A TWO-DAY conference on the political and sporting career of former taoiseach Jack Lynch is scheduled to take place in University College Cork this week.
The conference, Jack Lynch: politics and sport, personality and leadership, is being held next Friday and Saturday to mark the imminent release of a major new biography of the former taoiseach and Fianna Fáil leader by Prof Dermot Keogh of the UCC department of history.
The principal speakers on the opening night of the conference on Friday will be Taoiseach Brian Cowen and Prof Keogh.
The list of speakers for Saturday includes Dr Andrew McCarthy, Dr Jonathan Bardon and Dr John Walsh (of the departments of history in University College Cork, Queen's University Belfast, and Trinity College Dublin respectively); Stephen Collins, political editor of The Irish Times, and RTÉ's Gaelic games commentator, Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh.
Topics to be covered during the event include Mr Lynch's approach to the question of Northern Ireland, his handling of the economy, his relationship with Fianna Fáil, the evolution of Irish foreign policy during his time in office, and his sporting career.
This event is being organised by Prof Keogh and Gabriel Doherty of UCC's history department, and is the latest of a series of conferences organised by the department, the purpose of which is to examine the evolution of the independent Irish State.
The proceedings will take place on the Friday in the UCC's Aula Maxima and on the Saturday in Boole IV lecture theatre.
The conference is open to the public.
Mr Lynch was a hurler and footballer who won six All-Ireland medals with his native Cork.