Former taoiseach John Bruton has been confirmed as the keynote speaker at this year's Daniel O'Connell Summer School in Co Kerry.
Director of the Daniel O'Connell Summer School, Prof Maurice Bric said the organisers were delighted when Mr Bruton accepted their invitation to give the address at the summer school which is held in Cahersiveen and Caherdaniel in Co Kerry.
"Last year we were honoured to have former president Mary McAleese give the address and this year we're equally honoured to have John Bruton give the lecture - as a former taoiseach and EU ambassador to the United States, he undoubtedly will have many insights to share," he said.
In addition to Mr Bruton, this year’s programme, which takes place on August 25th and 26th, will also feature a lecture by Tralee native and former attorney general Paul Gallagher SC who will speak on Daniel O’Connell and the law.
Among the other speakers is Sir Adrian Fitzgerald, the 24th Knight of Kerry and a member of the Conservative Party in the UK, who will speak on the sometimes troubled relationship between O'Connell and the Knights of Kerry who lived at Glanleam House on Valentia Island.
Emeritus professor of modern history at Maynooth University, Prof Vincent Comerford will mark the 150th anniversary of the Fenian rising by analysing the impact of Fenianism on Ireland, while Dr Sile McGuckian will speak about O'Connell and the British administration in Ireland.
Dr Neil Buttimer from Roinn na Gaeilge at UCC will deliver a lecture entitled, "O'Connell and the Gaelic Tradition as seen from a Contemporary Diary" while Dr Ciaran McDonnell, who teaches history at UCD, will give a lecture entitled "Daniel , Count O' Connell" .
Dingle based GP, Dr Conor Brosnan, who writes on the maritime history of Kerry, will give a lecture on Admiral Sylverius Moriarty who was born in Ballyferriter in 1735, trained to be a priest in France but abandoned his clerical studies and ended up as a high ranking officer in the Royal Navy.
For the full programme of this year's summer school, visit www.oconnellsummerschool.com
