Historians from Ireland, Britain and the US will try to define the impact of the 1798 Rebellion on modern Ireland when they gather in Gorey later this month for Co Wexford's major summer school.
The Byrne Perry Summer School has been to the fore in promoting a serious re-examination of the significance of 1798 in its bicentenary year and in grappling with many of the issues which remain unresolved in Ireland today.
The summer school is named after two historical figures from the Gorey area. Miles Byrne, a Catholic, was a key figure in the rebellion and went on to become a general in the French army. Anthony Perry, a Protestant, was a founder member of the United Irishmen in Wexford and was executed in 1798.
Leading experts on the period will discuss and argue out their sometimes opposing views on the background and the aftermath of 1798 in the Masonic Hall, Gorey, from June 26th to June 28th.
The Fine Gael leader, Mr John Bruton, will open the school and the Gordon Wilson memorial lecture will be given by Mr Peter Temple Morris MP, the founder and first chairman of the British-Irish Parliamentary Association.
The Rev Walter Forde, of Castlebridge, Co Wexford, is chairman of the event. He says: "We started it four years ago for two reasons. Firstly, there wasn't a summer school in Wexford and, secondly, we felt it was very important, coming up to the bicentenary, that the whole commemoration should be handled properly and that people should be fully informed on it."
Mr Tom Bartlett and Dr Daire Keogh, who were the consultants for the RTE series on 1798, will be among the participants. Prof Lawrence McBride, professor of history at Illinois State University, will examine the views of 1798 depicted in the political cartoons of the time.
Mr Tommy Graham, editor of History Ireland, will address the key question: "Could the United Irishmen have succeeded?"
The published proceedings of earlier Byrne/Perry sessions, The Women of 1798, and The Mighty Wave, are a testament to the quality of the discussions at the school, which attracts more than 100 participants annually.
Programme and bookings are being handled by the tourist office, Gorey, tel: (055) 21248.