The Trinity Long Room Hub’s ‘Behind the Headlines’ discussion series offers background analyses to current issues by experts drawing on the long-term perspectives of Arts & Humanities research. It aims to provide a forum that deepens understanding, combats simplification and polarization and thus creates space for informed and respectful public discourse.


The Trinity Long Room Hub Behind the Headlines series is supported by the John Pollard Foundation.

For more information visit: www.tcd.ie/trinitylongroomhub

Behind the Headlines

Podcasts

The Trinity Long Room Hub is pleased to present a podcast playlist, a ‘Brexit Special’, highlighting some of the 'Behind the Headlines' discussions in Trinity which began in May 2016, before the fateful vote by British citizens to leave the European Union.

The Trinity Long Room Hub Behind the Headlines series is supported by the John Pollard Foundation.

Brexit Special

Is democracy in crises? Is nationalism on the rise? What does populism mean for western societies? These are just some of the questions Trinity's Arts and Humanities and international experts have been discussing in public forums here at the Trinity Long Room Hub, and in London and Dubrovnik. Listen to a selection of these talks now.

Crises of Democracy

As Ireland geared up to vote on the marriage equality referendum on May 22nd 2015, multi-award-winning Irish author Colm Tóibín gave a public lecture on same-sex relationships in literature on May 14th 2015. 

The lecture was followed by a panel discussion with Dr Paul Delaney (TCD), Dr Heather Ingman (TCD) and Prof Danielle Clarke (UCD), chaired by Prof Nicholas Grene (TCD).  The event was organised by Dr Brendan O’Connell and Dr Pádraic Whyte from the School of English as part of the Trinity Long Room Hub’s ‘Behind the Headlines’ discussion series and supported by the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.

Event Details:
Date: Thursday, 14 May 2015 
Time: 18:30 
Venue: Edmund Burke Theatre, Arts Building

Learn more at: https://www.tcd.ie/trinitylongroomhub/

Photo Credit: Stephen Pyke

Behind the Headlines | The Embrace of Love: Being Gay in Ireland Now

Recorded November 19th, 2015.

Part of the Trinity Long Room Hub 'Behind the Headlines' Discussion Series in collaboration with the School of Religions, Peace Studies and Theology, Department of Sociology, School of Law and the Irish Refugee Council.

Speakers: Dr Gillian Wylie (International Peace Studies, School of Religions, Peace Studies and Theology), Dr Patricia Brazil (School of Law, TCD), Dr Daniel Faas (Department of Sociology, School of Social Sciences and Philosophy), Hassina Kiboua (Irish Refugee Council). The event was chaired by Prof Jane Ohlmeyer (Director, Trinity Long Room Hub).

New article: https://www.tcd.ie/news_events/articles/destination-europe-reflections-on-the-refugee-crisis/

Learn more at: https://www.tcd.ie/trinitylongroomhub/

Behind the Headlines | Destination Europe: Reflections on the Refugee Crisis

Recorded February 18, 2016.

This discussion, as part of the Trinity Long Room Hub's Behind the Headlines Discussion Series, explored some of the deep and complex causes and effects of terrorism and how we can learn to live with the threat of terrorism today. Speakers included: Prof Ian Robertson  (School of Psychology and author of The Winner Effect: How Power Affects Your Brain), Dr Jude Lal Fernando (Irish School of Ecumenics, TCD), Prof Roja Fazaeli (Department of Near and Middle Eastern Studies and Prof Neville Cox (School of Law.

Event Details:
Date: Thursday, 18 February 2016
Time: 18:30
Venue: Edmund Burke Theatre, Trinity Long Room Hub

Learn more at: www.tcd.ie/trinitylongroomhub/

Behind the Headlines | Terrorism Today

Recorded October 17, 2016.

As part of the Behind the Headlines Series, the Trinity Long Room Hub hosted a discussion exploring the possible political, cultural and social implications for Ireland (North and South) and Scotland of the UK supporting its departure from the European Union. 

