Republican News · Thursday 21 August 2003

15th Desmond Greaves Summer School

This weekend, the 15th Desmond Greaves Summer School will be held in Dublin, so named after the labour historian C Desmond Greaves, biographer of James Connolly, Liam Mellows and Sean O'Casey.

Some of the sessions should be of special interest to republicans, promises committee member Anthony Coughlan.

"It was because of the Supreme Court case taken by the late Raymond Crotty(1925-1994) that governments must get the assent of the people in referendums before they can hand over further slices of national sovereignty, independence and democracy to Brussels," writes Coughlan.

"Raymond Crotty was an economist and economic historian who had some highly original ideas on world history and Irish history that are attracting growing interest internationally these days. They are set out in his last book, which he completed just before his death in 1994, but which has only recently been posthumously published, When Histories Collide: the development and impact of individualistic capitalism."

Crotty's historical views will be examined by two distinguished lecturers, Professor Lars Mjoset from the University of Oslo, Norway, and Professor Joe Lee of the Glucksman Institute, New York, in the opening sessions of this year's Greaves Summer School on this coming Friday night and Saturday afternoon.

On Sunday afternoon there will be a panel discussion on "The Left and Europe" among representatives of the main left-wing political parties in Ireland: Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD, Sinn Féin; Eugene McCartan, General Secretary, the Communist Party of Ireland; Sean Garland, Workers' Party; Cllr Deirdre de Búrca, Green Party; Deirdre Connolly, Socialist Party; and Ivana Bacik, Labour Party.

That morning, there will be a lecture on Robert Emmet in European Perspective by Dr Ruan O'Donnell, whose three books on Emmet have just been published to mark Emmet's bicentenary.

Admission to individual lectures costs €5 and the cost of the whole Summer School is €15. The event is being held at the Labour History Museum in Beggars Bush Barracks, Haddington Road, Dublin 4.

Friday 22 August

7.30pm

WHEN HISTORIES COLLIDE: THE WORLD HISTORICAL THOUGHT OF RAYMOND CROTTY

Saturday 23 August

2.30pm

THE IRISH HISTORICAL THOUGHT OF RAYMOND CROTTY, ECONOMIST AND SOCIAL

SCIENTIST

8pm

Social gathering. 24 Belgrave Rd, Dublin 6. You may bring your own bottle, or a limited number will be available for purchase on the night. All Summer School participants welcome.

Sunday 24 August:

11am

ROBERT EMMET IN EUROPEAN PERSPECTIVE

2.30pm

THE LEFT AND EUROPE

A panel discussion

HOW TO GET THERE

Take buses 5, 7, 7a or 8 from O'Connell Bridge, alighting at the first stop in Northumberland Road, Ballsbridge. Haddington Road is first on the left, parallel to the canal.