Veteran broadcasters set for high-profile Derry politics debate
Jude Collins and Pat McArt line up for the final afternoon event in the Did Ye Hear About? series
The final offering in the Did Ye Hear About? series of talks at Derry’s Gasyard Centre will take place next Tuesday, May 26 when the guests will be Jude Collins and Pat McArt who are longtime collaborators in journalism, commentary and podcasts,
They will be discussing their roles during the Troubles. Colmcille Press publisher, Garbhan Downey will be in the chair as moderator.
Politically, both Collins and McArt are associated with Irish nationalist commentary.
Over the years their discussions focused on Irish unity, Northern Ireland politics, Sinn Féin and unionism, media and journalism, and culture and identity in Ireland.
It’s more than likely these topics will also be raised at the Gasyard next Tuesday.
The series has been highly successful and the organiser, Chris McDonagh says he’s delighted with the response now that the final talk is at hand.
Chris stated: “When we looked to reshape our peacebuilding programme, we knew that critical engagement was going to be very important. Derry is an extremely politically astute city and we believed that there was a real appetite from people to try and understand and engage with the history, culture and politics of this place beyond that of their own community background.
“We have welcomed a diverse range of representatives - from the Orange Order, the Bands Forum to the NW Islamic Association, North West Migrants Forum, as well as local people speaking to their own lived experience in the most extraordinary of times; people like Jimmy Toye, who told of us his experiences growing up in the Bog during the Troubles, Brian Dougherty speaking on his experience and that of his community during ‘The Exodus’ to our most recent talk with Sinn Fein’s Raymond McCartney where he told of his time on hunger strike in Long Kesh and his subsequent role in political life here and pushing peace forward.
“Our aim was to provide people with context and knowledge, the means for reflection informing reaction. Judging by the response and the reactions we have succeeded in that it has opened up a lot of discussion and debate which was the whole idea. It has been a learning experience for us all.”
The two final speakers for this term, Jude Collins and Pat McArt are veteran commentators on the political scene.
Jude is a Belfast-based writer, broadcaster, former teacher and university lecturer who runs the commentary site Jude Collins website.
He has written over many decades for newspapers and magazines on Irish politics, culture, religion, and education and has hosted and contributed to radio and television discussions both here and in the Republic.
His colleague on the Pat and Jude podcasts, Pat McArt is a former RTE journalist who served as editor of the Derry Journal for 25 years and is a regular contributor to both Radio Foyle and Highland Radio. Some years back his memoir, War Peace and the Derry Journal was published to widespread acclaim.
Next Tuesday they will talk about the Troubles, their roles, and how reporting the conflict was not always easy.
The event gets underway at 2pm.