Speakers: Professor Jane Ohlmeyer (Trinity Long Room Hub), HE Dominick Chilcott (British Ambassador to Ireland,  Dr Etain Tannam (Lecturer in International Peace Studies, School of Religions, Peace Studies and Theology, TCD), Professor Eunan O'Halpin (Director, Trinity Centre for Contemporary Irish History, TCD) Professor Gerald Dawe (School of English).

Learn more at: www.tcd.ie/trinitylongroomhub/

Behind the Headlines | BREXIT

Undermining Democracy: Challenges to Democracy in Central and Eastern Europe 

Democratic values and institutions are being increasingly undermined and eroded in established and transitioning democracies across central and Eastern Europe. Providing perspectives on these serious developments in Poland, Hungary and Germany, this Forum will explore the implications for Ireland and Europe more widely and consider what measures could be taken to safeguard the rule of law and democratic principles so fundamental to the idea of Europe. This event is part of the Trinity Long Room Hub’s ‘Behind the Headlines’ discussion series which offers background analyses to current issues by experts drawing on the long-term perspectives of Arts & Humanities research.

Event Details:
Date: Tuesday, 14 June 2016 |
Time: 18:15 
Venue: Neill Lecture Theatre, Trinity Long Room Hub 

Learn more at: www.tcd.ie/trinitylongroomhub/

Behind the Headlines | Undermining Democracy

Recorded October 17, 2016.

As part of the Behind the Headlines series, this forum will reflect on the recent ruling by the European Commission in relation to Apple, and Ireland’s tax position. 

Speakers will include prominent journalist and economist David McWilliams; Dr Mary Cosgrove (School of Languages, Literatures and Cultural Studies, TCD); Dr Daniel Geary (School of History, TCD); Professor John O'Hagan (Department of Ecomonics, TCD).

Read the news story: https://www.tcd.ie/news_events/articles/brexit-brussels-and-the-big-apple--trinity-experts-give-their-view/

Learn more at: www.tcd.ie/trinitylongroomhub/

Behind the Headlines | Brexit, Brussels and the Big Apple

Recorded March 8, 2017.

The Trinity Long Room Hub Annual Humanities Horizons Lecture 2017 by Professor Joep Leerssen (Chair of European Studies and Modern European Literature, University of Amsterdam, Netherlands).

Abstract: The contemporary political landscape experiences the rise of what is now becoming known as “illiberalism”. A political and ideological novum, illiberalism combines two things: autocratic strongman leadership (Putin, Erdoğan, Orbán, Trump) and ethnopopulism (which voices xenophobia in terms of anti-elitism and anti-elitism in terms of xenophobia). 

The rise of “illiberalism” in political life has been accompanied by the decline of the liberal arts and of the humanities in academic life. As deconstruction and critical theory have been transmogrified into post-truth and fact-free politics, the humanities see themselves confronted with their most urgent challenge since Matthew Arnold’s Culture and Anarchy (1869). At the same time, they face an unprecedented lack of authority in the academic and public spheres. How can we rise to this challenge?

Bio: Joep Leerssen, a comparatist and cutural historian, is Professor of European Studies at the University of Amsterdam. His research moves in two fields. One is imagology, the critical study of ideas of national character, national stereoypes and national self-images (Imagology, ed.  w. Manfred Beller, 2007; Spiegelpaleis Europa, 2011). The other is the transnational history of cultural nationalism. This topic he first pursued with relation to Ireland (Mere Irish and Fíor-Ghael, 1986; Remembrance and imagination, 1996), and then in a wider European frame (National thought in Europe, 2006; De bronnen van het vaderland, 2011).  He is the editor of the Encyclopedia of Romantic Nationalism in Europe (http://romanticnationalism.net, forthcoming in book form 2017)

Learn more at: https://www.tcd.ie/trinitylongroomhub/

2017 | Culture and Populism: The Crisis of the Humanities and the Crisis of Western Liberalism

Recorded, November 7, 2017.

