Major conference announced in Ireland for Gallipoli centenary

The centenary of the Gallipoli landings in April will be marked in Ireland with a conference hosted by the annual Hay Literary Festival in Kells and by RTÉ Radio 1’s The History Show.

The event, which will be funded in part by the Reconciliation Fund of the Department of Foreign Affairs, will take place on the weekend of the centenary of the landings.

The three-day event will commence on Friday, April 24th, with the delivery of the Francis Ledwidge Memorial Lecture by the Irish first World War historian Philip Orr, author of Field of Bones: An Irish Division at Gallipoli.

Gallipoli is part of the “foundation myth” of Australia and New Zealand which together comprised the Anzacs. It is also an important part of the narrative of modern-day Turkey, but it has been largely forgotten about in Ireland.

Between 2,500 and 4,000 Irishmen died at Gallipoli, most in the volunteer 10th (Irish) Division. It is estimated a quarter of the 15,000 Irishmen who fought at Gallipoli died there.

The campaign began at dawn on April 25th, 1915. The day will be marked by a conference on the journalism and poetry of the first World War, titled ‘The first draft of history - journalism and poetry in the Great War’.

Among the speakers will be Heather Jones of the Department of International History at the London School of Economics, and author of Violence Against Prisoners of War in the First World War: Britain, France and Germany, 1914-1920. Myles Dungan, presenter of The History Show on RTÉ Radio 1 and author of Irish Voices from the Great War and Mark Duncan, of the Century Ireland project.

On Saturday evening singer-songrwiter Declan O'Rourke will perform First World War related songs in a show entitled 'Poems of War, Songs of Peace'. First World War poetry will be read by Kells-based Welsh poet Nerys Williams while O'Rourke will perform a repertoire that will include Irish anti-war songs The Recruiting Sergeant and Salonika as well as the Eric Bogle trilogy of WW1 songs.

On 26 April a day of lectures will be devoted to the Gallipoli campaign. This will include short talks by Tom Burke of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers Association, Donal McAnnallen of the GAA, Conor Mulvagh (UCD), Tomás Irish (TCD), John Borgonovo (UCC), Jennifer Wellington (UCD) as well as a Turkish perspective from Murat Balandi.

Also involved in the weekend activities will be military archaeologist and historian Damien Shiels, who will lead a walking tour of First World War sites of memory in Kells: Tom Burnell, author of a number of works on Irish War dead and military genealogist Gordon Power, both of whom will be available for consultation should members of the public have questions on their areas of expertise.

All events will take place in St.Columba’s Church of Ireland church, Market St, Kells. Tickets for all events can be purchased by contacting the booking office at 046 9240055 or kells@hayfestival.org. For media inquiries contact 046 9240055 or kells@hayfestival.org.