Murdered nurse’s father to speak on changing society

THE father of murdered nurse Sara Neligan will be among the speakers at a two-day conference on the changes occurring in Irish society.

Brave heart surgeon Maurice Neligan will speak at the 10th annual conference hosted by the Ceifin Centre in Co Clare next week which carries the broad theme of Tracking the Tiger — a Decade of Change.

He will deliver a speech on his experience of the health service as part of a trio of speakers exploring the topic, Are Market Values our Only Values? The pioneering doctor and writer lost Sara, 31, the fourth of his and wife Pat’s seven children in June when she was stabbed to death at her Dublin city apartment. A man was charged with her murder and is in custody awaiting trial.

Senior figures in policing north and south of the border will also contribute to this year’s event with Kathleen O’Toole, chief inspector of the Garda Inspectorate, looking at the future of policing and Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland Nuala O’Loan addressing the topic Delivering Justice — Enabling Society.

Among the other speakers will be Bishop of Limerick, Donal Murray, speaking about Religion and the Secular in Contemporary Ireland; economist Paul Tansey, who will discuss the topic Rich is Better, and Sean Love, director of Amnesty International’s Irish section, who will look at the subject Searching for Foundation in Today’s Society.

The conference will also feature contributions from Professor Tom Collins, head of education at NUI Maynooth, Mary Kealy, chief executive for the Brothers of Charity Services in Co Clare, as well as a number of journalists and columnists. RTÉ broadcaster and Rachael English will be among the guest chairpersons.

Founder of the Ceifin Centre, Fr Harry Bohan, said the theme of the conference was a timely look back at a decade of incredible and not always welcome change.

“During a high tide of emigration and unemployment, John Healy, the journalist, wrote a seminal work, called ‘Nobody Shouted Stop’. That was 40 years ago. Surely all who are concerned ought to be shouting about what is happening in Ireland today,” he said. “Or have we become too pre-occupied to read the telltale signs of a breakdown in community and family life?”

The centre has charity status and runs programmes and produces publications aimed at encouraging thought and discussion and what it calls “values-led change” in Irish society.

* This year’s conference takes place on November 6 and 7 in the West County Hotel in Ennis.

Details are available on www.ceifin.com.