Full Weekend Live Streams 2024
Friday May 31st : 7.15 – 8.15 p.m. – Bertie Ahern
Bertie Ahern Presentation
Bertie Ahern was first elected to the Dáil (Parliament) in 1977 and served thirty-four years as a Public Representative, occupying a broad range of political positions including Vice President, Treasurer and President of the Fianna Fail political party, Minister for Arts, Culture & the Gaeltacht, Minister of Industry and Commerce, Minister for Labour and Tanaiste,. He was first elected as Taoiseach ( Leader) of Ireland, in June 1997 and served a full five-year term, being re-elected in 2002 and 2007; the first Taoiseach to achieve that distinction in a generation.
Friday May 31st : 8.15 – 9.15 p.m. – Ciaran Mullooly
Ciaran Mullooly Presentation
Ciaran Mullooly has been a voluntary community worker in the midlands for over 35 years. A tireless campaigner on disability rights and suicide prevention, he has volunteered for Roscommon Lions club, Lough Ree Access For All and Ballyleague Village Renewal. He was instrumental in the development of the Access for All boat, Quad Youth Centre in Roscommon town and the Ballyboro soccer club astro grounds. Ciaran worked as a community and social enterprise officer with Roscommon Leader Partnership from April 2021 until January of this year when he moved to take up the role of EU Just Transition Tourism Funds activator at Longford County Council. He is a former broadcaster with RTÉ and the author of three books: Death on Holy Thursday: the shooting of John Carthy in Abbeylara (2008) , Back to the Future: reflections on a career in journalism (2016) and The Future is Now – life after RTÉ and the challenge facing the midlands (2023) .
A journalist and former RTE News correspondent, he is married to Angela with two sons, Bryan and Eoghan.
Friday evening conference live stream
Saturday morning live stream:
Saturday June 1st: 10.30 – 11.30 a.m. – Frank Feighan TD
Frank Feighan Presentation
Frank Feighan was elected as a member of Roscommon Co Council in June 1999. He was subsequently elected to Seanad Eireann in 2002.
In 2007, Frank was elected to the Dail representing the constituency of Roscommon- South Leitrim. In 2016, he was appointed to Seanad Eireann by Taoiseach Enda Kenny.
In 2020 Frank was elected to the new constituency of Sligo/Leitrim/North Roscommon/South Donegal. He was appointed Minister of State for Public Health and Drugs Strategy from 2020 to 2023.
He is a currently a member of the Oireachtas ‘Good Friday Committee’ and the Disability Committee. He is a frequent visitor to Northern Ireland and the House of Commons promoting closer ties and interaction between business people and elected members, north and south. He is also a member of CHAMP, a not-for-profit organisation promoting peace and prosperity in Northern Ireland, and throughout Ireland and the UK.
Saturday June 1st : 11.30 – 12.30 p.m – Martin Kenny TD
Martin Kenny Presentation
Martin Kenny is a Sinn Féin TD representing Sligo, Leitrim, North Roscommon and South Donegal, a rural constituency in the northwest of Ireland which comprises a number of border counties. Since his first election to the Dáil in 2016, he has held a variety of portfolios including Spokesperson on Agriculture & Rural Affairs, and Spokesperson on Justice. He is currently Sinn Féin’s spokesperson on Transport & Communications.
During his time in the Dáil, Martin has shown a keen interest in the rollout of sustainable travel and renewable energy across rural areas. He has previously been a member of the Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture & Rural Affairs, and the Oireachtas Committee on Justice, as well as one of the Irish representatives on the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly between 2019 and 2023. He is currently a member of both the Oireachtas Committee on Transport & Communications and the Oireachtas Committee on Environment & Climate Action.
Saturday morning conference live stream
Saturday afternoon live stream:
Saturday June 1st : 2.00 – 3.00 p.m. – Marian Harkin TD
Marian Harkin Presentation
Marian in her second term in Dail Eireann, having first been elected in 2002. In the interim she has served fifteen years as a member of the European Parliament.
Marian is, and has always been, an Independent politician and her roots are firmly planted in the Community and Voluntary sector, where she served as Chair of the North Leitrim Glens in Manorhamilton and Chair of the Council for the West for many years.
Marian is originally from Ballintogher, Co. Sligo. She has also lived in Manorhamilton for many years where her late husband Sean ran a supermarket. She has two sons, James and John, and a grandson Dylan. She now lives in Sligo town.
“My passion for politics has always been driven by trying to ensure a fair share for all the regions in Ireland and in connecting Community and Voluntary action to national and European policies. I believe people need to feel anchored to their own place and support local efforts, while at the same time, many want, in some way, to contribute positively on global issues. Politicians have a duty to support them in their endeavours”.
Saturday June 1st : 3.00 – 4.00 p.m. – Senator Niall Blaney
Senator Niall Blaney Presentation
Niall was born in Rosnakill, Fanad, Co Donegal. He was elected as a Senator to the Agricultural Panel of Seanad Eireann in 2022. He is currently the Fianna Fail Spokesperson for Northern Ireland. He was a member of the Good Friday committee alongside Northern Ireland MPs. He was elected to Dail Eireann in 2002 and 2007 as a TD for Donegal North East. He is a former co-chair of the British Irish Parliamentary Assembly 2007 – 2012 and was elected to Donegal County Council in 1999.
Niall hails from a well- known political family with a long history of public service and strong traditional Irish republican values. Since entering politics, Niall’s determination has been to represent all people to the best of his ability.