Ombudsman
11am
Coffee Break
Guest Director : Anne Connolly
11.30am
Session 1 – Justice Across Borders:
Robert Fisk, journalist & author
Dr Fatima Hamroush, former Minister for Health,
Libya (2011-12)
1pm
Lunch – Castle Cafe
2pm
Session 2 – Systems of Justice:
Prof Richard Susskind, legal author & philosopher
Bill Prasifka, Financial Services Ombudsman
3.15pm
Field Trip
8.30pm
Conference Dinner – Venue TBC
Friday, May 2nd
7.15pm
Registration & Reception
8pm
Official Launch of the School
A brief Brehon welcome in Newtown Castle by
Professor Donnchadh Ó Corráin, UCC
8.15pm
Opening Session – Taoiseach invited
Sunday, May 4th
10am
Judge Nicholas Kearns, President of the High
Court
10.45am
Coffee Break
11.15am
Brehon Law Session
Details TBC
11.45am
Session 3 – Access to Justice
Pat Leahy, journalist, Sunday Business Post
Dr Mary Rogan, DIT, Chairperson of the Irish
Penal Reform Trust
12.45pm
Concluding Remarks
3pm
Field Trip
The Burren Law School Committee
Senator Ivana Bacik, Paddy Brennan, Maura Butler, Mary
Hawkes-Greene, Martin Hawkes, Kieran McGrath, Aengus Ó
Corráin, Peter Ward.
The Burren Law School
Close by Newtown Castle, seat of the O’Lochlainns, chiefs of the
Burren, is the site of the O’Davoren Law School, one of the
three law schools that were situated in the Burren. Between the
years 1563 and 1569, Domhnall O’Davoren and his pupils
compiled the manuscript now known as Egerton 88, containing
an invaluable glossary of Brehon Law and a variety of law texts,
one dating back to the 8th century.
The Burren Law School aims to recreate the tradition of legal
learning associated with the Brehon Law Schools, allowing the
past to illuminate the present in what promises to be a
stimulating and entertaining weekend. It will be of interest to the
public at large as much as to members of the legal and caring
professions, historians and relevant interest groups.
Burren Law School is facilitated by the Burren College of Art
Ltd., a charity dedicated interalia to the heritage and cultural
development of the Burren.