Growth of Right Wing Nationalism and  Collapse of the Central Left

The growth of right-wing nationalism being witnessed on a global scale in both transitioning and established democracies is having an unprecedented impact on democratic values and institutions, recalling a dark time in Europe’s history.

This panel will explore the implications of the collapse of the centre left in a number of recent elections worldwide, the impact on Europe more widely, the dynamics driving this trend as well as measures to safeguard the rule of law and democratic principles central to a thriving democracy. 

Moderator: 
Fintan O’Toole
Fintan O’Toole has been an op-ed columnist for the Irish Times since 1988. His column on political and social affairs appears every Tuesday. He also writes for the Culture Shock slot on Saturdays. A former literary editor of The Irish Times, he has written more than a dozen books; most recently he edited the book of the newspaper’s series Modern Ireland in 100 Objects. Awards include the AT Cross Award for Supreme Contribution to Irish Journalism.


‘From Enoch Powell to Donald Trump: White Nationalism in the U.K. and U.S.’
Dr Daniel Geary, Trinity College Dublin

‘Illiberal Democracies: Are Germany and Austria Next?’
Professor Juergen Barkhoff, Trinity College Dublin

‘Illiberal Democracies and the EU’s Eastern Borderlands: The Endgame for Democracy?’
Dr Balázs Apor, Trinity College Dublin

Learn more at: https://www.tcd.ie/trinitylongroomhub/

Factions, Fears and Fake News - Panel 1: Growth of Right Wing Nationalism...

Recorded August 25, 2018.

Professor Darryl Jones's main area of research and expertise lies in the area of popular literature, particularly in the fields of horror fiction and film, and of Victorian and Edwardian adventure fiction. He has published and edited many studies in these areas, including his 'Collected Ghost Stories of M. R. James' (2011), and his 'Horror Stories: Classic Tales from Hoffmann to Hodgson' (2014).

Trinity's Department of English is ranked 28th in the world.

Learn more at: https://www.tcd.ie/trinitylongroomhub/

'In Defence of Horror' - A lecture by Darryl Jones

Recorded November 5, 2018.

For many countries in the world today, populist and authoritarian approaches to government hold more appeal than the status quo. Through our latest Behind the Headlines discussion we ask why.
Our panel of experts will look at what we mean by crisis, and how we must look closer to home to understand its roots, including economic stagnation and historical political divisions; and on the eve of potentially historic mid-term elections in the US, panellists will consider journalism and the politics of resentment, and citizenship and statelessness.

The Trinity Long Room Hub Behind the Headlines series is supported by the John Pollard Foundation.

Learn more at: https://www.tcd.ie/trinitylongroomhub/

Behind the Headlines | Crises of Democracy

Recorded March 20, 2019.

The rising appeal of populist political movements around the world and authoritarian approaches to government is a startling wake-up call for the political status quo. Our panellists will look at what we mean by crisis and how we can understand its roots, from economic stagnation to historical political divisions. This panel will explore the fallout from Brexit; the significance of the rise of the right across Europe and populist movements which could further destabilize the EU region. 

Bill Emmott, journalist & author and former Editor-in-Chief of The Economist

Professor Heather Jones, Professor in Modern and Contemporary European History, University College London  

Etain Tannam,  Associate Professor  of International Peace Studies in  Trinity College Dublin.

Professor Roy Foster, Professor of Irish History and Literature at Queen Mary University of London.

Learn more at: https://www.tcd.ie/trinitylongroomhub/

Behind the Headlines | Crisis of Democracy (London edition)

Assistant Professor of Economics Ronan Lyons talks us through what is really wrong with housing in Dublin and Ireland in general.  He even has a formula for what you should be willing to pay for a house.  Listen in as we talk land use, high cost of building and how to avoid getting in trouble on social media.

How much should you pay for a house?  Ronan Lyons spells it out

Opened in 2010, the Trinity Long Room Hub Arts and Humanities Research Institute is dedicated to advancing Trinity College Dublin’s rich tradition of research excellence in the Arts and Humanities, on an individual, collaborative and inter-disciplinary basis.

Behind the Headlines | Undermining Democracy

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