Irish artist Robert Ballagh to speak at UCC conference on The Arts and the 1916 Rising

Artist and designer Robert Ballagh is set to address a conference exploring The Arts and the 1916 Rising.

Organised by Gabriel Doherty and the School of History in UCC, the conference asks the question if the 1916 Rising was one of poets and playwrights.

The conference will feature leading figures from the Irish art scene as well as prominent academic authorities.

The official opening takes place in UCC's Aula Maxima, on Friday 29 January with a talk on the subject of music and the Rising delivered by Professor Micheál Ó Suilleabháin, of the University of Limerick.

It will have a particular reference to the work of Seán Ó Riada on the score of the film Mise Éire.

The closing address will be given by Robert Ballagh - a leading artist in Ireland and political activist - who will discuss the visual art of the Rising.

Other topics due to come up during the conference include the cinematic, literary, poetic and theatrical contexts and legacy of the Rising.

The event is free to attend and open to all members of the general public. It takes place in UCC and runs on Friday 29 and Saturday 30 January. http://www.ucc.ie/en/history/conferences/