Past Themes
2013 Ireland’s Place among the Nations. Director: James Hamilton
2012 Commemorating the Past, Constituting the Future. Director: AlexWhite
2011 Imagining a New Republic. Director: Fintan O’Toole
2010 Power – its Uses and Abuses. Director: Kieran McGrath
2009 Arts and the Law. Director: Sean Braiden
2008 East meets West – A Clash of Cultures? Director: Ivana Bacik
2007 The Relationship Between Law and Politics. Director: Peter Ward
2006 Health, Medicine & the Law. Director: Paddy Brennan
2005 Education Empowerment & the Law. Director: Maura Butler
2004 Environment & the Law. Director: Martin Hawkes
2003 The Outsider & the Law. Director: Kieran McGrath
2002 Identity & the Law – Nationalisms in Europe. Director: Sean Braiden
2001 Injustice. Director: Ivana Bacik
2000 The Language of Law – An Obstacle to Justice. Director: Peter Ward
1999 Alienation from the Law – Ireland & Europe. Director: Brian Sheridan
1998 Law Making in Ireland – Legislature & Judiciary. Director: Brian Sheridan
1997 The Poet & Media in Irish Law. Director: Brian Sheridan
1996 The Child in Irish Law. Director: Brian Sheridan
1995 The Poet & Media in Irish Law. Director: Brian Sheridan
1994 The inaugural Burren Law School – Women & Family in Irish Law.
Director: Brian Sheridan
Past Guest Speakers
Eamonn Barnes D.P.P, Ivana Bacik, Robert Ballagh, Mary Banotti, Ann Barron (England),
Eilis Barry, Dr. John Barton, Dr. Muireann Ní Bhrolochain, William Binchy, Teresa Blake,
Olive Braiden, Vincent Browne, The Hon. Mr. Justice Declan Budd, Elaine Byrne, Noreen
Byrne, Dr Laura Cahillane, Frank Callanan, Donal Carey T.D, Prof. Angeles Cerezo
(Spain), Dr. Bronagh Ní Chonnaill, Roger Cole, Matt Cooper, Anthony Coughlan, Dr
Carol Coulter, Prof. Frank Convery, Dr. Mary Corcoran, Lucinda Creighton, Cathriona
Crowe, George Cunningham, John Cushnanhan, M.E.P, Frank Daly, Gordon D’Arcy,
Michael Dervan, Sile de Valera T.D., The Hon. Ms. Justice Susan Denham, Dr Oran
Doyle, Theo Dorgan, Alan Dukes, Prof. William Duncan, David Ervine, Mr. Frank Fahey
T.D., Diarmaid Ferriter, Dr. John Fingleton, Dr. Garret Fitzgerald, Mannix Flynn, Dr
Ronan Foley, Sir. Christopher Frayling, Dr. Maureen Gaffney, Paul Gillespie, Peter Glynn,
Dr. Constantin Gurdgiev, James Hamilton, The Hon. Mr. Justice Adrian Hardiman, Justice
Anthony Harte (N. Ireland), The Hon. Mr. Justice Gerard Haughton, Maurice Hayes,
Noreen Hegarty, James Hickey, Dr. Tom Hickey, Mr. Justice Gerard Hogan, Dr. Iseult
Honohan, John Hume, Gary Hynes, Mary Irvine SC., Prof. Timothy Emylyn Jones, Mary
Angela Keane, Dr. Shane Kilcommins, Mary Kerrigan, Brian Lenihan T.D., Dr. Clare
Leon, Prof. Brian Lucey, Prof. Maurizio Lupoi (Italy), Elma Lynch, The Hon. Mr. Justice
Brian MacMahon, Oliver Mahon, Prof. Kevin Malone, Dr. Martin Manseragh,
Lara Marlowe, Eamonn McCann, Justine McCarthyThomas McCarthy, Eleanor McClory,
Commissioner Charlie McCreevy, Dearbhail McDonald, Dr Terrence Mc Donough,
Michael McDowell S.C., Paddy McEntee S.C., John McGahern, The Hon. Ms. Justice
Catherine McGuinness S.C., Seamus McGuinness Kieran McGrath, Susan McKay, Liz
McManus T.D., Juan Carrau Mellado, John McMenamin, Thomas Mohr, The Hon. Mr.
Justice Michael Moriarty, Judge Roderick Murphy, The Hon. Justice Shiela Murphy (USA),
The Hon. Mr. Justice John L. Murray, Conor O’Clery, Dr. Art O’Connor, Donnacha
O’Connell, Patrick O’Connor, prof. Donnchadh Ó Cróinín, John O’Donoghue, Nuala
O’Faolain, The Hon. Mr. Hugh O’Flaherty, Desmond O’Malley T.D., John O ‘Shea, Prof.
Mícheál Ó Suilleabháin, Jan O’Sullivan T.D., Fintan O’Toole, The Hon. Mr. Justice
Michael Peart, Prof. Fred Powell, Pat Rabbitte, Mick Rafferty, Mary Raferty, Quentin
Peel, Rossa Phelan, Michael J. Powers Q.C., Mary Ellen Ring, Dr. Andrew Rynne, Dr.
Shaheed Satardien, John H. Scurr, Dr. James Sheehan, Brian Sheridan,
Andrew Smyth, Gerry Smyth, Dick Spring T.D., Alan Stanford, Gerry Stembridge, Ercus
Stewart, S.C., Mervyn Taylor T.D., Colm Tóibín, Rob Vance, John Walshe, Peter Ward,
John Waters, Maire Whelan S.C.,