The John Smith Centre was delighted to welcome a delegation of visitors from Northern Ireland to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.
Visiting Scotland on a two-day delegation, Mike Nesbitt MLA, Professor Monica McWilliams and Mark Durkan spent the afternoon of Wednesday 14 June at the University of Glasgow. Joined by the Irish Consul General Jerry O’Donovan and his deputy Jenny Quinn, the group met with the Principal Professor Sir Anton Muscatelli and Vice Principal Rachel Sandison and other academic colleagues in conversation prior to taking part in a panel discussion.
This public facing event was attended by around 100 guests in the Glasgow University Union. Both Professor McWilliams (founder of the Northern Ireland Women’s Coalition) and Mark Durkan (former leader of the SDLP) were signatories to the Good Friday Agreement whilst Mike Nesbitt, still a sitting member of the Northern Ireland Legislative Assembly, covered much of the process as a broadcast journalist prior to leading the UUP.
In a deeply moving series of reflections, the guests talked to the principles of public service and working for the common good and generously responded to multiple questions from the audience. The event was chaired by Professor Mo Hume, Head of Politics in the School of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Glasgow.
We are very grateful to the Office of the Irish Consul and Paul O’Kane MSP for organising and facilitating the days’ events.
