Conversations on Irish neutrality coming to Leitrim this month
The Neutrality Roadshow will host discussions on Irish neutrality in McGirl’s Bar in Ballinamore, on Saturday, May 24 and in the Bee Park in Manorhamilton, on Sunday, May 25.
A group called The Neutrality Roadshow will hold two public events in Leitrim this month.
The first event will take place in McGirl’s Bar in Ballinamore, on Saturday, May 24 from 4pm to 6pm.
The second event will be held in the Bee Park in Manorhamilton, on Sunday, May 25 from 6pm to 8pm.
These Leitrim events are supported by local groups including Love Leitrim, Treasure Leitrim and North West Mothers for Social Justice, along with individuals working locally in community development and education.
The Neutrality Roadshow began its one-month tour of Ireland on May 8, aiming to engage with local communities about the potential threats to Irish neutrality should the Government dismantle the Triple Lock.
The Triple Lock is a mechanism that regulates the deployment of Irish Defence Forces overseas. The group is concerned that removing it could lead to Irish troops being deployed not for peacekeeping, but for armed conflicts as part of EU-Battlegroups or NATO-led operations.
Speaking at the two events in Leitrim will be Niamh Ní Bhriain, a peace activist and Programme Coordinator with the Transnational Institute in The Hague; Fionn Wallace, a former parliamentary researcher with the Dáil and the European Parliament with expertise in foreign defence and security policy; and Patrick Bresnihan, Associate Professor in the Department of Geography at Maynooth University and a member of Academics for Palestine.
This is a people-led initiative, unaffiliated with any political party, created to foster open discussions in local communities.
It brings together ‘speakers from diverse backgrounds,’ including anti-war campaigners, former peace-keepers, legal scholars, academics, and writers.
The Neutrality Roadshow has confirmed events in Leitrim, Clare, Kerry, Galway, Donegal, Cork, Mayo, Limerick, Cavan, Louth, Kildare, Wexford and Antrim.