(L-R) Dr Anthony Soares, Director of the Centre for Cross Border Studies; An Taoiseach, Micheál Martin and Peter Osborne, Chair of the Centre for Cross Border Studies.
The prestigious Centre for Cross Border Studies held their Annual Conference yesterday at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Dundalk.
With Foyle Port as its headline sponsor, the Conference focused on Commitment, Resilience and Perseverance: New challenges and approaches to cross-border cooperation, mobility, and relations, bringing together government officials, policy experts and leaders of civic society and academia.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin made a keynote address to attendees on his Government’s commitment to work with all communities on the island to build consensus around a shared future, underpinned by the Good Friday Agreement.
The British Ambassador to Ireland, Paul Johnston, and Bernadette McAliskey also addressed the conference.
Other speakers included:
Director of the Office of the First Minister of Wales, Desmond Clifford
Alliance Party member of the Northern Ireland Assembly, Sorcha Eastwood MLA
Ulster Unionist Party Policy Officer, Lauren Kerr
Director of Public Policy at The Wheel, Ivan Cooper
Assistant General Secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, Owen Reidy
Partner at Flint Global, Sam Lowe
Vice President and Registrar at Dundalk Institute of Technology, Dr Sheila Flanagan
Executive Dean at Dublin City University Institute of Education, Professor Anne Looney
Research Fellow at Queens University Belfast, Dr Lisa Claire Whitten
President of the EU-UK Follow-up Committee of the EESC, Jack O’Connor
A business breakfast and three panels focused on cooperation, mobility and relations took place with a gala dinner last night that had Brian Rowan (author and former BBC correspondent) as a guest speaker. A technical workshop focused on practical issues affecting cross-border and all-island organisations took place this morning.
Bonnie Anley, Chair of Foyle Port; An Taoiseach, Micheál Martin and Brian McGrath, Chief Executive of Foyle Port.
Brian McGrath, Chief Executive, Foyle Port said:
“Foyle Port was proud to be supporting this year’s Centre for Cross Border Studies’ Annual Conference, at a particularly crucial time for relations across these islands as we address the major fiscal and economic challenges ahead.
“As a major institution which thrives on all-island prosperity and a strong cross-border economy, Foyle Port has a strategic interest in maximising our strategic location to support regional economic growth.”
Director of the Centre for Cross Border Studies, Dr Anthony Soares said:
“Yesterday was the pinnacle moment of the Centre for Cross Border Studies’ calendar. Our conference is an opportunity for policymakers and decision-makers to discuss ideas and address pertinent issues on the island of Ireland, the UK and the EU.
“As we approach the 25th anniversary of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement our hope is that yesterday will serve as a starting point for the restoration of mutual dialogue, based on the ethos of the Agreement, to solve the problems surrounding the current political crises in our institutions.
“The Centre encourages anyone interested in taking part in this conversation to work with us to gain a deeper understanding of our rooted interdependence and need for co-operation on a variety of fronts.”