Northern bishops organise talks on partition to ‘bring community together’

The Northern Catholic bishops have announced they will host an online webinar series of historical talks marking the centenary of partition and the establishment of Northern Ireland “to help bring the community together”.

The talks will be led by Dr Éamon Phoenix, a political historian, columnist and broadcaster, who will be joined by a number of academic historians from the North and south over four Monday nights from September 13 to October 4.

Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland Eamon Martin said: “This webinar series is an opportunity for people of all traditions to engage with our shared history. The presentations, expertly put together by Dr Éamon Phoenix, will allow for the story of the coming into being, and development, of Northern Ireland to be examined and analysed while critically assessing the role of the Churches, and others, in that respect.

“On behalf of the Northern bishops, I invite those with an interest in Church, society, politics and history to join us in helping to unravel further this complex and sometimes contentious story,” Archbishop Martin said.

From next week, the programme of talks will be delivered online via Zoom over four Monday evenings from 7pm-9pm.

Each of the webinars are free of charge but registration is required in advance by email to cjp@iecon.ie. The Zoom link will be sent out in advance of each webinar.

Archbishop Martin added: “We are grateful for the funding we have received from the Northern Ireland Office and the National Lottery Heritage Fund which will enable the sharing of untold stories about important aspects of our history and to help bring the community together at this important moment.”