The Democratic Programme and the First Dáil
By Brendan Halligan

In a broad-reaching study of this, one of most fascinating developments in the early history of the Irish nation, Brendan Halligan explores the build up to the first Dáil’s drafting and adopting of their crucial “Democratic Programme” on 21 January 1919.

To download a PDF of this publication:  Democratic-Programme-First-Dáil

Building Democracy:  The Johnson Years
By Brendan Halligan

Born in Liverpool, Tom Johnson moved to Ireland in the 1890s and became one of the most important Labour and Trade Union activists in the country.

To download a PDF of this publication:  Building-Democracy-The-Johnson-Years

Snapshots:  Five Days in Labour Party History
By Brendan Halligan

In 1978, The Irish Times  published a series of essays by Brendan Halligan about Irish Labour Party History, from Labour’s landmark decision to stand aside and permit Sinn Féin to contest the 1918 General Election to the disappointing results of the much anticipated 1970 elections.

To download a PDF of this publication:   Five-Days-In-Labour-History

Brendan Corish:  a tribute
By Brendan Halligan

One of the great contemporary Irish Labour leaders , Brendan Corish was a man both revered and admired by his peers.  Here Brendan Halligan pays tribute to him as a consummate parliamentarian, a skilled debator and orator, an industrious committee man, but above all, a  charismatic leader.

To download a PDF of this publication:  Brendan-Corish-Tribute

Ever Closer Union
By Brendan Halligan

The phrase “ever closer union” implies a dynamic process where the aim is to bring the peoples of Europe closer  in a series of steps, as defined by the original six founding countries of the European Union.  In this paper, Brendan Halligan explores  this process.

To download a PDF of this publication: Ever-Closer-Union

Can We Achieve Growth?
By Brendan Halligan

In an address given to The Irish Management Institute at Killarney, Brendan Halligan looks at the challenges of the serious employment problems that Ireland faced as a people in 1976, and the opportunities that might be explored to remedy the issue.

To download a PDF of this publication: Can-We-Achieve-Growth?

Can We Achieve Full Employment?
By Brendan Halligan

Brendan Halligan, in this address to the UCC Branch of the Labour Party in January 1977, further explores this burning issue of the day, examining the history context, and the crucial influence that emigration had on Ireland’s work force in the sixties and seventies.

To download a PDF of this publication: Can-We-Achieve-Full-Employment?

The Ulster of Tomorrow
By Brendan Halligan

Originally delivered as an address to The Campaign for Democracy in Ulster, at the British Labour Party at Blackpool in 1976, this paper explores how political forces faced the realities and difficulties of the political situation in Northern Ireland of the day, and attempts to identify a means of defending and strengthening democracy there.

To download a PDF of this publication:  The Ulster of Tomorrow

Proposals on Planning Development and Reform
By Brendan Halligan

A paper that examines the need for proper planning and development in Ireland in the late 1970s – at a time of crisis for the country.

To download a PDF of this publication:  Proposals on Planning-And-Development-Reform

Justin Keating:  a tribute
By Brendan Halligan

A tribute to one of Ireland’s best known figures, Justin Keating, who was a key figure in the new Labour Party created by Brendan Corish in the 1960s and served as Minister for Industry and Commerce in the National Coalition Government from 1973–77.

To download a PDF of this publication:  Justin-Keating-Tribute

The Future of European Integration
By Brendan Halligan

Examining the future of European integration as a process in which sovereignty is being progressively shared on a voluntary basis by countries which elect to do so, Brendan Halligan focusses on three separate but inter-related aspects: an enlarging membership, an expanding agenda, and a deepening interdependence.

To download a PDF of this publication:  Future-of-European-Integration

Altiero Spinelli:  A tribute
By Brendan Halligan

One of the founding fathers of the European Union, Altiero Spinelli was a co-author of the historic Ventotene Manifesto, an influential figure in the European federalist movement and later a member of the European Commission, and MEP.  This paper explores the man, his personal story and his success as a European innovator and facilitator.

To download a PDF of this publication:  Altiero-Spinelli-Tribute

From the archive:  The Achievement of Socialism
By Brendan Halligan

This piece, written in 1983 at a time of extreme challenge for the Irish Labour Party, was based on a contribution made by Halligan to the Dublin Regional Council symposium (June 1983) about the future of the party, with particular reference to the importance of its commitment to coalition.

To download a PDF of this publication: The Achievement of Socialism

Strategies for a Small State in  Large Union – The Dr. Garret Fitzgerald Lecture 2013

By Brendan Halligan

One of Ireland’s true international Statesmen, Garret FitzGerald became Foreign Minister at the moment Ireland joined the EU. The paper’s primary focus is statecraft, and how he managed the affairs of a nation in its relations with the outside world.

To download a PDF of this publication:  Strategies-for-a-Small-State-in-a-Large-Union

Ireland and the EEC – 1968
By Brendan Halligan

This document, from the archives, is an address given by Brendan Halligan to the Dublin Institute of Adult Education in 1968, five years before Ireland finally joined the EEC.  Noting that the move into Europe was to be a political move, as opposed to an economic one, Brendan explores the implications of this, and the prospects for the coming years of a new Europe.

To download a PDF of this publication click this link:  Ireland-and-The-EEC

The Truth Of The Matter
By Brendan Halligan

Another document from the archives:  this time on a crucial issue that caused passionate controversy in Ireland at the time.  The Truth of The Matter is Brendan Halligan’s speech in Seanad Éireann during the Second Stage debate on the Criminal Law Jurisdiction Bill of 1975.

