Top war correspondent Robert Fisk for Galway conference

One of the most renowned war correspondents in the world is coming to Galway at the end of this month to address a two day conference which explores the issue of Irish neutrality during World War Two.

Journalist and author Robert Fisk, who is based in Beirut, was delighted to take part in ‘The Emergency: Ireland in Wartime’ conference when asked to do so by staff from the History Department at NUI Galway.

Although Fisk is best known for his frontline reports from conflicts in Lebanon, Syria, Israel and Palestine, Iran and Iraq, the English-born writer is also an expert on Irish history during the 1939 to 1945 period.

Fisk (now 67) wrote a thesis about the relationship between Ireland and Britain during what was known as ‘The Emergency’ in this country when he completed a PhD in Political Science at Trinity College, Dublin, in 1983. His research inspired Fisk to write a book called ‘In Time of War: Ireland, Ulster, and The Price of Neutrality’, which is still seen as one of the most insightful books about the period 30 years on.

Voted International Journalist of the Year seven times, he will deliver the main speech of the conference – which is open to members of the public – at the Radisson Blue Hotel on Friday, June 27 (8pm). Fluent in Arabic, he has been the Middle East correspondent for The Independent for over two decades and is one of the most highly regarded war reporters in the English-speaking world.

Although best known for his expertise in the Middle East, his speech in Galway will only cover the issue of Ireland during the period 1939 to 1945. “As soon as we approached Robert, he was very amenable to coming over,” said Sean Ó Duibhir, a member of the organising committee.

“He did write what is considered to be the seminal work on Irish neutrality during this period, a book which academics continually refer back to when discussing what became known as ‘The Emergency’.” The conference has been organised in advance of the 75th anniversary of the outbreak of the Second World War, with events, talks and film screenings taking place at NUI Galway over two days.

Events over the weekend of June 27 and 28 include a screening of ‘The Enigma of Frank Ryan’, a film relating to an Irish left-wing activist who was captured during the Spanish Civil War before being transferred to Berlin by the Nazi regime.

An exhibition, in conjunction with the Donegal County Museum, will give attendees a flavor of what life was like for ordinary Irish people during the Second World War, when rationing was implemented by the Government.

The conference takes place in the new Conference Centre at the Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences Research Building at NUI Galway, near the main library. Those who intend to attend Dr Fisk’s talk on the 27th are urged to get to the hotel in advance of the start time. The conference is being organised by Dr Mary Harris, Dr Mark Philbin and Sean Ó Duibhir of the History Department at NUI Galway.