Eclectic mix of speakers for SF’s Cork forum

PROMINENT loyalists, a financial adviser to the embattled Icelandic government, a Greek economics expert and a Cork sporting legend will be among the speakers at a major summer school organised by Sinn Féin.

The summer school, which will be held this Friday and Saturday at the Mills Inn in Ballyvourney, Co Cork, will be open to all members of the public.

It will be officially opened by Kerry-based Cllr Toireasa Ferris at 7pm and its first keynote speaker will be Reverend Mervyn Gibson, a prominent loyalist who is currently trying to help bring an end to street violence in the Short Strand area of Belfast.

Rev Gibson was also involved in helping to create the Good Friday Agreement, and will speak of its legacy 13 years on.

He will be available for a question and answer session afterwards.

He will be followed on the podium by speakers who will remember republican hunger strikers 30 years on, including Leo Green, who spent 50 days refusing food.

Danny Morrison, who was spokesman for the republican movement at the time, will also address the audience, as will Sean Kelleher, secretary of the Kilmichael Commemoration committee. Mr Kelleher’s father, Tom, was a section commander with the IRA units which carried out the Kilmichael and Crossbarry ambushes in the War of Independence under the command of Tom Barry.

Three sessions follow on Saturday, which will focus on arts, culture, sport and the debt crisis.

A number of renowned speakers have agreed to address the latter subject.

They include Huginn Freyr Thorsteinsson, political adviser to the finance minister of Iceland; Yanis Varufackis, Professor of Economics at the University of Athens, Jack O’Connor, president of SIPTU; and Sinn Féin finance spokesman, Pearse Doherty.

Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams will also deliver a keynote address.

Under the title, The need for a new revival, speakers from a wide range of backgrounds will focus on the future of arts, sports and communities on the island.

Among them will be East Belfast-based loyalist Frankie Gallagher, Cork hurling and football legend Jimmy Barry Murphy, renowned artist Bobby Ballagh and Carál Ní Chuilín, the Sinn Féin MLA minister for arts and culture.

DJ O’Driscoll, who is helping to organise the event, said that spaces were limited to 175 people and that a number had already been booked up.