To download a PDF of this publication click this link:  Truth-Of-The-Matter

Small State in a Large Union – Scottish lecture
By Brendan Halligan

Brendan Halligan recently gave a lecture on A Small State in a Large Union: The Irish Experience to the Europa Institute at the University of Edinburgh on 1 September 2014.

It focuses on the political strategy employed by Ireland throughout its membership of the EU and analyses the principles upon which it is based.

To download a PDF of this publication click this link:  Small State Scottish Lecture

A Tribute to Michael O’Leary
By Brendan Halligan

Michael O’Leary, former Labour Party Leader, Minister and TD, died in France on 11th May 2006, just three days after his seventieth birthday.

His career in Labour politics occupied just two decades of a long and colourful life, yet they defined the man. lt is for those years he will be best remembered, not just as a successful Labour politician and Minister but as an enigma.

To download a PDF of this publication click this link: Michael O’Leary Tribute

Life After Fianna Fáil
By Brendan Halligan

In this essay,  delivered as an address to the 2011 AGM of the Dublin South East Constituency Council of the Labour Party, Brendan Halligan makes connections between the General Elections of 1918 and 2011, and considers how history came to re-write itself.

To download a PDF of this publication click this link: Life After Fianna Fáil

The Mega Crisis (2010)
By Brendan Halligan

Written on 12 October, 2010 – one month before the EU and IMF came to Dublin for bailout talks, Brendan Halligan examines the nature of the Irish monetary crisis, and makes some cogent observations on the exact nature of the Irish “Mega Crisis”.

To download a PDF of this publication click this link:  The Mega-Crisis

Introductory Remarks, Ban Ki-Moon Visit
By Brendan Halligan

A speech given by Brendan on the occasion of the address by Ban Ki-Moon, Secretary General of the United Nations.  Visiting the IIEA, the speech was entitled: “Sixty Years of UN Peacekeeping at The Institute of International and Europen Affairs”.

To download a PDF:  Ban Ki-Moon-Speech

Britain, Ireland and EMU: the currency dilemma (1994)
By Brendan Halligan

Three years before the Maastricht Treaty was due to come into effect in 1999, Brendan Halligan wrote about the proposed monetary union, exploring the complex economic relationships between the major European players, and possible repercussions for Ireland.

To download a PDF:  The Currency Dilemma

Terry Stewart:  A Tribute
By Brendan Halligan

SDLP Leader, diplomat and former Director General of the IIEA, Terry Stewart was a popular and figure both North and South of the border.  In this insightful tribute, Brendan Halligan looks at the man and his life in all its facets.

To download a PDF:  Terry Stewart:  A Tribute

‘Women Today’ Interview on Abortion, 1984
Marian Finucane interviews Brendan Halligan

“This week, for the first time, an elected representative of one of the three main political parties went on record as supporting the introduction of abortion into this country.  The politician is Labour Euro MP Brendan Halligan, and he took the step when he voted in the European Parliament’s Debate on Women in Strasbourg on Tuesday…” Marian Finucane, ‘Women Today,’ RTE, 1984.

To download a PDF:  Brendan Halligan interview, ‘Women Today’, 1984

BREXIT Insight No 9: A Perfect Storm? 

Analysis from the IIEA series by Brendan Halligan

With BREXIT currently at the forefront of Irish political and economic concerns, Brendan Halligan her contributes to a series of analyses of the situation from a series on the IIEA website, “BREXIT Insight”.  

This contribution is No 9 in the series, and was published 22 May 2017.
To download a PDF:  Brendan Halligan, ‘A Perfect Storm’

BREXIT RE-OPENS THE IRISH QUESTION

by Brendan Halligan 

This article was published on 4 April, 2017 in The Courant, an independent publication. 

It looks at how the BREXIT move has opened a long-standing question in the Republic of Ireland.

To download a PDF of this document, click here

AT THE CENTRE OF THE UNION: Ireland can and must play a full part.

MacGill Summer School 2017 – by Brendan Halligan

“A European renaissance is underway. The centre has held, and it is the best who are full of passionate intensity, not the worst.”

At his recent address to the MacGill Summer School, Brendan Halligan discusses Ireland’ current position in the EU in relation to BREXIT and why it is vital to remain at its centre. 

To download a PDF of this document:  AT THE CENTRE OF THE UNION

DEMOCRACY UNDER ATTACK

MacGill Summer School 2018 – by Brendan Halligan

This year’s MacGill Summer School, now in its 38th year, was a week of broad-ranging ideas and reflection.  Brendan Halligan’s contribution was a paper that explored the history and nature of democracy, noting how it is a more recent phenomenon than most people realise, and importantly, how it is much more fragile than people are willing to admit. He elucidates why democracy is currently under increasing, significant threat and proposes actions that are needed to safeguard its survival.

To read the full text, click here or download a PDF here.

A NOBLE ADVENTURE:
The New Republic Speech in Retrospect

ILHS Conference, 2018
– by Brendan Halligan

Today, more than ever, it’s worthwhile to review the crucial manifesto known as “The New Republic Speech” delivered by Labour Leader Brendan Corish in November, 1967.  In this essay, Brendan Halligan revisits the famous speech,  in which Corish analyses why Ireland failed as a republic, suggesting that, “we have failed in every national objective” – and proposes a “New Republic” that would be carefully crafted with sound economic planning, revised government structures and that would be based on “welfare and equality.”  The speech addresses problems that are still relevant today.

To read the full text, download a PDF here.