Queen's University Belfast - Constitutional Futures: Recent Episodes
Mediasite QUB Admin
In this podcast series, Prof Colin Harvey from QUB, speaks with academics and civic society to discuss the ongoing debate around the constitutional future of Northern Ireland and the issues that arise from it. `Constitutional Futures' looks at the economic, political and cultural factors that are helping to shape the debate.
Episode 18: Legacies of Conflict and Constitutional ChangeIn this episode, Colin Harvey discusses the legacies of conflict and the implications for constitutional change on the island of Ireland with Dr Anna Bryson, QUB School of Law and Andrée Murphy, Deputy Director, Relatives for Justice
Episode 17: Climate Justice and Constitutional ChangeIn this episode, Colin Harvey is joined by QUB colleagues John Barry, Amanda Slevin, Peter Doran and Seán Fearon to discuss climate justice and constitutional change.
In this episode, Prof Colin Harvey speaks with Ben Collins. Ben Collins has worked in communications and public affairs across the UK and Ireland for more than twenty years. He comes from a unionist background in Belfast and has previously been involved with both Conservative and Liberal political parties. His book Irish Unity: Time to Prepare published in October 2022 by Luath Press, sets out his thinking on why we should prepare now in advance of a border poll on a united Ireland.
In this episode, Prof Colin Harvey speaks with Oran Doyle. Oran Doyle is Professor in Law at Trinity College Dublin. He also holds a dual appointment as a research professor at the Academia Sinica in Taipei. Prof Doyle is an expert in comparative constitutional law, with a particular focus on the issues of constitutional amendment, territory and Irish unification. He is the author of 'The Irish Constitution: A Contextual Analysis' and (with Tom Hickey) 'Constitutional Law: Text, Cases and Materials'. Prof Doyle is a regular contributor to public debates on issues of constitutional law in Ireland.
In this episode, Prof. Colin Harvey speaks with Sipho Sibanda. Sipho Sibanda is a leading human rights and equality activist in N. Ireland. She is currently the Vice Chair of the Black and Minority Ethnic Women's Network - which works to enhance knowledge and awareness of gender and racial equality issues for BME women in N. Ireland. She has worked with Participation and the Practice of Rights and is also a Fellow with the Social Change Initiative.
Dr Anne Devlin is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI). Her research interests include labour economics and the economics of disability as well as a particular interest in economic inactivity in Ireland, North and South. In April 2022 she was a co-author of the research report: ‘A North-South Comparison of Education and Training Systems: Lessons for Policy’, produced as part of a joint research programme between the ESRI and the Shared Island Unit of the Department of the Taoiseach on ‘The Economic and Social Opportunities from Increased Cooperation on the Shared Island’.
In this episode Prof Colin Harvey speaks with Tony Connelly. Tony Connelly is Europe Editor for RTÉ. He is the recipient of two ESB National Media awards, a European Journalism Award and a New York Festivals radio award. He has received the Outstanding Achievement Award from the UCD Smurfit Graduate School journalism awards, and an Irish Law Society Justice Media Award for his coverage of the Brexit negotiations. Tony is the author of Brexit and Ireland, nominated Irish non-fiction book of the year in 2018, and Don’t Mention the Wars: A Journey Through European Stereotypes, published in 2014.
In this episode, Professor Colin Harvey talks to Frank Connolly about his new book “United Nation: The Case for Integrating Ireland”. Frank Connolly is one of Ireland’s most distinguished investigative journalists. His previous books include Namaland (2017) and Tom Gilmartin: The man who brought down a Taoiseach (2014), both published by Gill Books. He has also published a novel, A Conspiracy of Lies (Mercier, 2019). He is Head of Communications with SIPTU and lives in Dublin.
In this episode, Prof Colin Harvey speaks with Eilish Rooney. Eilish Rooney is an Emeritus Scholar at Ulster University’s Transitional Justice Institute in the School of Law. Her research and community activist interests include intersectionality theory, women’s lives in conflict and grassroots transitional justice.
In this episode Prof Colin Harvey speaks with Martina Devlin and Tanya Ward about civic society and its views and inputs into the ongoing debate about a referendum on Irish unity.
Martina Devlin is an author of 11 books and a journalist as well as being a board member of Ireland’s Future. She has been shortlisted three times for the Irish Book Awards
Tanya Ward is Chief Executive of the Children’s Rights Alliance and previously worked with the Irish Council for Civil Liberties. She has lectured and published widely on human rights.
In this episode, Prof Colin Harvey speaks with Niall Murphy. Niall Murphy is a partner and solicitor at KRW Law, where he has a distinguished record including in high profile legacy litigation and criminal defence. Niall is also the Secretary of Ireland’s Future and one of the founders of the organisation, playing a lead role in its formation and ongoing work.
In this episode Prof Colin Harvey is joined by Prof Aoife O’Donoghue (Durham University Law School) and Colin Murray (Reader in Public Law, Newcastle Law School) to discuss the evolving conversation about potential constitutional change, with a particular focus on questions of participation and process.
Prof. Colin Harvey speaks with Una Mullally about the role of the media and civic activism in the debate about a referendum on a united Ireland. Una Mullally writes a weekly column for The Irish Times on society and politics, and her writing has also appeared in The New York Times, The Guardian, Granta, and elsewhere. She is the co-host of the United Ireland podcast, and co-founded the podcasts Don't Stop Repealin' and The Irish Times Women's Podcast. She is the author of an oral history on the marriage equality movement in Ireland, In The Name Of Love (2014), and edited the Repeal the 8th anthology (2018).
Prof Colin Harvey is joined by Emma DeSouza for a discussion about her activism and thoughts on the present and future. This includes: reflection on the intensified interest in the constitutional conversation; the role of the Good Friday Agreement in framing the debate; the significance of civic leadership; and her hopes for a new and united Ireland.
In this episode Prof Colin Harvey of QUB asks whether the union state has a future. He is joined by Michael Keating, professor and chair in Scottish politics at the University of Aberdeen, Aileen McHarg, professor of Public Law and Human Rights at Durham University, Jennifer Todd, professor at the School of Politics and International Relations at University College Dublin (UCD) and Dr Etain Tannam, associate professor at the School of Religion, Trinity College Dublin.
In this episode Prof Colin Harvey of QUB is joined by John Garry, prof of political behaviour of QUB, Dr Michael Pierse of QUB, who focuses on class in Irish studies, Dr Lisa Whitten, a research fellow at QUB and Dr Mary C Murphy, a senior lecturer in politics at University College Cork. In this episode they discuss political futures on the island of Ireland
In this episode, Prof Colin Harvey talks with Dr Esmond Birnie, senior economist at Ulster University asking - `What are the economic implications of existing and alternative constitutional futures?'
Episode 1 - Does a united Ireland make economic sense? Prof Colin Harvey of Queen's University, Belfast, is joined by Prof John Doyle, DCU, Seamus McGuinness, Research Professor ESRI and adjunct Professor Trinity College Dublin and Dr. Adele Bergin, an Associate Research Professor at the ESRI.